App Store 2.5.18 rejection: Advertising placement and controls

Your ad provider supplies the creative, but Apple reviews it as part of your app. Guideline 2.5.18 covers where ads appear, their suitability, targeting information, dismissal controls, and reporting.

Check the ad experience on a device

Keep display ads in the main app; this rule excludes surfaces such as widgets, notifications, keyboards, extensions, and App Clips. Review creatives against the app’s age rating and inspect what data is used to target them. Sensitive health, classroom, or children’s data can’t be used for behavioral targeting under this rule.

We’d test a real ad placement in a safe test setup, including its close button and report action. An SDK setting alone doesn’t show how an interstitial fits on a small screen.

Make the controls usable

Let users see the targeting information within the app. Make interrupting ads recognizable as ads, with obvious, accessible close or skip controls. Provide a way to report inappropriate or age-inappropriate ads. Remove deceptive layouts that induce accidental taps.

Verify each ad format and affected device size. Give Apple the placement, controls, targeting behavior, and the corrected build or ad configuration. Also check the stricter Kids Category rules when applicable.