POLICY PLAYBOOK
Cloaking and Redirect Playbook: One Honest Destination
Cloaking is a different destination for Googlebot versus the user. Fix tracking templates and geo filters so one URL is honest. Never cloak. Restricted verticals should use Unled certified or managed Google Ads, not a workaround.
Cloaking is showing Google a different destination than the user. Tracking templates, consent walls, and geo pages create false positives. We explain those. We do not teach how to hide a landing page from review.
What reviewers crawl
Final URL first, then the template. Extra hops that land on a different host look like cloaking. Keep ValueTrack honest. See final URL vs template and the cloaking hub.
False positives we will help document
CDN bot challenges, consent walls Googlebot cannot pass, and locale directories that still show the advertised offer. Show one destination. No evasion recipes. Restricted offers go to iGaming or crypto-certified inventory, or managed campaigns.
Related blogs, answers, and products
- All Google Ads policy guides
- Editorial hub: Cloaking & Redirects
- Google Ads Suspension Playbook: Appeal, Recover, or Replace
- Circumventing Systems Playbook: Stop the Graph From Spreading
- Advertiser Verification Playbook: Failed, Rejected, and Deadline Cases
- Crypto Certification Playbook: Legal Ads Without Cloaking
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, if Googlebot and the user see different products. Keep the advertised offer on every geo variant. Do not swap to a banned page after click.
Comments
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Really helpful breakdown. Been looking for clear info on this topic for a while.
Thanks for reading. Start from the official notice and one complete appeal — do not open a second personal Google Ads account.