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Dating and companionship

Note

To ensure consistency worldwide, Microsoft Advertising enforces our policies across our ad network using the English version. We provide translated versions as a courtesy to our clients, though the translations are not meant to change the content or meaning of the official policy language.

Important

This policy applies to all ad types.

Note

This page was last updated on April 8, 2026.

Microsoft is committed to fostering a safe, respectful, and trustworthy advertising environment. This policy outlines the requirements for the advertising of dating and companionship services across the Microsoft Advertising Network.

All dating and companionship advertisers, including matrimonial sites and marriage broker services, must be pre-approved by Microsoft. To start the pre-approval process, submit this form. Microsoft reserves the right to review, restrict, or remove any dating ad that violates our policies or poses a risk to user safety, trust, or platform integrity.

Ads that feature or promote the following are prohibited:

  • Paid or compensated companionship

  • International matchmaking or sites that exploit socioeconomic differences (such as “mail order spouse” sites)

  • Sexual encounters (see Adult Content Policy)

  • Sexual innuendo or suggestive imagery (see Nudity and Suggestive Content Policy)

  • Text that focuses attention on the physical attributes of its users.

  • Deceptive user profiles.

  • Emotionally manipulative tactics.

    • For instance, ads should not use tactics to exploit vulnerability after a divorce.

Advertisers in this category must not:

  • Target users based on sensitive user data, which may include, but is not limited to, religion, sexual orientation, or ethnicity.

  • Use techniques (including chat style windows) that give the user the impression that they can interact specifically with the person(s) highlighted within the campaign.

  • Include “personalization” or personalized ad messaging and image.

    • For example, ad cannot use a person’s name or image in an ad to suggest a user can interact with or meet the person in the ad or mislead users into thinking the person shown is available.

Dating and personals ads must:

  • Focus on common interests, mutuality, and/or complementary characteristics, as well as promote friendship, commitment, relationships, couples, or love. The following rules apply:

    • Must be relationship focused.
    • Use inclusive, respectful language that reflects diverse identities and relationship goals.

  • Target ages 18+, or the target market’s age of majority, whichever is older.

    • Ad images and images on ad destination pages cannot appear to show people under or near 18 years old, or the targeted market’s age of majority, whichever is older.

  • Provide adequate disclosures of the following before a user signing up:

    • The use of AI bots or images in user interactions.
    • The costs for a user to interact with others on the platform, including the cost of any virtual currency the platform uses.

  • Portray accurate representations of the service and its users.

    • For instance, a chat platform where there is no offline interaction should advertise as a chat site and not as a dating platform.

Note

See the policies below, which also must be adhered to:

Market specific policies - Select market:

  • Algeria
  • Antigua and Barbuda
  • Armenia
  • Azerbaijan
  • Bahrain
  • Central African Republic
  • Comoros
  • Djibouti
  • Egypt
  • Eritrea
  • Ethiopia
  • Gambia
  • Georgia
  • Guinea
  • Iraq
  • Japan
  • Kyrgyzstan
  • Libya
  • Macao SAR
  • Mauritania
  • Namibia
  • Nigeria
  • Oman
  • Pakistan
  • Qatar
  • Samoa
  • Saudi Arabia
  • Sierra Leone
  • Somalia
  • Tajikistan
  • Tanzania
  • Tunisia
  • Turkey
  • Tuvalu
  • United Arab Emirates
  • United States
  • Yemen

What happens when you violate one of our policies

The penalty varies by the nature of the violation, and the number of violations. You can learn more Here.

Note

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Additional resources

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