# What Google Ads lets pharma and biotech companies advertise

The Google Ads Healthcare and medicines policy does not mention lab or bioprocess equipment, but it does restrict prescription drug names, antibodies and compounds for labs, cell and gene therapies and clinical trial recruitment. What you can advertise depends on what you sell, what your ad and landing page say, and the country where the ad shows.

[Web version](https://www.crida.studio/en/insights/guides/google-ads-healthcare-policy-pharma-biotech/)

By David Monje, crida studio · Published 2026-11-01 · Updated 2026-11-01

## What the Healthcare and medicines policy covers

Google explains that some healthcare content cannot be advertised at all, while other content can only run in certain locations and by advertisers it has approved. The policy is split into sections, such as prescription drug services, restricted drug terms, pharmaceutical manufacturers, unapproved substances, cell and gene therapies and clinical trial recruitment.

Two details are worth knowing. The English version is the official one used to enforce the policy, even though translations exist. And for most healthcare sections, when a campaign targets allowed locations and the domain is certified, the ad is labelled «Eligible (limited)» and only runs in those locations. For every country you target, you need to read its specific rules.

## Equipment makers and CDMOs, the risk is drug names

The policy does not mention lab or bioprocess equipment, nor contract development and manufacturing services. The risk comes from elsewhere. Google restricts prescription drug terms in ads, landing pages and keywords. Outside Canada, New Zealand and the United States, you may not use them in ads or on landing pages.

For a CDMO, a case study that names a prescription drug or its active ingredient can get the ad pointing to it disapproved. It is safer to talk about the modality, such as monoclonal antibodies, vaccines or recombinant proteins, and keep drug names on pages that do not receive ad traffic. Google does allow non-promotional use, such as regulatory warnings, legal notices or academic publications.


### Can we advertise a bioreactor or a TFF system on Google Ads without certification?

The Healthcare and medicines policy does not mention this equipment, so in principle no healthcare certification is needed. The ad still has to meet the rest of the Google Ads policies, and the landing page should avoid prescription drug names, because outside Canada, New Zealand and the United States they cannot be used.

## Who can advertise what, and in which countries

Pharmaceutical manufacturers must be certified by Google to serve ads. They may only promote prescription drugs in Canada, New Zealand and the United States. Over-the-counter medicines can be promoted in a list of countries that includes Spain, Germany, France, Italy, Portugal, the Netherlands, Sweden and the United Kingdom, among others.

One section can affect many biotechs. Bulk drug manufacturers, medical professional suppliers and suppliers of antibodies, peptides and compounds for commercial labs may only advertise in Canada and the United States. If you sell these products to labs in Europe, this section does not allow you to advertise them in campaigns that run there.

Summary of the policy by type of advertiser, based on the text in force on 1 November 2026

| Who advertises | What the policy says | Where |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Lab or bioprocess equipment maker | Not mentioned, watch out for drug names | Wherever other policies allow |
| Pharmaceutical manufacturer, prescription drugs | Google certification required | Canada, New Zealand and United States |
| Pharmaceutical manufacturer, over-the-counter medicines | Google certification required | List of countries, Spain included |
| Supplier of antibodies, peptides and compounds for labs | Only in two countries | Canada and United States |
| Cell or gene therapy | Educational or informational ads only | US exception with an FDA licence |
| Clinical trial recruitment | Not allowed in most locations | Closed list, Spain not included |

## Cell and gene therapy, informational content only

Google does not allow the promotion of speculative or experimental medical treatments, nor of cell or gene therapies. The only exception is in the United States, where it allows the promotion of FDA-licensed or approved cell or gene therapies by the entities that hold the licence or approval to market them.

It does allow ads for these therapies that are exclusively educational or informational, whatever their approval status. For a CDMO or a supplier working in this field, the cautious route is an ad and a landing page about the manufacturing service or the equipment, with no promise of any treatment effect in patients.


### Can a CDMO say which drugs it manufactures?

On the website, yes, but take care with the pages that receive ad traffic. Outside Canada, New Zealand and the United States, Google does not allow prescription drug terms in ads or on landing pages. One option is to send ads to pages about capabilities and modalities, and keep case studies that name drugs in other sections.

## Clinical trials and country changes in 2026

Google does not allow clinical trial recruitment ads in most locations. Where it does, prescription drugs may not be promoted, ads may not create misleading expectations, and they may not imply that the product being tested is safe. The list includes Belgium, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom and the United States, but not Spain.

Country rules can change, and Google announces the changes in policy update notes. On 22 July 2026 it posted that, from August, telemedicine providers certified by LegitScript and by Google may promote prescription drug services in Spain. The current rules for Spain already include it, and ads and landing pages still cannot promote prescription drugs.


### What happens if Google disapproves an ad under this policy?

You can edit the ad or choose another landing page that complies, and Google reviews it again. If you think it is a mistake, you can appeal from the account. If you cannot fix it, Google advises removing it, because repeated policy violations can lead to account suspension.

## What to check before a campaign goes live

Before launching, check what you sell, which words appear in the ad and on the page, and which countries the campaign targets. If certification is needed, Google asks you to apply from the client account rather than the manager account, and an agency must send documentation of its relationship with the advertiser.

For sections such as pharmaceutical manufacturers or clinical trials, Google issues a warning at least seven days before suspending an account. Unauthorized pharmacies, on the other hand, are treated as an egregious violation and lead to account suspension.

- List the products and services you want to advertise and the policy section each one falls under.
- Search ads and landing pages for prescription drug names.
- Check every target country in the location-specific rules.
- Split countries with different rules into separate campaigns.

## References

- [Google Ads policies, Healthcare and medicines](https://support.google.com/adspolicy/answer/176031)
- [Google Ads policies, restricted drug terms](https://support.google.com/adspolicy/answer/15595717)
- [Google Ads policies, pharmaceutical manufacturers](https://support.google.com/adspolicy/answer/15597836)
- [Google Ads policies, clinical trial recruitment](https://support.google.com/adspolicy/answer/15598648)
- [Google Ads policies, Healthcare and medicines update of July 2026](https://support.google.com/adspolicy/answer/17219940)

## The crida perspective

We are a marketing, brand and technology studio based in Girona. We bring identity, content and development together so a digital experience makes sense from beginning to end.

crida studio, Caldes de Malavella (Girona, Spain). David Monje, founder and director.

## Want to know what you can advertise for what you sell?

Tell us what you make or which services you offer and which countries you sell into. We will review your ads and landing pages against the current policy.

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