Short answer
Compliance for government services ads is not a one-time task. After certification, keep five areas under control: account and certification details, ads and keywords, targeting, landing pages and policy changes. Assign an owner to each, review them on a schedule and recheck after every change.
Key takeaways
- Certification can be denied or revoked if your domain violates Google’s policies.
- Changes to your website, targeting or authorization can create new issues.
- A simple monthly review prevents most problems.
The five compliance areas
| Area | What to check | Typical owner |
|---|---|---|
| Account and certification | Certified domains, verification details, payments profile | Account owner |
| Ads and keywords | Only certified services; accurate wording; no “official” claims | PPC manager or agency |
| Targeting | Locations match authorization (unless transnational) | PPC manager or agency |
| Landing pages | Identity, fees, official link, scope, design | Web team |
| Policy changes | Google’s policy page and change log | Compliance lead |
A monthly review
- Check Policy manager for new disapprovals or limited ads.
- Compare location targeting with the authorization.
- Review new or edited ads and keywords.
- Open the landing pages and the government page that authorizes you.
- Check Google’s “Upcoming and recent changes” and our policy change tracker.
Change triggers
Run an extra review whenever one of these changes:
- your authorization (renewed, narrowed, moved or removed);
- your domain, redirects or tracking setup;
- your service list or prices;
- your agency or account structure;
- Google’s policy.
Our interpretation
Agencies managing several clients should keep a register of each client’s certification option, domains and authorized regions. It makes reviews faster and avoids applying one client’s settings to another.
Record keeping
- Dates and outcomes of certification and verification.
- Screenshots of the government authorization page.
- Landing page versions and change dates.
- Appeals and their results.
Want an independent audit of your current setup?
Compliance for agencies
- Keep a register per client: certification option, domains, authorized services and regions, verification status.
- Use account-level location settings and campaign templates that match each client’s authorization.
- Get client approval for landing page changes that affect identity, fees or services.
- Tell clients when Google changes the policy.
Training your team
Anyone who writes ads, builds pages or changes campaign settings can create a policy issue. A short internal briefing covering the covered categories, your authorization scope and banned wording (“official”, government seals) prevents many problems.
When an independent review helps
- before a first certification application;
- after repeated disapprovals;
- after a significant website redesign or new market launch;
- after a policy update such as October 2026.
Frequently asked questions
How often should we review compliance?
We suggest a monthly review plus an extra review after any change listed above. This is our recommendation; Google does not prescribe a frequency.
Does compliance guarantee our ads will run?
No. Google reviews ads and accounts and makes the final decision. Good compliance practice reduces risk; it cannot guarantee outcomes.
Is an external audit required by Google?
No. It is optional. Some advertisers use one for a second opinion.
Related guides
- Google Ads government documents and services verification
- Policy compliance audit
- Certification for authorized providers
Official sources
Google updates its policies and help pages. We last checked these sources on 7 October 2026. If this article and Google’s documentation differ, Google’s documentation applies.
