Advertising Policy

LoveLincoln is committed to maintaining high editorial standards across all advertising on our platform. All advertisements must comply with the following policy. We reserve the right to decline any ad that does not meet these standards.

Content Standards

• All content must be under-18 friendly and suitable for a general professional audience
• No alcohol, gambling, tobacco, or vaping products or services
• No adult content, dating services, or age-restricted material
• No misleading claims, fake testimonials, or deceptive content
• No political advertising, lobbying, or campaigning
• No direct competitor advertising (other local news platforms)
• All claims must be truthful and substantiable

Creative Requirements

• High-quality images with legible text at all sizes
• Clear branding — your business name/logo must be visible
• Valid destination URL (must start with https://)
• Destination must match the advertised product/service
• No misleading UI elements (fake close buttons, fake play buttons, etc.)
• Animated GIFs must be under 15 seconds and not contain flashing content

File Specifications

• Formats: PNG, JPG, WebP, or GIF
• Maximum file size: 5MB per image (email sponsorship: 500KB)
• Exact pixel dimensions required (see Creative Guide)
• RGB colour space

Regulatory Compliance

All advertisements must comply with the ASA/CAP Code (Advertising Standards Authority / Committee of Advertising Practice). This includes but is not limited to rules on:

• Truthfulness and accuracy of claims
• Price and availability representations
• Comparative advertising
• Environmental claims
• Health and safety claims

Moderation Process

All advertisements — including new submissions, creative updates, and URL changes — go through manual moderation before going live. Our target turnaround is 24 hours.

• Approved: Your ad goes live on the scheduled date
• Changes Requested: You can update and resubmit from your dashboard
• Declined: A reason will be provided with guidance for resubmission

Ad Suspension

LoveLincoln reserves the right to immediately suspend any live ad that:

• Violates this policy (discovered post-approval)
• Receives reader complaints
• Links to a destination that has changed to non-compliant content
• Is associated with fraudulent or illegal activity

Suspended ads may be eligible for a refund at our discretion.

Labelling

Display ads appear in clearly commercial slots, visually distinct from editorial content. Sponsored content carries an “ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE” label in compliance with ASA/CAP guidelines.

Questions?

If you have any questions about this policy, please contact us at partnerships@lovelincoln.co.uk.