Branded Content Policies

The branded content tool is only available to certain Pages in certain regions at this time.

We define branded content as a creator or publisher's content that features or is influenced by a business partner for an exchange of value, such as monetary payment or free gifts.

Branded content may only be posted with the use of the branded content tool, and creators must use the branded content tool to tag the featured third-party product, brand or business partner with their prior permission. Branded content may only be posted by Facebook Pages, groups and profiles, and Instagram accounts with access to the branded content tool.

Creators cannot accept anything of value to post content that does not feature themselves or that they were not involved in creating.

Learn more about common branded content scenarios:

• On Facebook
• On Instagram

You must also comply with all applicable laws and regulations, including by ensuring that you provide all necessary disclosures to people using Facebook or Instagram, such as any disclosures needed to indicate the commercial nature of content posted by you.

Certain goods, services or brands may not be promoted with branded content. We prohibit promotion of the following:

1. Violations of our Community Standards or Community Guidelines
2. Illegal products or services
3. Tobacco products, vaporisers, electronic cigarettes or any other products that simulate smoking
4. Drugs and drug-related products, including illegal or recreational drugs
5. Unsafe products and supplements.
   Unsafe supplements include but are not limited to anabolic steroids, chitosan, comfrey, dehydroepiandrosterone, ephedra and human growth hormones.
6. Weapons, ammunition or explosives.
   Branded content must not promote firearms (including firearms parts, ammunition, paintball guns and BB guns), firearm silencers or suppressors, weapons (including pepper spray, non-culinary knives/blades/spears, tasers, nunchucks, batons or weapons intended for self-defence), or fireworks or explosives.
7. Adult products or services, except for family planning and contraception.
   Branded content must not promote the sale or use of adult products or services, except for posts for family planning and contraception.
8. Payday loans, payslip advances and bail bonds
9. Multilevel marketing
10. Initial coin offerings, binary options or contract for difference trading
11. Controversial political or social issues or crises in an exploitative manner for commercial purposes
12. Regional lotteries
13. Negative portrayal of voting or census participation in the United States and/or advising users not to vote or participate in a census

Some sensitive content can only be promoted with restrictions, such as restricting who can see the post based on age or geographical location. Please click on any of the categories below to learn more about required restrictions:

1. Alcohol

Branded content promoting or referencing alcohol must comply with all applicable local laws, required or established industry codes, guidelines, licences and approvals, and include age and country targeting criteria consistent with Facebook's targeting guidelines and applicable local laws. Branded content must be age-gated to 18 years or over in all permitted countries except as follows:

• Prohibited: Afghanistan, Brunei, Bangladesh, Egypt, Estonia, Gambia, India, Kuwait, Libya, Lithuania, Norway, Pakistan, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, United Arab Emirates and Yemen.
• 25 years or over: Sweden.
• 21 years or over: Cameroon, Micronesia, Palau, Solomon Islands, Sri Lanka and the United States.
• 20 years or over: Japan, Iceland, Thailand and Paraguay.
• 19 years or over: Canada, South Korea and Nicaragua.

2. Subscription services

Branded content promoting subscription services, or products or services that include negative options, automatic renewal, free-to-pay conversion billing products or mobile marketing must follow all applicable local laws. Branded content posts must be age-gated to 18 years or over.

3. Financial and insurance products and services

Branded content promoting credit cards, loans or insurance services must be targeted to people aged 18 or above. Posts must not promote misleading or deceptive services related to student loan consolidation, forgiveness or refinancing.

4. Cosmetic procedures and weight loss

Branded content promoting cosmetic surgery, cosmetic procedures, weight loss products or weight loss services must be age-gated to 18 years or above.

5. Family planning and contraception

Branded content promoting contraceptives must focus on the contraceptive features of the product, and not on sexual pleasure or sexual enhancement, and must be age-gated to people aged 18 or older.

Additionally, some categories require that the business partner sponsoring the branded content be authorised to promote their services. The following types of business partners require written pre-authorisation from Meta before engaging in branded content:

1. Dating services

The business partner must receive written permission from Facebook to promote online dating services. Branded content posts must be targeted to users aged 18 or older.

2. Real money gambling

Both the business partner and creator/publisher must receive written permission from Facebook to promote real money gambling. Branded content posts must be targeted to users aged 18 or over and restricted to the jurisdiction for which permission has been granted.

3. Pharmacies

The business partner must be certified with LegitScript and receive written permission from Facebook to promote pharmacies.

4. Prescription drugs

The business partner must apply to Facebook to promote prescription drugs. The following entities are eligible to apply for permission from Facebook: online pharmacies, telehealth providers and pharmaceutical manufacturers. Advertisers can learn how to apply here.

Branded content posts promoting prescription drugs must be restricted to people aged 18 or older and restricted to the United States, New Zealand or Canada. Prescription drug promotion is prohibited outside of these locations.

5. Cryptocurrency products and services

The business partner must receive written permission from Facebook to promote cryptocurrency products and services.

6. Drug and alcohol treatment centres

The business partner must be certified with LegitScript and receive written permission from Facebook to promote drug and alcohol treatment centres.

7. Government, elections or politics

Current elected and appointed government officials, political candidates, political parties and political committees may not use branded content. However, in the United States, the branded content tool may be used in branded content posts if the business partner has been authorised to run ads about social issues, elections or politics.

Your branded content must comply with the following restrictions:

1. Branded content may only be posted where the branded content tool is available, such as Facebook Stories or Instagram posts.
2. Don't include pre-, mid- or post-roll ads in videos or audio content.
3. Don't include banner ads in videos or images.
4. Don't include title cards within a video's first three seconds. Interstitial cards outside of a video's first three seconds, such as mid cards or end cards, must not persist for longer than three consecutive seconds and must not be included within Facebook Stories or Instagram Stories.

Visit our Meta Business Help Centre for visual examples of format restrictions. For policies related to branded content within our ads product, please see our Advertising Standards.

• About Branded Content Policies
• About our Advertising Standards
• About branded content
• Eligibility requirements for Instagram partnership ads and branded content