China Platform Ad Policy Selector: Find Compliance Rules by Product and Platform
Last updated: July 2026
Choosing the right platform for your advertising campaign in China is only half the battle — you also need to know which compliance rules apply to your specific product category on that specific platform. This platform ad policy selector provides a product × platform matrix that lets you quickly identify the rules, restrictions, and required documentation for advertising any product category on any major Chinese social media or digital platform.
How to Use This Selector
Follow these three steps to determine the advertising compliance requirements for your product-platform combination:
- Find your product category in the category index below
- Identify your target platform from the platform list
- Read the intersection — the specific rules, restrictions, documentation requirements, and review notes for that combination
Each product-platform combination includes:
- Allowed — Standard advertising permitted with no special restrictions beyond general law
- Conditional — Advertising permitted with specific requirements (documentation, disclaimers, pre-approval)
- Restricted — Advertising prohibited or requiring extraordinary pre-approval
- Not Applicable — Platform does not support this product category or format
Product Categories × Platform Matrix
| Product Category | WeChat | Douyin | Xiaohongshu | Weibo | Kuaishou | Bilibili | Zhihu | Baidu |
|---|
| General Consumer Goods | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Electronics & Tech | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Cosmetics (General) | ⚠️ | ⚠️ | ⚠️ | ✅ | ⚠️ | ✅ | ✅ | ⚠️ |
| Cosmetics (Special Use) | ⚠️ | ⚠️ | ⚠️ | ⚠️ | ⚠️ | ⚠️ | ⚠️ | ⚠️ |
| Food & Beverage | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Health Foods (保健食品) | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ⚠️ | ❌ | ❌ | ⚠️ | ⚠️ |
| Pharmaceuticals (OTC) | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ⚠️ | ❌ | ❌ | ⚠️ | ⚠️ |
| Alcohol | ⚠️ | ⚠️ | ❌ | ⚠️ | ⚠️ | ⚠️ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Tobacco / E-Cigarettes | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ |
| Financial Products | ⚠️ | ❌ | ❌ | ⚠️ | ❌ | ❌ | ⚠️ | ⚠️ |
| Real Estate | ✅ | ✅ | ⚠️ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Education & Training | ⚠️ | ⚠️ | ⚠️ | ✅ | ✅ | ⚠️ | ✅ | ⚠️ |
| Children’s Products | ⚠️ | ⚠️ | ⚠️ | ⚠️ | ⚠️ | ⚠️ | ⚠️ | ⚠️ |
| Medical Devices | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ⚠️ | ⚠️ |
| Automotive | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Pet Products | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Travel & Hospitality | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Pet Food & Supplements | ⚠️ | ⚠️ | ⚠️ | ✅ | ✅ | ⚠️ | ✅ | ✅ |
Detailed Rules by Product Category
Cosmetics (General) — Platform-Specific Rules
| Platform | Status | Requirements |
|---|
| WeChat | Conditional | NMPA registration number required; no therapeutic claims; special-use cosmetics require additional documentation upload |
| Douyin | Conditional | Must submit NMPA certificate; before-and-after images flagged by AI review system; influencer KOL content requires Brand Partnership tool registration |
| Xiaohongshu | Conditional | Strict authenticity requirements; sponsored content must use RED’s Brand Partner tool; ingredient claims must match product registration; no “miracle” or “instant” effect claims |
| Weibo | Allowed | Standard rules apply; no special restrictions beyond national advertising law |
| Bilibili | Allowed | Standard rules; UP-video integrations must be disclosed; Bilibili’s young audience requires age-appropriate content |
| Baidu | Conditional | Medical-related cosmetic claims require NMPA registration display; search ads for cosmetics with therapeutic-sounding names require pre-approval |
Health Foods (保健食品) — Platform-Specific Rules
| Platform | Status | Requirements |
|---|
| WeChat | Restricted | Not permitted in Moments ads; Official Account ads must be pre-approved by Tencent health review team and display “Blue Hat” certification |
| Douyin | Restricted | Health food advertising severely restricted; only certain approved categories allowed with full registration documentation; must use Ocean Engine health food ad path |
| Xiaohongshu | Restricted | Health food advertising not supported in most ad formats; limited to informational content through verified brand accounts |
| Weibo | Conditional | Permitted with valid “Blue Hat” certification display; claims limited to approved functional scope; must include required health food disclaimers |
| Kuaishou | Restricted | Health food advertising significantly restricted; only certain certified products allowed |
| Zhihu | Conditional | Permitted in native content format with full certification disclosure; scientific claims must include citations; strong community scrutiny of health claims |
| Baidu | Conditional | Permitted with “Blue Hat” display; keywords require pre-approval; landing page must be registered with Baidu Health certification |
Alcohol — Platform-Specific Rules
| Platform | Status | Requirements |
|---|
| WeChat | Conditional | Age-gating required (18+ only); no content encouraging consumption; no health benefit claims; restricted from targeting users under 18 |
| Douyin | Conditional | Age-verified audience only; no drinking scenes in first 3 seconds; restricted during daytime hours (9PM–6AM only for certain formats) |
| Xiaohongshu | Restricted | Alcohol advertising generally not permitted on Xiaohongshu; content sharing by users is allowed but sponsored alcohol posts are prohibited |
| Weibo | Conditional | Permitted with age-gating; no content linking alcohol with social/sexual success; limited ad delivery to minor-protected audiences |
| Kuaishou | Conditional | Age-gating required; restricted from live-stream during daytime; alcohol content labelling required |
| Bilibili | Conditional | Age-gated; UP-integrated alcohol content must include responsible drinking messaging; Bilibili’s voluntary guidelines exceed legal minimums |
| Zhihu | Allowed | Standard rules; factual and educational alcohol content performs well on Zhihu’s knowledge-oriented platform |
| Baidu | Allowed | Standard; age-gating recommended but not strictly enforced in search |
Financial Products — Platform-Specific Rules
| Platform | Status | Requirements |
|---|
| WeChat | Conditional | Licensed financial institutions only; risk warning required; no guaranteed return claims; Tencent’s financial ad review requires business license + financial license upload |
| Douyin | Restricted | Financial advertising severely restricted on Douyin; only licensed banks and brokerages with pre-approved ad copy allowed; individual investment product ads generally not permitted |
| Xiaohongshu | Restricted | Financial products not supported in most ad formats; educational financial content from verified institutions permitted |
| Weibo | Conditional | Licensed institutions only; risk warnings mandatory; no specific product return rates advertised without regulatory approval |
| Zhihu | Conditional | Financial advertising permitted from licensed institutions; strong community sensitivity to financial advice; educational content format recommended over direct promotion |
| Baidu | Conditional | Licensed institutions only; specific keyword pre-approval required for financial services; landing page must display business license and financial license |
Children’s Products — Platform-Specific Rules
| Platform | Status | Requirements |
|---|
| All Platforms | Conditional | All platforms enforce China’s strict regulations on child-directed advertising: no content encouraging pestering parents; no exaggerated product benefits; no unsafe imagery; no content that undermines parental authority; no collection of children’s personal data through ads; age-appropriate language required; must comply with the Protection of Minors Law (2021) and SAMR’s special provisions on children’s advertising |
Documentation Requirements by Product-Platform Combination
| Product Category | WeChat | Douyin | Xiaohongshu | Standard Docs |
|---|
| General Cosmetics | NMPA Registration + Ingredient List | NMPA Registration + Product Photos | NMPA Registration + Brand Verification | NMPA Registration Certificate; Business License; Product Formula |
| Special-Use Cosmetics | Special Cosmetics Registration + Clinical Data | Registration + Test Reports | Registration + Clinical Reports | NMPA Special Cosmetics Registration; SPF/clinical test reports |
| Health Foods | Blue Hat Cert. + Pre-Approved Copy | Blue Hat + Ocean Engine Approval | N/A (not supported) | Blue Hat Certificate (保健食品注册证书); SAMR Ad Approval; Product Standard |
| Alcohol | Liquor License + Age Verification | License + Age Gate Setup | N/A (not supported) | Alcohol Production License; Distribution License; Product Registration |
| Financial | Financial License + Ad Copy Approval | N/A (not supported) | N/A (not supported) | Financial Business License; Product Registration with PBOC/CSRC |
| Pharmaceuticals | N/A (not supported) | N/A (not supported) | N/A (not supported) | Drug Registration Certificate; SAMR Ad Approval Certificate; GMP Certification |
| Food & Beverage | Food Production License | Food License | Food License + Ingredient List | Food Production License (SC编号); GB Standards Compliance; Inspection Reports |
Country-of-Origin & Cross-Border Rules
Foreign brands advertising imported products face additional documentation requirements on all platforms:
| Scenario | Documentation Required | Notes |
|---|
| Imported general goods | Import customs declaration; Chinese label registration; CCC certification (if applicable) | Standard for all platforms |
| Imported cosmetics | NMPA import registration; Filing Certificate for non-special cosmetics (备案凭证); Chinese label | NMPA registration takes 3–6 months for general cosmetics, 6–12 months for special-use |
| Imported health foods | SAMR Health Food Import Registration (保健食品注册证书); Customs clearance documents | Registration takes 12–18 months; cannot advertise without it |
| Cross-border e-commerce (Tmall Global, JD Worldwide) | Cross-border e-commerce filing; Brand authorization letter; Overseas business registration | Different rules apply from domestic sales; advertising must clearly state “跨境商品” (cross-border product) |
| Foreign brand with China subsidiary | China business license; Trademark registration certificate (China); Product compliance certifications | Fastest path to platform ad approval |
Ad Format Restrictions by Platform and Product
| Product Category | WeChat Moments | Douyin TopView | Xiaohongshu Search | Bilibili UP Integration | Kuaishou Live-Stream |
|---|
| General Consumer | ✅ All formats | ✅ All formats | ✅ All formats | ✅ All formats | ✅ All formats |
| Cosmetics | ✅ Image/Video | ✅ Brand safe | ✅ All formats | ✅ With disclosure | ⚠️ No live demo of unregistered products |
| Health Food | ⚠️ Text only | ❌ Not available | ❌ Not available | ❌ Not available | ❌ Not available |
| Alcohol | ⚠️ Restricted targeting | ❌ Not available | ❌ Not available | ⚠️ Responsible drinking | ⚠️ Time-restricted |
| Pharma | ❌ Not available | ❌ Not available | ❌ Not available | ❌ Not available | ❌ Not available |
Decision Flowchart: Which Platform for Your Product?
Use this decision tree to identify the best platforms for your specific product:
- Is your product completely banned from advertising? (Tobacco, prescription drugs, illegal goods) → STOP — No platform available.
- Is your product highly regulated? (Health food, pharma, medical devices) → Limited to Weibo, Zhihu, Baidu with full documentation. See health food section above.
- Is your product moderately regulated? (Cosmetics, alcohol, financial) → Check platform status in the matrix. Some platforms may be restricted (e.g., Xiaohongshu bans alcohol).
- Is your product a general consumer good? → All platforms available. Choose based on audience and campaign goals.
- Are you a cross-border seller? → Verify platform international seller support. Tmall Global/JD Worldwide may be more suitable than social media ad placements.
Compliance Checklist by Product-Platform Combination
Before finalizing any product-platform combination, verify these items:
- ☐ The product is not prohibited from advertising on the chosen platform
- ☐ All required certifications (NMPA, “Blue Hat,” CCC, etc.) are valid and uploaded to the platform
- ☐ Ad content complies with both national law and the platform’s specific content policies
- ☐ Required disclaimers are included (health food disclaimers, financial risk warnings, alcohol age restrictions, etc.)
- ☐ Influencer content (if applicable) is registered through the platform’s official collaboration tool
- ☐ Cross-border products have appropriate labeling (“跨境商品”) on ad creative and landing pages
- ☐ Age-gating and targeting restrictions are correctly configured in the ad platform settings
- ☐ Landing pages are compliant with both national law and platform requirements
- ☐ Campaign records include all documentation required for the specific product-platform combination
Best Practices for Multi-Platform Product Advertising
- Start with the most restrictive platform — If your product is allowed on only 2 out of 8 platforms, focus your campaign design on those platforms rather than trying to adapt a broad campaign
- Maintain a platform documentation pack per product — Create a folder for each product containing all the certifications, licenses, and registration documents needed across all platforms. This reduces repeated document collection
- Monitor platform policy changes — Platform ad policies for regulated products change frequently. Subscribe to platform policy update notifications
- Consider platform specialist agencies — For regulated products, working with a platform-certified agency partner can significantly accelerate the ad approval process
- Keep a historical record — Document which product-platform combinations have been approved previously, including the approval ID and date, to streamline future campaigns
Conclusion
The China Platform Ad Policy Selector provides a comprehensive reference for foreign brands to determine which advertising rules apply to their specific product on each major Chinese platform. By checking the product × platform intersection before beginning campaign development, you can avoid the wasted effort of designing campaigns for platforms where your product cannot be advertised, ensure you have the right documentation ready, and accelerate the ad approval process. Bookmark this page and refer to it during the campaign planning stage of every new product launch in China.
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