1. Introduction

Yell’s Advertising Policy (the “Policy”) is based on three fundamental principles:

1. LEGAL – Advertisements must not contain any content that violates the law or omits anything that the law requires.

• DECENT – Advertisements must not include content that could cause serious or widespread offence or embarrassment; nor should they display content that is not suitable for publication; or likely to subject Yell to criticism or legal action.

• HONEST & TRUTHFUL – Advertisements must not mislead consumers through inaccuracies, ambiguities, exaggeration, or neglect, about any matter that could influence their choice regarding the advertised product or service.

Our Commitment

By following these principles, we aim to:

• create fair and transparent rules that can be followed by businesses;
• protect the interests and manage the expectations of our product users;
• support and uphold the standards and guidelines outlined in the CAP Code; and
• ensure compliance with the obligations and responsibilities we have as publishers and that business owners have under applicable laws and regulations.

Guidance for Industry Compliance

When businesses place advertising orders with us, they agree that their advertisements will comply with all relevant laws, statutes, and regulations. Businesses in specific industries or members of certain trade associations may also be subject to additional self-regulatory codes for advertising and should consult the relevant industry codes to ensure compliance.

Trade association logos can be used, provided that the business remains a member of that association for the duration of the Advertisement. Businesses may be asked to provide written authorisation of the logo usage. Detailed guidance concerning the CAP Code is available and businesses uncertain about compliance aspects can obtain free advice from the CAP Copy advice team through their Bespoke Copy Advice Service.  

Responsibility and Compliance

It is important to understand that compliance with this Policy does not absolve businesses from their responsibility to adhere strictly to any applicable laws or regulations. In the event of any conflict between this Policy and any applicable law or regulation, the provisions of the applicable law or regulation will prevail to the extent necessary to resolve any conflict.

This Policy applies to all Advertisements procured through Yell. Depending on the product or service a business purchases, it may also be subject to other third-party platforms Advertising Policies. Where it is determined that an Advertisement does not meet regulatory or legal requirements, Yell reserves the right to amend, terminate or suspend the Advertisement without notice in accordance with Clause 7 of Yell’s Advertising Terms & Conditions (the “Conditions”). Note that terms defined in the Conditions have the same meaning when used in this Policy.

2. Legal

A. Professional Services

Legislation requires that individuals offering professional services must have the appropriate qualifications and authorisation as required by relevant regulatory bodies.  We accept Advertisements in good faith from businesses promoting such services on the proviso they have the appropriate qualifications. Businesses are responsible for notifying us as soon as possible when they do not renew their qualifications.   

Regulatory bodies may impose both criminal and civil penalties on any individual or entity failing to comply with the requirements outlined above.  

 Protected Professions under Legislation (Note: This list is not exhaustive):

ACCOUNTANTS	ARCHITECTS	BARRISTERS	CHIROPODISTS & PODIATRISTS	CHIROPRACTORS
COUNSELLING & ADVICE	DENTAL TECHNICIANS	DENTISTS	DOCTORS (MEDICAL PRACTITIONERS)	GAS ENGINEERS
INSOLVENCY PRACTITIONERS	NOTARIES	OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH	OPTHALMIC OPTICIANS	ORTHODONTISTS
OSTEOPATHS	PATENT ATTORNEYS	PHARMACIES	PHYSIOTHERAPISTS	PSYCHOLOGISTS
SOLICITORS	TRADEMARK ATTORNEYS	VETS

Example: Only qualified solicitors who hold a current practicing certificate issued by the Law Society are permitted to either advertise under the Solicitors classification or otherwise state or infer that they are Solicitors.  

Exception: Telephone referral agencies that represent a firm of solicitors may also appear under the ‘Solicitors’ heading, PROVIDED they:

• confirm that they do not deal with any aspect of the work before passing the call through to a qualified solicitor
• insert a statement in the advertisement advising that they are not qualified solicitors, but calls will be passed on to one of a panel of independent qualified solicitors, e.g. “We are not solicitors/do not undertake legal work. We will take your initial enquiry and pass your details on to a personal injury solicitor on our panel.”

B. Advertisements Offering Credit

Businesses conducting regulated activities must comply with the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (“FSMA”) and related orders such as the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Financial Promotion) Order 2005. These activities are regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) ensuring all financial promotions are clear, fair and not misleading.

Specific guidelines cover various financial services, and businesses and/ or individuals must be approved by the FCA to advertise financial products such as: loans and credit services, mortgage lending and services, wealth management, investment services and products; banking services and products; insurance products; cryptocurrency exchanges and wallets. 

Key Requirement for Advertisements offering credit

Advertisements under these regulations are required to complete a Credit and Financial Services Advertising Declaration (“CFSA”) in accordance with the Conditions.

FCA Guidelines & Policies

All Advertisements must comply with FCA guidelines and policies, which requires clear articulation of terms and ensuring no misleading claims or implications are made. For example:

• Advertisement Content that includes a specific interest rate must also include text indicating that this is the typical APR. If the typical APR interest rate is included in the ad copy, the interest rate must be immediately followed by the text “(typical APR)”
• any invitation or inducement to engage in investment or to engage in claims management activity must be made by an approved or authorised person or it is exempt. It must also make clear that the value of investments is variable and can go down as well as up

Prohibited Services and Products

We do not accept Advertisements for products or services that fail to properly disclose fees, costs, risks, or other important information associated with financial products. We also do not accept Advertisements for products or services that promote:

• illegal activities e.g., to avoid applicable taxes, or money laundering
• financial schemes like binary options or binary bets
• unlicenced financial services – products requiring regulatory approval without proper authorisation or certification
• unregulated collective investment schemes or other financial operations prone to be used in a scam or fraudulent activities (misleading claims, guaranteed returns, or unrealistic investment promises). This includes but is not limited to trading platforms for speculative, high-risk products such as binary options and cryptocurrencies not following local laws and financial regulations.

Cryptocurrency businesses that provide or promote any of the following in their Advertisements are likely to be rejected:

• hardware wallets designed to hold the private keys for cryptocurrencies, NFTs, or other crypto based assets. Examples include devices that allow people to safely hold the private keys for cryptocurrencies, NFTs, or other crypto based assets but do not offer additional services such as purchasing, selling, exchanging, or trading assets
• cryptocurrency trading signals, cryptocurrency investment advice, aggregators or affiliate sites containing related content or broker reviews
• games where players can wager or stake NFTs in exchange for the opportunity to win anything of real-world value (including other NFTs)
• social casino games that reward NFT
• real money gambling destinations.

This list is not exhaustive, and the business is responsible for ensuring they have the appropriate authorisation in place with the FCA when marketing the relevant financial products or services.

Exception

Cryptocurrency businesses that may be accepted without completing a CFSA or other certification include those that:  accept payment in cryptocurrency, cryptocurrency mining hardware, tax and legal services, security services, platforms that rely on blockchain for operations and do not market or sell cryptocurrencies or tokens or educational materials

C. CBD Cannabidiol

Cannabidiol (or CBD) is one of the naturally occurring cannabinoids found in the leaves, flowers and stem of hemp and cannabis plants. When extracted and refined, CBD can be suspended in liquid tinctures, blended into creams and lotions, or prepared as solids or liquids intended to be ingested by smoking or vaping.

Business Responsibilities

It is the responsibility of businesses to establish which regulatory regime applies to their CBD products to ensure that the products they are selling comply with applicable laws. They must determine whether their product qualifies as a controlled substance, medicine, or a food/ food supplement.

CBD Product Requirements

Businesses must ensure their CBD product:

• has been derived from industrial hemp strains that are UK approved
• contains no more than 0.2% or 1mg of THC per product container which refers to the cultivation of hemp (for which a licence is required) or lower
• is correctly authorised or licenced (see further details here)
• is safe
• does not contain substances that fall under drugs legislation.

Medicine

Businesses must not sell, supply, or advertise any medicinal product that does not have the appropriate licence granted by the Medicines & Healthcare products regulatory Agency (“MHRA”) and/or other relevant licensing authority. 

Businesses should not claim that their CBD products can treat, prevent, cure, restore, avoid or medicinally impact any disease or an adverse condition, for example, cancer or joint pains, unless the product has been classified as a medicine, and it has obtained a medical license from the MHRA.  For further information, see here.

Food/ Food Supplements

When the CBD product is classified as a food or food supplement (which includes, for example, oils, drops, gels, sweets, bread, and drinks), businesses should only make general claims related to its benefits such as “healthy”, “good for you” or “great start to the day!” These statements must be accompanied by a relevant, specific authorised heath claim. The specific health claim must appear next to or immediately following the general health claim.

Businesses must apply for authorisation of their CBD products under the Food Standards Agency and Trading Standards. For further details, see here.

D. Tobacco Advertising

Tobacco promotion is prohibited in all forms of media including (but not limited to) print, press, poster and online. From 1 June 2025, the government has increased its ban so that businesses can no longer promote or sell single-use disposable e-cigarettes (commonly known as vapes) including those without nicotine.

Advertisements can only include minimal information in their Advertisements such as product name, price and quantity with no promotional images.  Further, Advertisements must not:

• be directed at or appeal to children and must not feature individuals who look under the age of 25
• encourage non-smokers to use e-cigarettes
• claim any health benefits unless specifically approved by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA)
• promote tobacco or any products containing tobacco (including, but not limited to) cigarettes, cigars, chewing tobacco, rolling tobacco, pipe tobacco, e-cigarettes
• use images within Advertisements that simulates tobacco smoking e.g., herbal cigarettes, electronic cigarettes, e-cigarettes
• promote a component part of a tobacco product, or facilitate tobacco consumption e.g., pipes, hookah lounges and cigar bars.

Advertisements are permitted to:

• promote medicinal products (subject to separate medicines advertising legislation) (as of May 2025 – no e-cigarette product has been classified as medicinal)
• promote accessories such as rolling papers and filters
• display products and prices on their own website where such products are offered for sale Website products must be displayed in a way that is only factual and not promotional in any way.

All retailers of tobacco products are required to display a statutory notice visible at the point of sale, in any online Advertising.

E. Gambling Act 2005

Gambling Advertisements must be socially responsible with particular regard to the need to protect the under-18s and other vulnerable people from being harmed or exploited by Advertisements that features or promotes gambling and lotteries.

“Gambling” includes:

• the making or acceptance of a bet or wager in money for activities such as gaming, and betting, and other activities defined as gambling by the Gambling Act 2005
• spread betting as defined in financial services legislation.

Unless otherwise stated, the rules in this section apply to Advertisements by:

• gambling operators licensed in the UK that are likely to have the effect of promoting gambling
• firms authorised to provide spread betting products.

A particular risk for businesses running prize promotions is that their promotional mechanic is regarded as a lottery. A promotion is likely to be illegal, unless it is licensed by the Gambling Commission or is exempt from the licensing requirements because it is a small society lottery, an incidental non-commercial lottery, customer lottery, private lottery, or part of the National Lottery. Businesses should seek legal advice to ensure compliance under the Gambling Act so that a product is not considered an ‘illegal lottery’.

Advertising and Marketing communications must not:

• portray, condone or encourage gambling behaviour that is socially irresponsible or could lead to financial, social or emotional harm
• encourage or condone criminal or anti-social behaviour
• suggest that gambling can provide an escape from personal, professional, or educational problems (e.g., loneliness or depression) or provide an alternative to employment /or a way to achieve financial security
• suggest that gambling can enhance self-image or self-esteem, be a way to gain superiority or admiration, or link it to seduction or sexual success
• suggest peer pressure to gamble or disparage abstention
• portray gambling in a context of toughness or recklessness
• be likely to be of particular appeal to children or young persons and should avoid associating gambling with youth culture
• feature children or young people, nor portray anyone who is, or seems to be, under 25 years old as gambling or playing a significant role (some exceptions e.g., horse racecourses), nor depict anyone behaving in an adolescent, juvenile or loutish way
• exploit cultural beliefs or traditions about gambling or luck.

Advertisements should make clear where events or facilities can only be accessed by entering gambling premises. Businesses should also note that spread betting remains subject to separate Financial Services Act requirements.

No advertising of unlawful gambling is permitted e.g., gambling which requires a license but does not have one. The Gambling Act 2005 governs this, and guidance is also available at www.gamblingcommission.gov.uk.

F. Gas Safe Register Scheme

The Gas Safe Register is the registration body appointed by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) to manage the gas safety register. Their purpose is to protect the public from unsafe gas work. They do this by holding the Register, on behalf of HSE, of those who are competent and qualified to work on gas. The Gas Safe Register is the only official Register for gas businesses. Businesses who advertise services as a gas installer/engineer must be registered on the Gas Safe Register.

G. Weapons, knives, firearms, and ammunition

Businesses must not promote products where the primary purpose is violence or to cause harm to an individual. The following weapons or dangerous products are strictly prohibited in Advertising Content including (but not limited to):

• the sale of any type of bombs e.g., nail/chemical bombs, grenades
• instructional content relating to the enhancement, assembly, acquisition functionality of firearms or bombs
• functional devices that discharge a projectile at high velocity for self-defence or combat
• knives that are designed/ promoted as weapons or whose primary use is violence, including switchblade knives, disguised knives, buckle knives, lipstick case knives, air gauge knives, knuckle knives and writing pen knives
• brass, plastic, or metal knuckles
• pepper spray
• any products which have been made or adapted to cause injury.

Weapons in Advertisements for other products

Advertisements should be appropriately targeted and prepared with a sense of responsibility.

Advertisements that are not for weapons but show images of weapons, such as Advertisements for computer games, films, sports, should ensure that they do not promote violence or anti-social behaviour by depicting weapons in a threatening context or in a manner that could be seen to be glamorising violence. Businesses should be aware that images of weapons and implied violence are likely to offend some consumers, especially when used in more untargeted media.

Generally, businesses should avoid showing weapons pointing directly at the reader or guns that look as if they have just been fired.

3. Decent

Advertisements are distributed on an unsolicited basis and their content must be suitable for a diverse audience. Even advertisements that are legal may still be offensive or embarrassing to some individuals.

To prevent widespread discomfort, we reserve the right to reject any advertisements we believe may cause offence. Specifically, Advertisements are not permitted if they involve: –

• escort services, massage parlours, intimate massage, mail order brides and other related services to sexual gratification
• content that includes images of full-frontal nudity or people in explicit or provocative poses or activities.
• material that harasses, intimidates, or bullies any individual or group.
• content that promotes discrimination or disparages any individual or group based on nationality, religion, race, age, sexual orientation, disability, gender, gender identity, or age.
• content that exploits others or promotes physical or mental harm.
• content that contains violent language including swear words, curse words, or variations thereof, and any content that involves graphic, disgusting or violent imagery.

4. Honest & Truthful

4.1 Marketing Claims

Businesses must ensure their Advertising is truthful and not misleading.  This includes avoiding the omission of important information or the presentation of data in a way that could be considered unclear, unintelligible or ambiguous.

Claims described as “clinically proven”, “scientifically proven” or that guarantee specific results are only permitted if a business holds documentary evidence to prove such claims. Upon request, the business must provide or arrange the provision of such evidence within seven (7) days. In the event, that it cannot be provided, Yell shall have the right to decline, suspend or cease to publish any Advertisement or part of any Advertisement, or suspend any Service, immediately and without prior notice in accordance with Clause 7 of Yell’s Advertising Terms & Conditions.

The phrase “no win no fee” may only be used in an advertisement if it complies with CAP guidelines, details of which are available here.

4.2 Fair Competition

According to the CAP Code, comparative claims are permitted, provided they are not misleading in any way. Comparisons are valid only when made between products or services that are equivalent in nature. See below, our guidelines on making comparative claims:

Acceptable Statements

• “We offer the largest and best selection of carpets and flooring in the Southeast“
• “Very competitive prices. We will match the cost of branded products if you find the same model cheaper in another store“
• “We are one of the leading suppliers in the Southeast (if supported by independent statistics).“

Unacceptable Statements

Comparative advertising should never undermine the reputation of other businesses, nor should it indirectly question the integrity or quality of their products. For example, avoid statements like:

• “Don’t trust the cowboys come to us instead“
• “Why use the sharks when you can get a truly reliable service with us?“
• “We have built an excellent reputation as a caring family business in Torquay“
• “We look after businesses and offer outstanding after sales service.“

Guidelines to prevent misleading Advertisements

Advertisements should not resemble any other so closely that it misleads or is likely to cause confusion. For example:

• do not reuse well known marketing slogans or copy used by other businesses as they are likely to be trademarks or protected by copyright
• avoid copying the visual design or style of advertising used by others to avoid trademark, copyright infringement or passing off
• use fresh material and ideas
• source illustrative content from respected sources like, Yell’s general artwork studio to avoid infringement.

4.3 Health and Beauty

Advertisements for the provision of products or services in the areas of Health and Beauty are overseen by professional or regulatory bodies for health, and the ASA for beauty.

Advertisements offering advice or treatment for medical conditions are acceptable, provided they adhere to the CAP Code. The following guidance notes are taken from the CAP Code:

HEALTH

Businesses must not:

• offer specific advice, diagnosis, treatment, help with or cure medical conditions unless it is conducted under the supervision of a suitably qualified health professional. Accurate and responsible general information about medical conditions, may be, however, offered. Medical Terms and Conditions for which suitably qualified medical advice should be sought is available here.
• include details of the cure of an illness or disease as opposed to the relief of its symptoms
• prefix an acceptable reference to a medical term with “Serious”, “Chronic”, “Persistent” or similar as it is likely to render it unacceptable
• use testimonials or unrepresentative evidence to support exaggerated claims for the efficacy of a product or the relief of a particular condition
• make claims that are not backed by scientific evidence
• promote medicines without the appropriate licence from the Medicines & Healthcare products regulatory Agency (MHRA)
• promote medicines as “special” or “different” because it has been granted a licence by the MHRA
• promote or sell prescription drugs
• promote non-government approved products in a way that implies they are safe or effective for use in preventing, curing or treating a disease or ailment
• promote herbal and/ or dietary supplements with active pharmaceutical or dangerous ingredients
• where they offer medical treatment, they must not describe themselves as “clinics” or “hospitals” unless they are under the direct supervision of a qualified medical practitioner(s).
• Dental Technicians must not promote any service which necessitates working inside the patient’s mouth. This is to ensure that such work is carried out only by qualified dental surgeons. This prohibition includes the fitting, insertion or fixing of dentures, artificial teeth or other dental appliances.

Permitted use of Titles

• The title “Doctor” or “Dr” may be used by individuals who are suitably qualified and registered with the General Medical Council
• Businesses qualified in other doctorates are also entitled to call themselves “Doctor” or “Dr” but must specify the subject so that users are aware if the qualification is non-medical.
• Abbreviations may be used, e.g., “D.Ch.” (Doctor of Chiropractic)
• Dentists may only use the title “Doctor” or “Dr” in an advertisement if they are, or employ, a dentist with a dentistry-related doctorate or PhD

Further restrictions may apply where a business wishes to promote their products and services on third party platforms. For example, pharmaceutical CBD advertisers must be certified by Google to serve Google Ads.

Referral Services

A business should be clear in their Advertisements about what they offer directly, and when they are referring someone to a third party. Advertisements must not imply that they serve a particular region if that is not the case, or make it seem as if customers are looking at an Advertisement for a direct treatment provider by using claims such as such as: “we provide professional alcohol and drug addiction treatment” or “our rehabilitation centre.”

Advertisements should be clear and transparent about their role and nature of the referral relationship and use statements like:

• “All medical treatment decisions are made by independent healthcare providers”
• “All medical treatments will be directly managed by our third-party partners”
• “For more information about our partner providers, please visit our website or contact us directly.”

BEAUTY

The advertising and promotion of beauty and cosmetics treatments are closely regulated. To ensure compliance, businesses must adhere to a number of principles including (but not limited to):

• claims about the effectiveness and benefits of treatments must be truthful and backed by robust evidence. Businesses should have clinical trials or scientific studies to support efficacy claims
• Advertisements must not mislead by omission, exaggeration or distortion. They must be clear about the results that can be expected, any significant risks, and the typical experiences of customers
• testimonials or endorsements used must be genuine, verifiable and able to be substantiated through evidence
• claims about products or treatments improving health or physical conditions must be carefully handled. There are specific rules in places about making medicinal or curative claims for products not licensed by the appropriate regulatory authority
• ensure Advertisements are appropriately targeted
• ensure Advertisements do not promote prescription only medicines such as Botox

Businesses who promote such services can find more guidance on the ASA’s website here.

Business can view the full list of terms related to Beauty & Cosmetic Advertising that we do not recommend and what we consider to be responsible usage (where applicable) here. Please note that this is not an exhaustive list and may change from time-to-time based on advice from CAP or the ASA.

5. Rules applicable to Yell.com Advertising

5.1 Name

Advertisements must only contain the usual business trading name, which is the name registered at Companies House or used on official company literature or website. The business must not add any elements to the business trading name unless they are a standard part of it.  

When classifying or indicating location, formats like “Joe’s Team Plumbers” or “Joe’s Team Berkshire”, or “Joe’s Team Plumbers Berkshire” are acceptable. We do not recommend including promotional straplines such as: “Joe’s Plumbing – Berkshire’s best 24-hour plumbing service.”

Businesses must have the relevant authority to use another company’s name as part of their “actual trading name”. Businesses may be asked to provide written authorisation of the trade name usage. 

5.2 Address

Businesses must use a valid UK trading address in their Advertisements including house number/ name/ business unit, street, town and postcode where the business is located, subject to the branch policy set out below. PO Boxes and mailboxes are considered acceptable however when included in an Advertisement, their prominence on the search results may be detrimentally impacted as they are not considered standard addresses.

Advertisements should also include either an email address or full website address (URL).

Branch Policy

A branch refers to a location or an office of a company that operates away from the company’s main office. They are part of the same legal entity as the parent company but can have their own management and operational structures appropriate to their specific content or location.  Branches typically offer the same products or services as the main business.

Businesses must:

• belong to the same legal entity or company group either through common ownership or a formal franchise agreement
• ensure all branches display distinctive address details from the main office and hold public liability insurance. Branch premises must be the primary operational site, not just a temporary location.

Branches can share a phone number if the business name remains consistent across locations and are genuinely affiliated businesses.  

Address information can be suppressed from Sponsored Listings, Local Presence Plus and Local Presence Listings under strict conditions where physical verification or a service delivery at the location is absent.  Please note that these addresses will not appear on distance or map searches. Businesses must display either a phone number or a website address (URL) if the address is suppressed.  Yell reserves the right not to suppress an address.

If any user complaints are received or Yell views that a business does not comply with the eligibility rules, Yell will investigate this and has the right to disclose an address of a business in the event of a complaint or turn off the address suppression option at any point during the contract. Yell also reserves the right to disclose an address where we are required to do so by law.

Yell retains absolute discretion to decide if a business may benefit from this branch policy. Yell reserves the right without notice to withdraw, or suspend pending investigation, the advertising of a business benefiting from this branch policy if Yell does not reasonably believe that it is a genuine branch. Yell may ask for evidence as may be required to verify that a branch address is genuine.

5.3 Premium Rate Services (“PRS”) Telephone Numbers

Businesses providing goods or services that charge customers via PRS numbers must comply with regulations enforced by Ofcom.  To operate, businesses must be approved as a regulated PRS as outlined in The Regulation of Premium Rate Services Order 2024.

Typical examples of businesses that use such services include horoscopes, competition and prize draw lines, customer support lines and sales/ booking lines. PRS numbers are usually advertised on 09 dialing codes and SMS short codes. They also include 0870, 0871, 0872 and 0873 numbers.

PRS – Guidance Notes

• A business that does not publish a telephone number must still include specific information on their website such as, a description of the service and how it benefits users, its cost, PRS registration information and business contact details PRS cannot be used in Free Business Profiles without displaying call rate information in the Advertisement Content.
• If a business uses a PRS number in a paid Advertisement, they must clearly include call rate information in the Advertisement Content. Advertisements that feature non-geographical numbers must clearly state any service charges and mention that an additional access charge may apply. It is recommended to format this as “Calls cost X [or X per minute] plus your telephone company’s network access charge.”
• PRS numbers cannot be advertised as “free” if there are any charges to the customer, even just for responding. Only advertise something as free if there truly are no costs involved, other than unavoidable ones like posting a letter or calling from a local number.
• PRS should not be the sole entry method for prize draws or competitions, as this might be considered an illegal lottery. Always provide a ‘no purchase necessary route’ for entry, separate from the PRS number, to avoid legal issues.
• Customers should not have to pay any additional costs (including through a PRS) to claim a prize or an equivalent benefit. Using PRS as a mandatory route for claiming prizes is in breach of the CAP Code.
• Be extra careful when advertising PRS numbers to children or vulnerable groups. Ensure Advertisements do not contain any content that is “likely to result in their physical, mental or moral harm.”

Ofcom has specific rules regarding marketing PRS to children and any business wishing to do so should contact them directly.

5.4 Classification of Advertisements on Yell.com

Advertisements must appear under either:

• classification headings that describe the actual product or service offered; or
• any heading related to that product or service as defined by Yell, except for:
  • Professional Services classifications further to section 2(A) above
  • Advertisements which promote or link to websites promoting or enabling gambling, gaming, betting, lotteries, prize draws or paid entry competitions which are only acceptable within those classifications that describe actual product or service offered.

Where a business appears in a specific classification, it is responsible for ensuring it is entitled for the duration of the Advertisement to describe itself in this classification and that it holds appropriate licences, certificates, authorisations or permits as determined by laws, regulations, local council byelaws or other legal requirements.

Excluding Sponsored Listings (Local and Regional), businesses are permitted to order multiple Advertisements within the same classification and locations (coverage area) combination.

5.5 Competitor Advertising

Typically, but not exclusively, Yell competitors will be businesses that provide internet services offering classified directory type searches or listings (but not search engines) as their main business/function.

Yell’s competitors’ advertising, as any other, will be accepted providing it adheres to this Policy.  Yell may however, at its sole discretion, refuse a competitor’s advertising from parts of the site where its presence may confuse users, or it is detrimental to Yell’s reputation, brand, and/ or trademark.

In addition, with respect to our content pages, Yell may have exclusive third-party arrangement agreements running with content providers or third-party service providers. For the duration of these agreements Yell may exclude certain companies appearing on the provider pages or require provider approval before inclusion.

Any excluded companies may advertise on other content pages on Yell.com at Yell’s discretion.

Yell may allow such competitor advertising, as it feels appropriate, in other products and services.

5.6 Positioning of Yell.com Advertisements

Paid Advertisements and Free Business Profiles are ranked based on the type of service purchased e.g., Sponsored Listing Local Presence Plus or Local Presence, as well as its relevance to the search. The number of Advertisements and Free Business Profiles displayed for every search will be limited up to a maximum of 250 results over 10 pages. Yell does not guarantee that paid Advertisements will appear above Free Business Profiles on a search results page. Determination of relevance is at the sole discretion of Yell.

5.7 Foreign Language Advertisements

Foreign language advertisements are acceptable provided they are supplied with a covering note detailing the English translation. Languages using non-English alphabet are not acceptable.

5.8 Intermediaries

An intermediary is any business who acts as an agent/middleman and refers enquiries from Yell.com to a business or network of businesses.

Yell may accept advertising from intermediaries or aggregators in the following products only: Prominence Adverts, subject to Clause 5.5 above for Competitor Advertising.

5.9 Advertisement Content

Businesses must ensure that they are appropriately licensed or authorised to use any music, logos, photos, or images contained within any video. The video must not contain visually disturbing graphics (e.g., graphics that flash too fast or generally make the user experience of viewing the video very unpleasant), or be interactive (e.g., request that a user types text into a search field in the video). The video must comply fully with this Policy.

Photos used in Advertisements must show business premises, products, and/ or services. Animated logos, images, or photos are not permitted within Prominence adverts. Only static images can be used.

Websites on a domain hosted by a third party e.g., eBay, Facebook, or Amazon, can be used provided the business has the relevant permission from that third party to use the URL to advertise on other websites. The business has overall responsibility to ensure that they can use the link to the third-party site. The Advertisement on the third-party hosted website must also contain the business’s contact information (to avoid confusion for users of Yell.com) and adhere to the Policy.

5.10 QR Codes / 2D Barcodes / Smart codes or similar

QR Codes can be included in an Advertisement or website. Please note, images are currently resized to fit the image capsules within a Profile Page so should be taken into consideration especially when the QR code is complex and clicks through to a long web address. Businesses can provide or upload the following file formats: JPG, GIF and PNG.

IMPORTANT – Limitations on QR codes

QR codes, as with any other image, are published in good faith.  By using a QR code, the business acknowledges and accepts that the reproduction of these codes may interfere with the function of the QR code. This in turn may lead to the QR code not working in some or all devices.  Yell strongly recommends the inclusion of an accompanying standard web address for all QR codes.

Last updated on 10th June 2025