Last updated: September 9, 2021

All Author submissions have to meet the site content guidelines set forth in the items listed below on this page, as well as guidelines set forth in the TAG Terms of Use, HubPages Writing Style Guide, and Google AdSense Program Policy. The TAG Terms of Use governs in the event of any inconsistencies with items lower down on this page.

GENERALLY SPEAKING, WHAT AM I ALLOWED TO PUT INTO AN ARTICLE?

Our objective with TAG is to support authors that have the desire and intent to develop a readership on the TAG platform of sites, and to contribute in a positive way to the TAG community. If your intended use runs counter to this objective—for instance, if your sole purpose is to get backlinks for other sites or to promote or sell dubious products through your articles—then please stop using the Platform.

If your articles are identified as in violation, we generally will give you an opportunity to correct the problem and republish. However, serious and/or repeated violations will result in your account being closed and all your articles being unpublished. If you are unsure whether or not your content meets our policies, we will be far more sympathetic if you contact us for clarification before publishing.

AT THE TOP OF MY ARTICLE IN A BLACK BOX, I SEE A “CONTENT WARNING”. WHAT DOES THAT MEAN?

This may be an automated notification that only you and TAG administrators can see; other authors and readers cannot see it. It is triggered by certain words that are in your article, and is simply a notification that, if it is indeed on the topic it states, the article needs to comply with certain standards. Be sure to click on the link to read more relevant information.

Specifically, some subjects are not permitted within the TAG rules and/or terms of use and the content warning serves as notice of that. In those cases, if your article has been incorrectly identified you can safely ignore the warning, though you may also email us regarding possible incorrectly identified articles (please include a link to the article in question). We may use your example to fine tune the filter that identifies articles in that area.

Other subjects have become saturated with low-quality articles published by affiliate marketers. In these topic areas, articles written must be of exceptional quality and can not contain affiliate links. The content warnings serve as notice of this restriction. If we believe that your article does contain affiliate or promotional links, an additional warning will appear and the article will be blocked from publication.

I WANT TO PUBLISH ARTICLES ABOUT ADULT TOPICS. WHAT IS ALLOWED?

Articles on TAG are not allowed to contain adult content. Below are some examples of prohibited adult content; this should not be interpreted as exhaustive list of what is prohibited. Further, your articles must also comply with Google AdSense Program Policy on Adult Content.

The following are not allowed:

Inappropriate language, including excessive profanity

Content on sexual aids, toys, or enhancements

Fetish content or content with sexual intent

Sexually explicit content, including descriptions of sexual acts, tips, or practices

Mail order brides, escort services, adult or sexual dating

Nudity and lewd, obscene, or provocative images (including strategically covered nudity, see-through or sheer clothing, and close-ups of breasts, butts, or crotches)

Or, links to sites that contain any of the above

Articles that are produced in a professional style, that use medical terms rather than slang, and that are not attempting to sell dubious treatments or products are more likely to be evaluated favorably (though it is no guarantee). If you are unsure if your content is allowed, please contact us for a clarification before attempting to publish.

You should also be aware that advertising may automatically be disabled on potentially adult content, and on content that touches on certain sensitive topic areas.
You can find more details in the Learning Center.

MY ARTICLE WAS MODERATED FOR MATURE CONTENT; WHAT DOES THAT MEAN?

Mature content includes graphic violent or medical images, videos, or text, and the excessive use of profanity. All articles must be suitable for a general audience. If you are unsure if your mature themed article is ok, please contact us for clarification before publishing.

You can find more details in the Learning Center.

AM I ALLOWED TO CREATE ARTICLES ABOUT GAMBLING?

Articles that promote or link to sites that offer or promote gambling for money are not allowed. Discussions of gambling rules, strategies, or events are generally acceptable. If you are unsure if your gambling-related article is ok, please contact us for clarification before publishing.

You can find more details in the Learning Center.

AM I ALLOWED TO CREATE ARTICLES ABOUT WEAPONS?

Articles may not contain content that link to sites that promote the sales of weapons or ammunition. This includes firearms, firearm components, BB and stun guns, fighting knives, explosives, and fireworks. This prohibition includes products listed in Amazon Capsules.

However, you may write articles about hunting and any other weapon-related sporting activities.

If you are unsure if your weapons-related article is ok, please contact us for clarification before publishing your article. You can find more details in the Learning Center.

AM I ALLOWED TO CREATE ARTICLES ABOUT BEER, WINE, OR ALCOHOL?

You may not create articles that sell, or link to sites that sell beer, hard alcohol and liqueurs. Further, links to alcohol related sites that require visitors to verify their age are prohibited.
However, you are free to publish reviews of a particular libation, brewery, winery, or distiller. Cocktail recipes are also fair game. On the subject of home brewing, you can share recipes and techniques, and you can sell related equipment.

If you are unsure if your alcohol-related article is ok, please contact us for clarification before publishing your article. You can find more details in the Learning Center.

AM I ALLOWED TO CREATE ARTICLES ABOUT DRUGS?

You may not publish articles that:

Depict illegal drug use

Promote drug abuse

Sell, promote the sale, or link to sites that promote the sale of herbal, prescription or illegal drugs, or drug paraphernalia

This prohibition may include drugs that have medicinal purposes, or are decriminalized or legal in some jurisdictions. Articles that provide instructional information about illegal activities are also prohibited. Articles about Marijuana are allowed, but will likely result in ads being disabled.

If you are unsure if your drug-related article is ok, please contact us for clarification before publishing your article. You can find more details in the Learning Center.

MAY I PUBLISH ARTICLES ABOUT CIGARETTES OR OTHER TOBACCO PRODUCTS?

Articles that sell, promote the sale, or link to sites that promote the sale of tobacco products are prohibited. Tobacco products include cigarettes, cigars, rolling papers, chewing and pipe tobacco, pipes and other smoking devices, and electronic cigarettes.

Articles about herbal cigarettes (that contain no nicotine) and quitting or the health effects of smoking are fine, subject to the restrictions above.

If you are unsure if your tobacco-related content is ok, please contact us for clarification before publishing. You can find more details in the Learning Center.

MY ARTICLE WAS MODERATED AS SUBSTANDARD; WHAT DOES THAT MEAN?

Substandard simply means that the quality of the article does not meet TAG’s standards. Below are some common reasons that an article may be moderated as substandard:

“Test” or otherwise unfinished articles

Very little content

Poorly-formatted content

Content that contains grammar or spelling mistakes that make it difficult to read or understand

Links to sites that are parked, or for which the domain is available for sale

Low quality pictures or video including distorted or low quality audio

Broken links or videos

Sites that require the user to login in order to view content. This can include but is not limited to some content on Facebook and YouTube private videos

Remember that you can always spend some time improving your article to meet TAG standards, and submit it to be evaluated for republication. You can find more details in the Learning Center.

MY ARTICLE WAS MODERATED FOR BEING OVERLY PROMOTIONAL; WHAT DOES THAT MEAN?

Purely promotional offers and articles designed only to promote other sites or businesses are not allowed. In particular, the following actions are likely to get your articles identified as overly promotional:

Including more than 2 links to any one domain

Keyword stuffed: repeatedly emphasizes words or phrases (often times with bold or italics)

Short “teasers” with links to “read more” at another site

Solely promotes a product, site, program, organization, or service

Excessive Amazon Capsules

Including links to a page that contains largely the same content as your article

Please note that promotional links are links that you have any interest in promoting (your blog, your Website, affiliate offers, etc.). Links to well-known Web resources which you don’t have any personal interest in (like Wikipedia, news sites, encyclopedias, open directories, etc.) are exempt from this limitation. You can find more details in the Learning Center.

MY ARTICLE WAS MODERATED FOR DECEPTIVE TITLE OR CAPSULE USE; WHAT DOES THAT MEAN

DECEPTIVE TITLE

If the content of your article do not deliver on its title, that could be considered deceptive. For instance, an 800 word article titled “All About the Stock Market” is deceptive because it’s impossible to cover that subject thoroughly in 800 words. Please choose a title that accurately describes the content of your article.

DECEPTIVE CAPSULE

Recipe Capsules should only be used in Recipe articles. This includes articles that contain recipes but are not categorized under the Food and Cooking Topic. Rating Capsules should only be used in articles with a single recipe or product review. Articles with multiple recipes or products reviewed may not use the Rating Capsule. Map Capsules should have a location that is directly related to the article content. Make sure you do not leave the default location (San Francisco).

You can find more details in the Learning Center.

MY ARTICLE HAS BEEN MODERATED FOR DUPLICATE CONTENT; WHAT DOES THAT MEAN?

Duplicate content is not allowed on TAG. Your article may also be moderated for duplicate content in cases where we determine there is substantial similarity to another work. This includes close paraphrasing, among other forms of misappropriation.

AN ARTICLE LABELED AS HAVING DUPLICATE CONTENT MAY HAVE:

Text that appears in whole or large part on another site. Even if you wrote the text or retain the copyright, you may not republish it on TAG. When content is present on multiple sites, search engines devalue the content that has a later publication date. Thus, if you have already published content on another site and republish it on TAG, your article and possibly the entire site will be penalized by search engines.

Text that already appears in whole or large part on TAG. Copying or paraphrasing another’s article or one of your own, is not permitted on TAG. Truly original content is always required.

Cutting and pasting content, even from a variety of sites is prohibited. Articles need to be written in your own words, just like academic works.

Substantial similarity to another work

You can find more details in the Learning Center.

MY ARTICLE WAS MODERATED FOR BEING PURELY PERSONAL; WHAT DOES THAT MEAN?

TAG is not a traditional blog site, where authors can publish personal journal-like entries. Articles can contain some personal content, but should be interesting, useful, and easily understandable to someone who does not know you personally. In general, TAG content should be original, in-depth, useful, and media-rich; more like a magazine article than a blog.

If your article has been moderated for purely personal content, we encourage you to make changes to your content that will make it more interesting to a general audience. If that isn’t possible, you can always start fresh on a new article. You can find more details in the Learning Center.

MY ARTICLE HAS BEEN MODERATED FOR WATERMARKED OR PIXELATED PHOTOS; WHAT DOES THAT MEAN?

Images that are low resolution, grainy, or pixelated detract from the aesthetic appeal of an article and are prohibited. For the same reason, images or videos that contain obtrusive watermarks are also prohibited. Watermarks can include URLs, logos, copyright notices, or other text rendered over the image. This rule applies even if they are your own photos or videos, or photos or videos that you have the legal right to use.

Here is some additional information about services you can use to track your images that do not involve watermarks.

You can find more details in the Learning Center.

MY ARTICLE HAS BEEN MODERATED FOR DUBIOUS OFFERS; WHAT DOES THAT MEAN?

Articles that promote dubious offers are prohibited on TAG. Some of the most common dubious offers include:

“Watch TV/movies on your PC” scams

Promotion of cell phone spyware

Promotion of HCG supplements/injections

Promotion of MLM or network marketing programs

“Free energy” including, but not limited to “Run your car on water” content

Promotion of cash gifting schemes

Promotion of medical treatments that the FDA or FTC have found to be fraudulent.

Non-promotional, medical or scientific, or exposé articles on these subjects may be permitted.
If you are unsure whether or not the subject would be considered dubious, please contact us for clarification before publishing your article. You can find more details in the Learning Center.

MY ARTICLE HAS BEEN MODERATED FOR UNRELATED LINKS OR PRODUCTS; WHAT DOES THAT MEAN?

All links and products listed in an article must be directly related to the content. This means that you cannot include links to your latest or best articles unless they are directly related to the subject of the current article.

In general using keywords for Amazon Capsules can be problematic as broad searches may inadvertently result in unrelated products showing up. The best practice is to create your article first and then add only specific products that are absolutely necessary for the reader’s experience and that you have determined to be directly related to the content. Remember to only add products when you have included your personal experience or opinion, and have provided significant, useful information about the items beyond what is found on Amazon.

You can find more details in the Learning Center.

MY ARTICLE HAS BEEN MODERATED FOR LINKING TO PROHIBITED SITES, WHAT DOES THAT MEAN?

Links to sites that provide a poor experience for readers or reflect badly on TAG are prohibited. These include:

Affiliate or promotional links in subject areas containing a high proportion of low quality or promotional content (for example, forex, acai berry, weight loss, etc)

Links to squeeze pages, thin lead capture forms and/or eBook sales pages

Sites that contain window confirmation boxes that interfere with site navigation (for example, when clicking the back or close buttons), or redirect users to unwanted websites

Links to sites that contain links to any of the above

Commonly used affiliate programs are evaluated based on the totality of how they are used on TAG. While some of the offers or sites promoted may be ok, if a preponderance are not, then they may be prohibited anyway. Clickbank is an example of this.

Sites are evaluated on an ongoing basis, and the classification of a site may change. It is the author’s responsibility to ensure that no links in their articles meet the definitions above.

If your article is moderated for this violation, the links that we’ve currently identified as prohibited will be included in the details of the warning (navigate to the article and click on the text of the warning). If you remove the identified links and any others that fit the definitions above, you can submit your article for publication and it will be republished provided that it is not in violation of any other TAG rules.

WHY DON’T YOU ALLOW ARTICLES IN LANGUAGES OTHER THAN ENGLISH (OR ALTERNATELY THE PRIMARY LANGUAGE IN WHICH A SITE IS PUBLISHED)?

The content of a site is meant to be in the primary language in which that site is published. For the vast majority of TAG sites, this means English language content submissions.

For those specific Spanish-language websites (for example), content and articles may be submitted in Spanish.

I WANT PERMISSION TO USE TEXT OR AN IMAGE FROM AN ARTICLE.

All the users on TAG agree to only publish content to which they have the necessary rights. If you wish to use text or images that appear in an article, please use the “Contact” link located on the author’s Profile. Do not contact the TAG Team, we can not help you!

CAN I USE PHOTOS, VIDEO, AND OTHER CONTENT FROM OTHER SITES ON MY ARTICLES?

When you sign up for TAG, you agree to use only content to which you hold the necessary rights. Basically, this means that if you did not create the content yourself (take the picture, create the video, etc.), you must have permission to use it from the person or organization that did create it. In our Learning Center guide on legally using images, you will find information on where you can find photos that are free to legally use in your articles. As with all content on TAG, it must also meet our terms of service.

WHY WERE AUTHOR BIOS HIDDEN FROM MY ARTICLES?

If your About the Author Biographies are no longer showing up, they were most likely hidden by a moderator for violating one or more of our rules. You can still manage your bios (add//delete) while they’re hidden, but they won’t be displayed on your articles. Bios are turned off on accounts that:

Spam, e.g., use the space to ask readers to click on profiles or try to insert links—a single offense is enough to take away access to the feature across all of your articles.

Place unrelated bios across several articles.

Place generic bios across several articles, where the bios are not useful to readers.

Place bios with many grammatical and/or mechanical errors across several articles.

Use nonsensical bios with the intent to troll across several articles.

If you believe your bios were hidden in error, or if you have any other questions, please feel free to contact us.

WHAT CAN I PUT IN THE REAL NAME FIELD OF MY PROFILE?

Adding a real name to your TAG profile is a great way to enhance your personal brand and add to your credibility as a writer. Please be sure to use a real name or a real-sounding pen name. Non-English characters, special characters, brand and business names, and website URLs are prohibited. You may, however, include initials, titles (Dr., Reverend, Rabbi, etc), and professional credentials, such as (MD, M.S., etc).

Failure to comply with the Real Name requirements may result in the loss of your ability to display a real name on your profile, pending moderator review.

Please be aware that while your Real Name can be changed, your username cannot. For more information, please reference the username section of the FAQ.

WHY WAS A COMMENT ON MY ARTICLE ADMIN APPROVED OR ADMIN DENIED?

If the settings on your article require comments to be approved before they appear, you will have 7 days to approve (or reject) each comment. If a decision is not made on a comment after 7 days, a moderator may approve (or reject) the comment for you. All comments left on articles with no comment restrictions by non-signed in visitors may be reviewed by a moderator after 2 days.