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Search Engine Marketing (SEM): Program policy
Last updated on Jun 21, 2024
Reading time: 3 min
In this guide:
Overview

If you're participating in Walmart Marketplace’s Self-Serve Search Engine Marketing (SEM) program, you’re responsible for being aware of and compliant with all policies, rules, and guidelines that apply to all advertising placements. Failure to adhere may result in account suspension or termination from the Marketplace program. Keep reading to learn more about the policy you must adhere to. 

Notes

Walmart reserves the right to update these policies at any time without prior notice.

What is the policy?  

By participating in the SEM program, you agree to adhere to Walmart’s Retailer Policies and Marketplace Prohibited Product Policy. You also must adhere to data use and privacy requirements, including targeting, third party tags, collection of personal information and more.

Google has its own policies for shopping ads. Your ad must comply with Google’s ad policies, or it may be blocked by Google.  Multiple violations of Google’s policies can result in being banned from advertising with Google. Google’s ad policies are incorporated by reference into these policies. Make sure you review all of Google’s policies to make sure your ad does not get blocked by Google.   

Walmart strictly prohibits the deployment of invalid traffic (IVT). Before participating in the SEM program Walmart will review your involvement in fraudulent IVT and perform periodic IVT investigations throughout your participation in the program. If Walmart identifies you as a source of IVT, we may take additional action on your account. 

Notes

Invalid traffic is typically generated by bots or other non-human sources to a webpage, which inflates ad metrics. 

Additional guidelines 

When preparing your ad, you must follow specific setup requirements for the images used, keywords, campaign names, tags, folders, shelf names and more. In general, images or naming conventions used can’t violate any portion of our Ad Policies, including our terms or any applicable laws or regulations. Below are the specific guidelines you must follow when preparing your ad. 

 

Allowed

Not Allowed 

  • The name must be relevant to the product and brand being advertised. 

  • The name must be easy to read (i.e., no symbols, emojis, hyperlinks). 

  • Images used in the ad must be the same as those used on Walmart.com or in our Prohibited Products Policy.  

  • Ads can only contain images of the product being sold. 

  • Ads can only contain the image of the product as displayed on Walmart.com, name of the product as displayed on Walmart.com, the price of the product as displayed on Walmart.com, and that the product is available on Walmart.com.  Any other information is prohibited. 

  • You must have secured all rights, licenses, and clearances necessary for the use of any third-party intellectual property or other rights in the ad creative.

  • Ads can't include images of items that are prohibited according to our Marketplace Prohibited Products Policies.

  • The ad can’t contain any taglines, slogans, or marks except as displayed on Walmart.com. 

  • Ads can't contain any claims about the product, either in the images or copy. 

  • All non-English ads must be such that the ad viewers have a greater chance of understanding the language.  

  • Ads can’t contain misspellings, grammatical errors, random or excessive capitalization or special characters. 

  • Ads can’t reference or use naming segments or item sets with children (or individuals under 18). 

  • Ads can’t reference race, ethnicity, national origin, citizenship or immigration status, gender identity, disability, veteran status, sexual orientation, religion, protected class or sexual interests. 

  • Ads can’t reference sensitive physical, mental health or genetic data. 

  • Ads can’t reference identifying information particular to any individual, household, or device (e.g., precise geolocation, biometric data, financial data, account log ins). 

  • Ads can’t reference, share, or infer anything otherwise personal, sensitive, predatory, discriminatory, offensive, hateful, or harassing in nature.  - You can’t create naming segments/item sets in a manner that violates our Seller Created Naming Conventions policies.  - You can’t name users in a geographic location where the product is illegal or restricted.  - You can’t create an item set those results in naming users based on their past search, browse and/or purchase behavior related to a sensitive interest category. For more information on which categories which ad naming is prohibited, review the Prohibited Products Policy: overview.  

 

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