Election ads on Google: the synthetic-content checkbox and wording

On Google, an election ad that contains synthetic or altered content must tick the Altered or synthetic content checkbox. Google generates the in-ad disclosure for feed, shorts and in-stream formats; for other formats the advertiser writes it, for example "This video content was synthetically generated". Warnings come at least 7 days before suspension.

If you generate video for any election-related campaign, plan the checkbox and the written line before you generate anything. This post covers the Google policy only, and it does not give legal advice.

What the policy page says

The page defines what counts as election content and which regions are covered. Read those sections for the campaign in question, since this post does not summarise them.

What it means for a generation workflow

Generation tools make the decision easy to forget, because the clip arrives as an ordinary MP4. Keep a per-clip record with the job ID, the prompt, the model and the date, and mark every election-related clip in the same sheet that holds its checkbox status. The Sume video API returns a job ID on submit and a GET /v1/videos/{jobId} poll you can log.

A fixed disclosure line should travel with the clip, not live in someone's memory. Draft two or three variants of different lengths so one fits the format you end up using.

{
  "clip": "spring-town-hall-15s.mp4",
  "job_id": "<job id from the submit response>",
  "election_content": true,
  "google_checkbox_ticked": true,
  "written_disclosure": "This video content was synthetically generated"
}

Safer choices

The 7-day warning window is a floor on notice, not a grace period to rely on. Fix a flagged ad immediately.

• Do not generate realistic footage of a real candidate saying or doing anything.
• Prefer clearly stylised or animated treatment for explainer clips.
• Keep the written line on screen long enough to read, for formats where you supply it.
• Ask the platform contact if a format is unclear; the policy page is the authority, not a summary.

Review and escalation

Give one person ownership of election-related creative. That person checks the checkbox, approves the written disclosure and holds the record. Spreading the job across a team is how a clip ships without its tick.

Build the decision into the production sheet: a column for election content, a column for checkbox status and a column for the disclosure line used. A blank cell blocks upload.

If Google warns you, treat the warning date as the deadline, fix the ad the same day and keep a copy of the notice with the clip record. Suspension is easier to avoid than to reverse.