Content & Acceptable Use Policy

This Content & Acceptable Use Policy ("Policy") explains what content and behaviour is allowed on websites that use PublisherZera services. It forms part of our Terms of Service and our Publisher Agreement.

1. Why this policy exists

Advertisers want their ads to appear next to safe, genuine content, seen by real people. Users want a site that is useful and not misleading. Ad platforms require publishers to meet strict standards. This Policy helps protect all of them, and protects your ability to earn from your site.

These rules are designed to align with the publisher policies of major ad platforms. They are not a complete list. If something is not listed here but is clearly harmful, illegal or against ad-platform rules, it is still not allowed.

2. Who it applies to

This Policy applies to:

• every website, page and subdomain where our ad tags are placed, or that you submit to us for review;
• all content on those pages, including user comments, forums, user uploads, embedded media and links;
• the way you place ads, design your pages and get traffic.

You are responsible for all content on your site, including content created by your users. If your site allows user-generated content, you must moderate it actively and remove content that breaks this Policy.

3. What every site must have

To be approved and stay approved, each site must have:

• Original, valuable content. Content you created or have the right to publish, that gives users real value. Not copied, scraped, spun or auto-generated in bulk with little or no human review or added value.
• Your own domain. A top-level domain or subdomain that you own or control. Free blog subdomains or shared hosting pages may not qualify.
• Clear navigation. Menus and links that let users find content easily. Pages should load properly and work on mobile devices.
• A privacy policy. A clear, easy-to-find privacy policy that explains how you and third parties (including ad vendors) collect and use data, and how users can opt out.
• Contact information. A working way for users to contact you, such as a contact page or email address.
• An "About" page or clear ownership details, so users know who runs the site.
• More content than ads. Ads must never outweigh the content on a page.
• Consent tools where required. A consent management tool for users in the EEA, UK and Switzerland, and the opt-out choices required by US state privacy laws, as described in the Publisher Agreement.

See our Requirements page for more detail on what we look for when we review a site.

4. Prohibited content

You must not place our ads on any page, and we will not approve any site, that contains, promotes or links to the following:

Sexual and adult content

• sexually explicit content, pornography, nudity for sexual purposes, or sexual services;
• content that promotes escort services, compensated dating or sexual encounters;
• sexually suggestive content designed mainly to attract traffic.

Child sexual abuse material (zero tolerance)

We have zero tolerance for any content that sexually exploits or abuses children, or sexualizes minors in any way. We will immediately end the relationship, withhold all payments, and report the content to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) and law enforcement, as required by law.

Intellectual property infringement

• pirated content, such as unlicensed movies, TV shows, music, software, games, books or sports streams;
• sites that link to, index or help users download or stream infringing content, including torrent and "free download" sites;
• counterfeit goods, or content that infringes trademarks;
• content copied from other sites without permission.

See our Copyright & DMCA Policy.

Violence, extremism and hate

• content that promotes, glorifies or supports terrorism or violent extremist groups;
• content that incites violence, or shows graphic violence, gore or cruelty for shock value;
• content that promotes hatred, discrimination or violence against people based on race, ethnicity, national origin, religion, disability, age, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, caste, veteran status or other protected characteristic;
• animal cruelty.

Harassment and abuse

• content that bullies, threatens, harasses or intimidates people;
• publishing private personal information about others without consent ("doxxing");
• non-consensual intimate images, or content designed to shame or exploit victims of tragedies.

Self-harm

• content that promotes, encourages or gives instructions for suicide, self-harm or eating disorders.

Dangerous or illegal products and services

• any content that promotes illegal activity under the laws that apply to you, your users or us;
• illegal drugs and drug paraphernalia, or instructions for making or using them;
• sale of weapons, firearms, ammunition, explosives or weapon parts, or instructions for making them;
• sale of prescription drugs without a prescription, unapproved substances or dangerous supplements;
• human trafficking, exploitation or the sale of human organs;
• sale of endangered species or products made from them;
• fake documents, such as fake IDs, passports, diplomas or reviews;
• services that help people cheat, such as academic-cheating or essay-writing-for-submission services.

Hacking, malware and phishing

• malware, viruses, spyware or any harmful or unwanted software;
• phishing pages or any content designed to steal passwords, payment details or personal data;
• hacking or cracking tools or instructions, software cracks, keygens, license bypasses or unauthorized access to accounts or services.

Misleading and deceptive content

• sites that impersonate other people, brands, news outlets or government bodies, or copy their look to mislead users;
• fake news sites designed to look like genuine news sources, or that publish fabricated stories as fact;
• false or misleading claims that can cause real harm, such as dangerous health claims or false information about voting and elections;
• get-rich-quick schemes, pyramid schemes, scams and fraud;
• clickbait headlines that do not match the content, or sensational claims designed to trick users;
• hiding your identity or the purpose of your site in a way that misleads users.

Other prohibited content

• excessive profanity or crude language;
• content that is mostly ads, links, or pages created only to show ads;
• pages with no content, "under construction" pages, parked domains, or error pages;
• content that breaks the privacy rights or other legal rights of others.

5. Restricted content

Some content is allowed only with our prior written approval, and only where it is legal and allowed by the ad platforms used:

• Gambling. Online gambling, betting, casinos, lotteries and similar content are allowed only if the operator is properly licensed in each country or state where users are targeted, and only with our approval. Unlicensed gambling is prohibited.
• Alcohol and tobacco. Content that promotes alcohol or tobacco products must follow local law and must not target minors.
• Cannabis, CBD and similar products, where legal.
• Mature or sensitive topics, such as medical content, news about tragedies, or dating, which may receive limited ad demand.
• Sites directed at children, which must be set up under laws such as COPPA and ad-platform rules.

Even when approved, restricted content may receive fewer ads or lower ad demand, because many advertisers choose not to appear next to it.

6. Prohibited site and ad behaviour

You must not use any method that tricks users, harms their experience, or creates artificial ad activity. This includes:

Encouraging or causing clicks

• clicking your own ads, or asking anyone else to click them;
• asking users to click ads or support you by clicking, using text such as "click here", "support us" or "visit our sponsors" near ads;
• offering rewards, points, money or other incentives for viewing or clicking ads;
• labelling ads in a misleading way, such as calling them "downloads", "recommended links", "resources" or "next". Ads may only be labelled "Advertisements" or "Sponsored links";
• placing ads next to or below download buttons, navigation menus, play buttons, or other controls in a way that causes accidental clicks;
• making ads look like site content, menus or buttons;
• placing ads under images or content designed to look like part of the ad;
• using arrows, images or other features to draw attention to ads.

Disruptive page behaviour

• forced redirects, or redirecting users to other sites without their action;
• pop-ups, pop-unders or new windows that open without the user's request;
• automatically refreshing ads or pages to increase impressions;
• hiding ads, stacking ads on top of each other, or making them very small or invisible;
• placing ads in a way that covers content, or that users cannot close;
• code that changes the browser, home page or settings, or installs software.

Wrong placement

• placing ads on pages with no or very little content, such as thank-you pages, login pages, error pages, or exit pages;
• placing ads in pop-up windows, mobile or desktop apps, software, browser extensions, emails or newsletters, unless we have approved it in writing;
• placing ads on sites or pages that are not approved, or framing your site inside another site;
• placing ads on pages whose main purpose is to show ads;
• changing our ad code in any way not approved by us.

7. Traffic sources

Your traffic must come from real users who choose to visit your site. You must not:

• use bots, scripts, click farms, traffic exchanges, auto-surf or "paid-to-click" programs;
• buy traffic from sources that you know or should know send low-quality or non-human traffic;
• send traffic through URL shorteners, link-cloaking or interstitial pages that force users to view ads before reaching content;
• send traffic through unwanted software, toolbars or extensions;
• send spam emails, messages or comments to get traffic;
• use misleading search or social advertising to get traffic.

If you buy traffic, you must be able to show us the source and must follow our Invalid Traffic Policy.

8. Ad platform policies also apply

PublisherZera may use third-party ad platforms and demand partners, such as Google Ad Manager, to serve ads on your site. You must also follow the publisher policies, program rules and content guidelines of each platform used. These policies can change at any time and are sometimes stricter than this Policy. If there is a difference, the stricter rule applies.

Ad platforms may make their own decisions to limit, restrict or disable ads on your site. Those decisions are outside our control.

9. Enforcement

We check sites during review and from time to time afterwards. We may also act on reports from users, advertisers, rights holders or ad platforms. If we find a violation, we may take one or more of these actions, depending on how serious it is:

• Warning. We tell you about the issue and give you a deadline to fix it.
• Ad removal or restriction. We stop or limit ads on specific pages, sections or the whole site.
• Suspension. We pause ad serving on your account until the issue is fixed.
• Termination. We end our relationship with you immediately.
• Withholding payments. We withhold, deduct or reclaim earnings linked to the violation, as set out in the Publisher Agreement.
• Reporting. We report illegal content or activity to the relevant authorities, and share information with ad platforms where required.

For serious violations, such as child sexual abuse material, malware, phishing, fraud or deliberate invalid traffic, we may act immediately and without warning. We may refuse to work with you again in the future.

If you believe we made a mistake, reply to our notice and explain why. We will review your response in good faith.

10. Reporting a violation

If you see a website in our network, or an ad, that you believe breaks this Policy, please tell us at legal@publisherzera.com. Include:

• the full URL of the page;
• a short description of the problem;
• a screenshot, if possible;
• your contact details, if you want a reply.

For copyright complaints, please follow our Copyright & DMCA Policy. If you see content that puts a child at risk, please also report it directly to NCMEC or your local law enforcement.

11. Changes to this policy

We may update this Policy from time to time, for example when ad-platform policies or laws change. We will update the "Effective" date above. Publishers must keep their sites in line with the current version.

12. Contact

Questions about this Policy? Publishers can contact publishers@publisherzera.com. To report a violation or for legal questions, contact:

PublisherZera LLC (pending formation), Business address (US mailing address to be added). Email: legal@publisherzera.com