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I used to think adult ads were either allowed or banned. No middle ground. Then I actually tried running traffic in this space and realized it is way more layered than that. The rules are not always clear, and every network seems to treat restricted verticals a bit differently. That confusion is what pushed me to dig deeper and ask around in forums like this. The first pain point hit me when a campaign got rejected without much explanation. The offer was adult but not extreme, and I followed what I thought were normal guidelines. Still, it did not pass. That is when I realized restricted does not always mean forbidden. It often means conditional. The problem is that those conditions are rarely spelled out in plain language. From what I have seen, adult ad networks usually split offers into soft adult and hard adult categories. Soft adult might include dating, cam previews, or suggestive content. Hard adult often covers explicit videos, fetish niches, or anything that pushes local rules. Restricted verticals live in that gray area. They are not always banned, but they need extra checks, approvals, or traffic limits. One thing I noticed early is that most networks care more about where the traffic goes than what the ad looks like. Even if your banner is clean, the landing page matters a lot. If the page auto plays video, has aggressive popups, or shows explicit content above the fold, it raises flags fast. I had one offer approved only after I toned down the landing page and added clear warnings. Another big factor is geo targeting. What is fine in one country may be restricted in another. I learned this the hard way when a campaign ran fine in one region and failed in another with the same setup. Adult ad networks often handle restricted verticals by locking them to specific locations where laws and platform rules are more relaxed. If you ignore that, you will probably waste time and money. Communication also plays a role. I used to just submit campaigns and wait. Now I message support before launching anything that feels borderline. Not to argue, but to ask how they usually handle that type of offer. Sometimes they suggest small changes. Other times they tell you upfront it will not work. That alone saves a lot of frustration. What surprised me most is that some networks are flexible if you show you are serious. If you have a clean domain history, clear disclosures, and realistic expectations, they tend to work with you. Restricted verticals often need manual approval, slower scaling, and stricter creatives. It is not a shortcut space. It rewards patience more than clever tricks. I also learned to stop comparing adult networks to mainstream ad platforms. The rules are different, and so is the mindset. Adult ad networks expect restricted offers. They just want control over risk. That means capping impressions, limiting formats, or requiring pre approval on every creative. Once I accepted that, things got easier. If you are trying to understand how different platforms approach this, looking at how various Adult Ad Networks categorize and filter offers can be helpful. Seeing patterns across multiple networks made it clearer why some campaigns passed and others did not. It is less about luck and more about fitting into their comfort zone. At the end of the day, restricted verticals are manageable if you stop fighting the system. Read the rules, ask questions, and test slowly. Do not assume approval once means approval forever. Policies change, and adult ad networks adjust fast. Treat it like a long game, not a quick win. That is just my experience. Others here might have different results, but for me, understanding how restrictions are handled made a big difference. It turned rejections into feedback instead of dead ends.
