All advertising is reviewed before delivery and monitored throughout it. This policy sets out how review is conducted, the actions available to Adxe where advertising does not comply, and the circumstances in which a determination may be reconsidered.
Review before launch
A submitted creative enters review. Adxe assesses the image or video, the headline and description, the destination and the full path to it, and the advertiser, against prohibited content, the restricted categories, the creative standards, the title rules and the landing page rules.
- Most creatives are determined within one business day. Restricted categories take longer, as supporting evidence must be verified. No turnaround is guaranteed.
- Review is conducted against the destination as it stands on the day, from multiple locations and device types.
- A rejection states a reason. Where that reason cites a section of these policies, that section is the standard applied.
- A creative rejected for a remediable defect may be corrected and resubmitted. Resubmission is a new review, not an appeal.
Monitoring during delivery
Live campaigns are re-assessed on an ongoing basis. Review is triggered by:
- Scheduled re-checks of the creative and its destination.
- Automated signals, including abnormal click behaviour, a changed destination, an introduced redirect or a lapsed certificate.
- Complaints from individuals who were served the advertising, and from the publishers who carried it.
- Notices from regulators, brand owners and rights holders.
Advertising is additionally reviewed by the platforms from which inventory is sourced. A determination made there may stop a creative irrespective of Adxe’s own assessment, and Adxe cannot overturn it.
Actions available to Adxe
The action taken reflects the severity of the breach, whether it appears deliberate, and the account’s history. Adxe may take any of these actions at its discretion, with or without notice.
| Action | When it applies |
|---|---|
| Reject the creative | A single advertisement breaches a standard. The remainder of the campaign continues. |
| Pause the campaign | The breach concerns the destination, the offer or the claims rather than one creative. |
| Block the destination | A domain repeatedly fails review, or serves content other than that approved. |
| Restrict the account | A pattern across campaigns. New creatives require manual approval before delivery. |
| Suspend or close the account | Cloaking, fraud, impersonation, malware, illegal content, or repeated breaches following warning. |
Serious breaches are not subject to escalation in stages. Cloaking, phishing, malware distribution, fabricated endorsements and content involving minors are grounds for immediate and permanent closure on a first instance, and Adxe reports such matters to authorities and rights holders where appropriate.
Closure of an account does not of itself entitle the holder to a refund of its balance; the treatment of funds is governed by the Advertiser Terms and Conditions. Opening a further account to circumvent a suspension is a material breach, and both accounts will be closed.
Requesting reconsideration
Where an advertiser considers a determination to have been made on a mistaken view of the facts, it may request reconsideration through the contact page, stating “Policy appeal” and including:
- The campaign and creative to which the determination applies.
- The rejection reason issued.
- The basis on which the determination is said to be mistaken — what the advertising in fact claims, or what the destination in fact contains.
- Any evidence the category requires: a licence, registration, substantiation document or rights clearance.
A request is acknowledged within two business days and ordinarily determined within five. A determination on reconsideration is final in respect of that advertising. A materially different version may be submitted as a new creative.
Reconsideration is available only where a determination is said to be mistaken on the facts. Advertising in a prohibited category is not subject to reconsideration, as no version of it would be approved.
Reporting advertising
Any person who considers advertising delivered by Adxe to breach these policies, or to infringe a trade mark, copyright or likeness, may report it through the contact page, identifying the advertising, where it was seen and the nature of the complaint. A screenshot and the destination URL assist investigation. Adxe investigates all reports and acts on those it substantiates.
Advertiser obligations
- Read the section applicable to your category before building the campaign.
- Obtain a determination in advance wherever a category states that prior approval is required.
- Retain current substantiation for every claim made on the destination and produce it on request.
- Notify Adxe before altering the destination of live advertising.
- Treat an affiliate or third-party landing page as your own; Adxe holds you responsible for it.