Confidential

Ad Rendering Policy

Last Updated: December 2023

This Ad Rendering Policy applies to all Implementations distributed by Publisher (and, if distribution is expressly authorized by search provider, Publisher’s Syndication Partners) in connection with the Agreement. Unless otherwise defined herein, all capitalized terms have the meaning given in the Agreement. For the avoidance of doubt, other search provider Policies may also apply to the Implementations governed by this policy.

1. Query Management. Publisher must (and, if applicable, must ensure that its Syndication Partners) comply with the following Query management practices and requirements:
   1. must deliver Results when a user enters a search or approved search input into a search entry point, such as a search box.
   2. must display results in the order provided by search provider.
   3. must not minimize, remove, redirect, reorder or otherwise inhibit or modify the display of Results, except as expressly authorized by search provider in writing.
   4. must not add, delete, change or pre-populate terms or characters of any Query, excluding spell check, auto completion, and suggested query functionalities.
   5. must not serve Results on properties which are under construction, unfinished, or on 404 error pages.
   6. must not serve Results against content which is not in one of the primary languages in the Territory in which the Results would be served.
   7. must ensure the only clickable area linking to advertisers’ pages are title, description, URLs, and ad extensions. Clickable white spaces must not appear between or around ad listings.
   8. must ensure that each call for Results is preceded by a clear expression of user intent or interest (e.g., a Query or keyword link).
   9. must display Results only in a fully functional web page or application, and must not display Results in pop-ups or pop-unders.
   10. must display Results immediately after the search event.
   11. must ensure that Results returned on a SERP are the most prominent element on the SERP.
   12. must ensure that Results returned on a page with content are presented in prominence at the top of the page. A search box must be featured prominently on such page.
   13. must ensure that when Results are displayed, they are listed with a header/label that includes the keyword or a search box populated with the keyword after a search box query is initiated.
   14. must comply with the signals and data element requirements as provided by search provider for each Query.
2. Query Modification. The modification of Queries is expressly prohibited, except as set forth in the applicable search provider Policy. Publisher (and, if applicable, Publisher’s Syndication Partners) may use an approved abbreviation for a Query set forth in the table bellow if (a) the full (long) token keyword is sent to Search Provider in connection with such Query and displayed on the SERP and (b) such abbreviation is relevant to, and displayed in, the ad copy, if any, used in connection with the Query.
3. Requirements for Results.
   1. All Implementations displaying Results must be labelled to preserve a user’s search intent, by clearly indicating throughout that a search is being performed on a specific keyword.
   2. Paid Search Results must be listed with a header/label that includes the keyword when a keyword link is clicked, or that includes a prominent search box populated with the keyword after a search box query is initiated.
   3. Results, including those from 2-Click Implementations, must be displayed on a new web page or overlay with no interstitial content.
   4. The exact keyword that was clicked on by the user and used in the ad call must be displayed on the SERP.
4. Number of Paid Search Results Per Ad Call. Publisher must (and, if applicable, must ensure that its Syndication Partners) (a) comply with the maximum number of Paid Search Results supported per ad call, as specified by search provider (which may be updated from time-to-time), and (b) request and display, for each ad call, a minimum of 2 Paid Search Results.
5. Ad Labeling Requirements. Publisher must (and, if applicable, must ensure that its Syndication Partners) comply with the following ad labeling requirements for Paid Search Results:
   1. All Paid Search Results must be properly labeled in full compliance with law and industry best practices (e.g., Paid Search Results must be labeled such that it would not be disguised as or confused with other content).
   2. Paid Search Results must be clearly marked as advertisements using an Approved SERP Label (as defined below). The text of the Approved SERP Label may not be obscured in a way that may mislead the user or suggest that the Paid Search Results are natural links.
   3. Approved SERP Labels must appear in close proximity to the Paid Search Results and any other advertisement, and on either the upper left-hand or upper right-hand corner of the ad block.
   4. The text of the Approved SERP Label must be clearly legible and must avoid the use of small font sizes and colors that may blend-in with the background of the page.
   5. Publisher (and, if applicable, its Syndication Partners) must use a consistent and clear ad label scheme throughout the page. Publisher (and, if applicable, its Syndication Partners) must not use different labels for different ad blocks within the same page, without search provider’s prior approval.
   6. Users must be able to distinguish advertising links from other links on the page.
   7. Publisher (and, if applicable, its Syndication Partners) must not use misleading headers or titles, such as labeling ad blocks as “news feed”.
   8. Paid Search Results may not be displayed in or as a pop-up.
   9. Publisher (and, if applicable, its Syndication Partners) may elect to use additional labeling and/or enhanced notices meant to inform end-users of advertising targeting practices.
   10. The following are permitted ad labels for Paid Search Results displayed on SERPs (including, for clarity, 2-Click SERPs and Landing Pages, as such terms are defined in the 2-Click Policy and/or SEM Arbitrage Policy) (collectively, the “Approved SERP Labels”):
       1. • “Ad(s)”
       2. • “Ads by”
       3. • “Ad(s) related to […]”
       4. • “Advertiser(s)”
       5. • “Advertiser Links”
       6. • “Advertisement(s)”
       7. • “Advertiser Sites”
       8. • “Promoted Listing(s)”
       9. • “Sponsored Listing(s)”
       10. • “Sponsored Products”
       11. • “Sponsored Result(s)”
       12. • “Sponsored By”
       13. • “Sponsored Sites”
       14. • “More Sponsor(s)”
       15. • “Sponsored Link(s)”
       16. • “Sponsored”
       17. • “Paid Results”
       18. • “Ad Results”
       19. • “Advertiser Results”
       20. • “Paid Content”
       21. • “Sponsored Content”
       22. • “Featured Advertisement(s)”
6.  Publisher (and, if applicable, its Syndication Partners) may display duplicated Paid Search Results subject to search provider’s prior approval in each instance and the following requirements:
   1. Paid Search Results may not be duplicated more than once on the same page;
   2. Duplicated Paid Search Results modules must be separated by original content;
   3. Duplicated Paid Search Results modules must be separated by the page fold; and
   4. Duplicated Paid Search Results modules must be exact duplicates, and each module must show the exact same number of Paid Search Results as the other.

   For purposes of this Section, Paid Search Results are deemed to be duplicated if they feature (x) the same brand, (y) the same or substantially similar look and feel, and/or (z) the promotion of the same products or services.

7. Ad Serving Requirements.
   1. Publisher is (and, if applicable, its Syndication Partners are) prohibited from making any modifications to the Results.
   2. Publisher (and, if applicable, its Syndication Partners) must display all Paid Search Results that are delivered in response to Publisher’s (and, if applicable, its Syndication Partners’) request.
   3. For ad extensions only, even though Publisher (and, if applicable, its Syndication Partners) should not request more extensions than are intended to be displayed, Publisher (and, if applicable, its Syndication Partners) may elect to display only a subset of the extensions received if, and only if, the vertical width or height required in the ad block to display the Paid Search Results and ad extensions returned is larger than what Publisher (and, if applicable, its Syndication Partners) had originally expected when it requested them. Extensions may include sitelink extensions, location extensions, call extensions, etc.; specific extensions are subject to change. For example, if some of the sitelink extensions are not displayed, then they should be omitted in reverse order of ranking, starting from the lowest ranking position (e.g., if the sitelink extension includes 6 links, but for space constraints only 4 can be displayed, the links in position 5 and 6 in the sitelink extension ranking may not be displayed).
   4. Publisher (and, if applicable, its Syndication Partners) must not change the ad ranking under any circumstances. That is, as Paid Search Results are sent in a given order (1-2-3-4), Publisher (and, if applicable, its Syndication Partners) must display the Paid Search Results in the same sequential ranking order received.
   5. Publisher is (and, if applicable, its Syndication Partners are) also prohibited from re-ranking or otherwise re-ordering ad extensions (e.g., Sitelinks), which must be displayed in the order and positions provided by search provider.
   6. Paid Search Results must not be dropped or otherwise moved due to pagination issues.
   7. Paid Search Results from search provider may not be commingled with advertisements from other search services providers or ad networks in the same ad block unit.
   8. Paid Search Results may not be intermixed with other content in the same ad block.