Spam negatively impacts interaction on the platform, reduces trust, and inhibits authentic engagement.
The following are not allowed:
Selling illegal products, services, or technology such as escort services, prostitution, or illegal drugs.
Selling weapons or controlled substances.
Promoting illegal streaming links or websites, get-rich-quick schemes, miraculous improvements such as rapid weight loss programs, scams like advance-fee scams, unofficial password or account recovery services, or hacking services.
Coordinated inauthentic activity such as vote manipulation.
Posting the same content repeatedly, or sending the same messages repeatedly.
Doing any of the following for the purpose of driving traffic to an external site or for monetary gain:
Posting irrelevant answers or comments.
Editing existing questions to include links or irrelevant information.
If it's determined that an account is violating our spam policy, this may result in one or more of the following actions:
Deletion of content posted by the account
Edit-blocking of the account to prevent further posts
Banning the account
Subsequent violations will be treated more seriously than the first one. Multiple concurrent violations will be treated more seriously than one violation.
For more information, click here
The Spam policy applies to all content types i.e answers, questions, comments, inbox thread and posts. However, there are certain policy violations that are specific to answers and questions only.
Some types of Spam require a "point of sale". This means that the person posting the content includes a point of sale or, in other words, a way for the reader to get in touch in order to obtain the product or service being promoted. If the point of sale leads to something the guidelines define as Spam, then the content should be labeled as Spam.
This includes:
Link (both external links and Quora links)
Please do check Quora links being shared and label the item as spam if there is spam on the landing page.
Contact information (e.g. phone number, email address, IDs for apps such as WhatsApp and Telegram, etc...)
A user offering their own services
Most of the time (and always for questions), this needs to take the form of 1st person statements (e.g. “I”, “we”, “my”, etc.)
“DM me” as a reply to a question seeking spammy content can be understood as offering one’s own services
Within the context of conversations explicitly seeking spammy products/services, some emoji-only content can be a coded way to offer one’s own services
Example:
(11)🅷🅸🆁🅴 🅱🅴🅻🅾🆆
Creating a marketplace
Most likely achieved via the creation of a space
Naming a product or service
Naming a service provider (company or individual)
Pointing within the content to any of the above being contained within the user’s metadata (bio, credentials, etc...)
Example:
“If you’re interested in finding the best plug check out the link in my bio”
These policies applies to all content types i.e answers, questions, comments, inbox thread and posts.
Selling or promoting ways to obtain counterfeit goods and services
The following is not allowed:
Replicas of trademarked goods.
Product resellers are common and we cannot always tell for sure if they are selling replicas. Therefore, we need clear indicators they are selling replicas, such as keywords like "replica", "as good as the real thing", "people won't notice the difference", etc... and the original brand name.
Examples of violating content:
Replica Dolce & Gabbana handbags
Replica Nike shoes
Forged legal documents
All forged forms of official identification (passport, ID, etc...)
All forged government-issued documents (driver's license, birth certificates, etc...)
This includes fake conceal carry licenses.
Examples of violating content:
“You can get in touch with [service provider] On G MAIL: Fake ID Cards With Social Security number”
Forged degrees, diplomas and other certificates of education
Examples of violating content:
“We can provide you with a IELTS certificate for cheap”
Promoting ways to acquire “direct admissions”
This is common for top colleges and schools in India
This is often accompanied by contact information (example)
The only way to get “direct” admission into top Indian institutes is by paying huge sums of money (i.e., bribing) to college officials. The services provided by these companies range from being in the legal grey area (for private institutions) to being illegal (for public institutions). They also may be lying about providing such services and we want to protect our users from potential swindling.
Quite a few spammers promote “management quota” which is code for paying more to get admitted into colleges (i.e., bribery). Therefore, “management quota” is a way to get admitted directly into colleges and promotion of management quotas in content should be also labeled as spam.
Examples of violating content:
“For direct admission at [university] call [phone number]”
“Entering the top colleges can difficult, which is why management quota can be an option: [link]”
Promoting and soliciting escort services, sex workers, and prostitution
Key components of sexual services: in-person sex-based interaction involving a monetary component.
Note: this includes yoni/tantric massages
Examples of violating content:
Question: “Are you looking for escorts in Mumbai? DM for more info” (offering own services to facilitate a transaction)
Question: “Could someone provide me with escort services?” or “I’m looking for a call girl/prostitute, could someone message me?”
Question: "Who can provide a girl for me?"
Question: “Can someone have a live sex chat with me?”
Answer/Comment/Post: “If you feel lonely check out escorts.example.com” (URL makes it clear it’s an escort service)
Answer/Comment/Post:: “Message me if you want to have a live sex chat.”
Space name: “Escorts for hire” (creates a marketplace)
Items discussing sexual services without providing a point of sale (e.g. informational answer recounting life as an escort) are not Spam
Examples of OK content:
Question: “How can I hire a call girl?” (seeks general knowlege about a transaction as opposed to providing a point of sale or requesting services from someone on the platform)
Question: “How much does a hooker cost in Nevada?“ (no point of sale)
Answer/Comment/Post: “I was a prostitute for years. I’m not hiding it and don’t mind discussing what it was like.” (informational content and no transactional component)
Space name: “Sex trafficking survivors” (creates a forum to discuss an aspect of sex work but not a marketplace)
Selling illegal drugs
This includes marijuana sold by non-legal entities
Exception: If the content specifies that they are selling CBD products, we are going to allow it. This means that if the content sells marijuana in general without specifying that the product is CBD, it would be considered Spam.
Note that any product that contains THC is also considered Spam.
No need to look too hard into it. Unless there are clear and strong indicators marijuana is being sold by a legal entity (e.g. has a Google Business Profile), it should be presumed it is illegal.
Sale means directly selling or facilitating a sale by indicating where/how to buy drugs.
You might see items within conversations about drugs posting only emojis. Such items are Spam as they are a coded way to promote selling drugs (e.g. leaf emoji and/or pill emoji + phone emoji).
Examples of violating content:
Question: “Do you want to try the best weed in the US? DM me for more info! I have all you need.” (offering own services)
Answer/Comment/Post: “I have a long-time trusted plug who can get you best potent weed delivered to you at reasonable prices. You can Message him on [App] his id is [Name].” (names a provider)
Answer/Comment/Post: “Still looking for kush? Check out the link in my bio.” (user explicitly points the reader towards a point of sale in their bio)
Space description: “We deliver weed to your door” (creates a marketplace for drug sale)
Space description: “Best weed plug: call [WhastApp contact details]” (provides a point of sale)
Inbox Thread: “I can hook you up with some kush if you’d like” (offering own services)
Content pointing to legal dispensaries (especially for medicinal purposes) are OK
Any other content that doesn’t mention a point of sale from non-legal entities is allowed (this is a non-exhaustive list):
Showing interest or asking where to buy or sell drugs is allowed, as long as they are not directly selling or facilitating a sale.
Asking or discussing general information about drugs (effects, experiences, prices, etc.)
Examples of OK content:
Question: “How much is one gram of cocaine in London?” (discussing price with no selling intentions)
Question: “Where can I buy MDMA?” (no point of sale)
Question: “What is the difference between Cannabis Sativa and Cannabis Indica?”
Question: “What were your experiences and reactions with ecstasy? How did it feel when you tried it?”
Question: “Can you buy drugs on the internet?” (general questions are OK)
Question: “Where can I get heroin in Oakland?” (no point of sale)
Answer/Comment/Post: “You should definitely try out LSD someday. Just make sure you got the right plug” (encourages drug consumption without providing a point of sale)
Answer/Comment/Post: “I wish I still had a weed dealer but mine got busted” (mentions having previously had a service provider without actually sharing one)
Space description: “Marijuana & best practices” (creates a forum to discuss drugs without creating a marketplace)
Space description: “A safe space for recovering cocaine addicts” (creates a forum to discuss drugs without creating a marketplace)
Inbox thread: “Hey dude. Saw you talking bout weed. Got a plug?” (seeks a point of sale but doesn’t provide one)
Illegal torrenting or illegal download links
Illegal torrents help users download books, games, movies, etc., and links to those are considered spam.
Illegal downloads include downloads of books, games, and other copyright material that is not being sold on a legitimate platform like Amazon, Google Play, book publishing website, etc.
These are often in the disclaimer section that shows up in gray text in the spam queue under views count (example)
Examples of violating content:
“I’d recommend [link] for Game of Thrones. They have all of the latest shows for free.”
“Why pay an expensive package for the pro football when you catch it for free on [link]”
“The final step is to click the Convert Now button. [Software] will immediately start downloading and converting Apple Music songs to MP3 format.”
Selling weapons
We don't allow the sale of weapons, specifically firearms, ammunition, and explosives, and instructions on making weapons (e.g. bombs, 3D printed guns, etc.)
Examples: firearms (guns, riffles, etc.), bullets, firearm accessories, [name types of ammunition], [names types of bombs-dynamite], or other types of weapons.
Promoting, selling, or providing blueprints for 3D-printed firearms.
Examples of violating content:
“WhatsApp: [phone number] Looking for a world wide link to join where you can purchase all kinds of hand guns anonymously and have it delivered stealthily without traces?”
“C4 is not easy to find which is why I’m glad I found [link]”
Asking for specific instructions on how to buy illegal weapons or seeking direct sales of weapons (legal or illegal) is not allowed:
“How can I buy a black market gun?”
“Can you buy a black market gun, and where would you buy it?”
“Can you sell me an AR-15?”
Questions that do not ask for specific instructions on how to buy weapons are ok.
Examples of OK content:
“Can you buy a black market gun?”
“Is it legal to own an AR-15 rifle in California?”
“I’d recommend a Glock if you value protecting your family”
Items that could be used as weapons, but that are not intended to be used as weapons, are OK. Examples: kitchen knives, Swiss Army knives, scissors.
Selling controlled substances
Controlled substances and products include:
Prescription medicines (i.e. products which shouldn’t be obtainable without being prescribed by a medical professional), Drugs.com is a good resource to check the prescription status of specific medicines
Alcohol and tobacco are considered controlled substances. The sale of these products is not allowed.
Marijuana is not considered a controlled substance or illegal drug in specific locations, but we don't allow the direct sale of marijuana or THC products (see “Selling illegal drugs” guidelines).
Note: CBD only products would be permissible
Hazardous regulated substances. Examples: Cyanide, Venom, Nitroglycerin, Ketamine
Trade/sale of body products (e.g. kidneys, blood, etc.)
Poaching products (e.g. tusks, etc.)
Direct sale of endangered species or products from endangered species
Not ok: DM me to buy elephant tusks
OK: Visit my website to buy some chickens
Examples of violating content:
Answer/Comment/Post: “All patients who take Dilaudid or Percocet ought to be firmly checked. To know more details: Buy dilaudid online [Link]” (feigns informational tone but provides a point of sale for a prescription drug)
Answer/Comment/Post: “Nowadays health care services are available online that provide medicines through apps such as [App]. You can order prescription medicine online [Link] through these apps.” (No specific prescription medicine is mentioned, but providing a point of sale for prescription medicines in general is enough to be considered Spam)
Illegal streaming
Special note on streaming and broadcasting services:
Hulu, Netflix, HBO, Disney+ and other streaming services that charge for services they provide are legitimate and should not be flagged as spam
Examples of OK content:
“Best place to watch all seasons of Games of Thrones would be HBO Max”
Content that promotes specific IPTV services (e.g., "IPTV TUNE", "IPTVService.shop", "IPTVisual.Com", etc.) should be flagged as spam. This is because they illegally provide broadcasts of sports events, tv shows, and movies for free. Examples of IPTV content that should be flagged as spam.
Customer support scam
Customer support scam rings on Quora vandalize questions, create topics, and write content.
The core elements of this type of spam are:
3rd tech party support (whether stated as such or posing as official support)
Mostly likely involves a money/payment service (to obtain financial information) and/or sensitive information in the form of online credentials (to obtain email address, phone number, passwords, etc...)
This includes:
Tech support/services about data recovery, account recovery, password recovery and other social media access related services.
Customer service numbers written messily or in a way that seeks to hide them. Also look for bad formatting and grammar errors in the content.
Cryptocurrency/funds recovery services
Examples of violating content:
“If you want to get help on cancelling your card, call [phone number]” (No guarantee it is a legitimate phone number)
“If you want to recover your Instagram password check out this easy tool: [link not affiliated with Instagram]”
“I was devastated when I had my crypto stolen. Thankfully [name] helped recover it quickly. Get in touch with him at [email address]”
Question: “Call US Toll Free *1-855-482-6468 ** outlook support phone number?”
Not all customer support information in content is spam. Use your best judgement to figure out which ones sound legitimate and which ones don’t. (e.g. linking to support.google.com to answer a question about gmail would be OK)
Examples of OK content:
“You should probably get in touch with Amazon’s customer support: [link to Amazon.com]”
“If you’re locked out of Facebook, check out this page: [link to Facebook.com]”
“You can probably find someone on the internet to help you recover your funds” (Doesn’t provide a point of sale)
Get-rich-quick money schemes
Such content promises to make you rich in a ridiculously short period of time.
The key indicators to identify get-rich-quick schemes are:
Unrealistic time frame (return on investment after just a few days/weeks or less than that)
Unrealistic return on investment:
Anything greater than 5-10% and/or exceeding $1,000 and/or terms making sound like a lot of money would be considered fishy for investment
Anything greater than $50-$100 per day and/or described as sufficient to replace having a day-job would be considered fishy for so-called "online jobs" such as "click-and-earn"
Note: This criteria is not always required when it’s a large amount of money (i.e. 5-digit sums or greater)
Point of sale (naming product/service ; link ; contact info)
Get-rich-quick schemes also tend to make the return on investment sound as a guarantee, minimising or not even mentioning any risk. However, you can still have a get-rich-quick even without this particular component (e.g. "investing is hard, but [service X] will show you how to earn $3,000 after two weeks").
As a result a list of keywords would be difficult to build, but you can keep a eye out for numbers and terms related to the key indicators, as well as terms related to investing (e.g. "profit", "return on investment", "forex", "crypto", "XX%", "$X,XXX", "daily", "weekly", etc...), while a point of sale is always necessary.
Examples of violating content:
“In this free training, you’ll learn how to generate over $461.67 per day ‘flipping’ other people's products & services. All you need is a laptop: [link]”
“What if I show you in 4 easy steps how you can make $150 to $200 USD in just 3 to 4 days all for free? DM me for info.”
Question: “Can I show you a way to use $50 to get $500 in 2 hours?”
Question: “I’m doing a $20k giveaway tonight, who is in to get a giveaway just dm to claim your prize?
Note that Bitcoin is a volatile currency that can make a lot of money for you in a short period of time. The only content that should be taken down under Bitcoin / Forex spam is one that promises huge returns if you invest with them (as opposed to investing by yourself).
Informational content about Bitcoin and Forex is OK.
Examples of OK content:
“Ethereum is probably the safest best when it comes to crypto. You can get some decent returns.” (Doesn’t quantify the return on investment or provide a timeframe)
Pump-and-dump scams
Scammers can create false hype about a stock or cryptocurrency in order to generate interest and drive the price up. When the price reaches a certain point, the scammers behind the fake hype sell all of their shares. Promoting such practices is not allowed. This includes:
Pointing users to contact information in order to participate in pump-and-dump schemes
Promoting platforms which will allegedly recommend stocks or cryptocurrencies to pump-and-dump
Encouraging users to pump-and-dump a specific stock or cryptocurrency
Examples of violating content:
“From my experience, the best place to find some good crypto pump and dump groups is Telegram. I use [channel] since January and already made some really nice profits.”
“I’ve been using [telegram channel] for around six weeks now, and it’s the best I’ve found. The pumps are always reliable”
Miraculous health improvements
The list includes:
Weight loss programs and/or supplements that promise “quick and easy” weight reduction (example)
The threshold would be promising to help lose at least 2-3 lbs (1-2 kgs) per week, anything above this threshold is an unrealistic amount of weight in an unrealistic amount of time.
Fitness/nutrition apps can have several goals. Only apps that promise quick and unsustainable weight loss should be considered spam.
Enlargement products (e.g. penis enlargement pills ; breasts enlargement creams ; anything physiologically impossible without surgery)
Height-increasing products (e.g. promoting pills to allegedly grow taller ; anything physiologically impossible without surgery)
Miracle cures (e.g. promoting fully curing serious diseases such as cancer or diabetes in a short period period of time)
Examples of violating content:
“After I was diagnosed with cancer I thought I was. But then I met the amazing Mr [name] who helped me cure in mere weeks.”
Alternative to ADHD medications: “snake venom” or “frog venom”
The following are OK:
Fitness/nutrition apps that are not focused on weight loss.
Tips and services to help lose a reasonable amount of weight in a reasonable amount of time.
Examples of OK content:
“If you want to lose weight you should probably cut down on the carbs” (No point of sale)
Advance fee scams/419 scams
An advance fee scheme is when the user pays money to someone in anticipation of receiving something of greater value — such as a loan, contract, investment, or gift — and then receives little or nothing in return. It is also known as a “419 scam” or “419 fraud”.
Item may claim that a few hundred dollars are needed as an “application fee” to the contest or investment. Another common claim is that the wire transfer of such a large sum of money involves fees that must be paid in advance.
This may involve the sale of products or services, the offering of investments, lottery winnings, “found money,” or many other “opportunities.”
Examples of violating content:
“Before the death of my late father on 22nd June 2013 in a private hospital here in Abidjan Côte d'Ivoire. He secretly called me on his bedside and told me that he has a sum of $7.5M (Seven Million five Hundred Thousand Dollars) left in a suspense account in a local bank. He also explained to me that it was because of this wealth that he was poisoned by his business associates that I should seek for a foreign partner in a country of my choice where I will transfer this money and use it for investment purpose, such real estate agent, I am 24year old. Dear I am honourably seeking your assistance in the following ways — To provide any bank account where this money would be transferred into.”
Offerings for loans
All offerings for loans are considered spam because we cannot guarantee the legitimacy of these institutions.
Examples of violating content:
“If you need a loan, contact KIIRE ABI. a company that intervenes in the field of loans between individuals. You can get up to € 200,000”
Promoting hacking products and services
This includes “Hire-a-hacker” content that promises to hack into the devices of and spy on people.
Promoting ways to bypass paywalls is also considered as a form of hacking.
Directly providing the tools to enable someone to illegally hack (telling someone to download a specific program to hack, etc.). This includes:
Phone recharging apps
Providing a point of sale
Recommending doing something illegal (e.g. using torrents to obtain copyrighted content) but not providing a point of sale is OK.
If a link is part of the item, place the mouse on the link, without clicking on it. It will show the whole URL name on the bottom left page, where you can check for key words such as hacker. If no clear indicator appears and the content looks suspicious, feel free to click on the link (incognito mode) to confirm if it refers to any hacking service or product. Example: “I found out my girlfriend was cheating on me thanks to Detective consultant [ link to Google form enquiring about hacking requests ]"
You might see items within conversations about hacking posting only emojis. Such items are Spam as they are a coded way to promote hacking (e.g. laptop emoji + phone emoji ; “HIRE BELOW” spelled out in emojis).
Examples of violating content:
“If you need to spy on someone, I’d recommend [name]. He’s cheap and discreet. Contact him at [email address]”
“Check out [service provider]! They can hack any device!”
The following kind of hacking related content are OK:
Content that describes sophisticated hacking attempts that companies or nations have faced
Content describing ethical hacking and its proponents
Informational content about hacking is OK as long as they answer the question (ex. telling someone what brute-forcing a password means)
Examples of OK content:
“Brute force has its limits when it comes to breaking into a database. Social engineering is more efficient” (Discusses different forms of hacking without providing a point of sale)
Posting irrelevant content
Posting content promoting a product, service or company irrelevant to the conversation is not allowed. This includes:
Answer promoting a cryptocurrency under question about tennis
Comment promoting a second source of income (job) with repeated attached link
Only sharing contact information
We allow email addresses and phone numbers in content, but if the content only gives contact information without providing any other helpful info, that is spam.
Examples of violating content:
Contact info accompanied by useful information is allowed.
Examples of OK content:
How can I work for the WikiTribune? Send your resume to jobs@wikitribune.com.
These policies apply to questions only.
A question is purely promotional if the phrasing of the question suggests that the OP is only looking to promote a specific product/service rather than find real answers.
In order to consider a question as purely promotional, it has to meet at least one of the following criteria:
The question should contain a product or service URL with the only intention of promoting that service or product.
The question should mention contact information, such as phone number, email address, etc.
Requesting to be contacted is also considered an indicator. Examples: “Dm me.” ”Can you message me?”
Note that only mentioning a product or service name, without providing a link or contact information is allowed.
Examples of violating content:
Do you need a moving service? Visit www.jennysmovingservice.com.
Are you looking for a moving service? Have you tried this one? www.jennysmovingservice.com
What is your favorite moving service? Mine is www.jennysmovingservice.com
What does child-like faith look like https://gofund.me/2274663c?
Have you been aware of this NFT? https://opensea.io/collection/ai-will-rock-you DM me for more info.
Have you tried the newest marketing tool? WhatsApp is +923034390559?
Who wants to enhance your beauty with your cloth combinations? https://dailycarewithme.blogspot.com/2022/01/fahion.htmlm=1
Subscribe to my channel! This is very useful to develop photography skills and ideas https://youtube.com/channel/UCWSJe63jkEBCkJykUQNcG0g? (directly asking for subscribers, the user is promoting their youtube channel)
Some questions mentioning their youtube channel can be considered ok if they are not directly promoting it.
Example:
How do I take traffic for YouTube? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sQYVaTFOABI? (this can lead to helpful answers)
How can I grow my youtube channel? https://youtube.com/channel/UCjt5Ib1gUyPSxQpNpcnr_fQ (this can lead to helpful answers)
Examples of OK content:
Do you need a moving service? Would you like to try Jenny’s Moving Service?
Have you tried Jenny’s Moving Service?
Do you want to know how to earn from social media apps? Check my bio. (No link URL or contact information)
These policies apply to answers only.
Compare the “Answer to Review” and “Near Duplicate Answer”. Flag as spam if they meet both the following criteria:
80-90% of the text and/or 80%-90% of images in both are duplicates, and
Both sections are promotional in nature and promote the same product(s)
This means that the user is copy-pasting the same answer into different question pages in order to make money.
We do not penalize users who have copy-pasted non-spam, non-promotional answers into multiple question pages. We think that these users may not be aware of our plagiarism guidelines and/or consequences of question merging and we want to give them the benefit of doubt.
If the question is not asking for a link or source, it is spam
Example of violating content:
Q: What are some good cryptocurrencies to invest in?
A: Check out this link to some cryptocurrencies [link].
This example is Spam. Keep in mind that when knowing the answer depends on you clicking on a link, it’s considered Spam. A Quora user should not have to leave the website to find out what the answer is.
Be mindful of users answering parallel to the question, i.e. using some of the keywords from the question without actually answering the question.
If the question is asking for a link or source, it is OK or promotional (depending on whether link is informational or promotional)
For example: A wikipedia link to a question like “What is the most popular Wikipedia page?” is considered OK.
For YouTube links, check if it’s a video which answers the question. If it is, then label as OK or promotional. If not, label as Spam.
The only exceptions made for informational links if the question is not answered is Quora links (check Quora links being shared and label the item as spam if there is spam on the landing page).
Note: This does not apply to comments because we don’t show questions in comment_policy. However, if the link is flagrantly spam, then flag it as spam.
Mimicking Quora UI to mislead Quora users : Example 1
The reason this answer is spam is:
The blue highlighted "...more" mimics Quora UI but leads to the NYTimes page. The actual feature on Quora expands the answers. Clickbait authors make their links look like the Quora UI so that people will click on the answer expecting it to expand but it will lead them to another website.
This should not be confused with promotional content. On one hand, it does lead people to another website but on the other, the sneaky way in which it mimics Quora UI shows that it is trying to game the system and mislead users.
Formatting is the main indicator:
If separate from the main body of text, in a way there could be no confusion for the reader that the answer might have been cropped, it is OK.
If formatted in a way which might make the answer seem cropped and lead the reader to believe clicking the link will expand the answer, then it is Spam.
Enticing user to check the profile in order to lead traffic off-site:
Key indicators to identify such spam :
Answer looks relevant and innocent, but it will contain something along the lines of “Go to my profile…” for more information on the topic of the answer and/or will directly link to the profile, a question, a space.
Checking the profile will show a link to download, product, service, etc.
All answers on the profile will entice checking the profile.
This is actually an attempt to lead users off the platform via links present on the profile.
A significant number of items in the spam queue are written for the express purpose of promoting a legitimate product or service like software, websites, YouTube channels, etc. These answers are said to be promotional in nature and should be labeled as “Promotional Content” in the spam queue.
All promotional answers have the following things in common:
They include a monetary / for-profit component (i.e., someone will make money off of that answer)
Answer the question directly in addition to including a relevant promotion
They specifically recommend one product or service over others
Do not violate any existing spam policies
"Direct monetary / for-profit component” means there is something to be directly purchased (product, service, business, etc...) with money directly changing hands, as opposed to indirect profit (e.g. Google Adsense revenue for blogs, videos, etc...)
Example of OK content:
“[Following answer which directly answers the question] If you liked my answer about the topic, check out my blog [link] where I cover it in more details”
Please still refer to the "Steps to take to evaluate answers for promotional content" section. The above list is indicative of the characteristics of Promotional Content, but is not sufficient on its own.
Promotional answers fall in one of the following categories:
Promote their own business
Drive referrals or leads to another business
Promotes specific products or services on general questions (e.g., “What is the best [X]?”)
Drive traffic to a link (website, blog, social media) which in turn promotes a business, product or service
Please still refer to the "Steps to take to evaluate answers for promotional content" section. The above list is indicative of the characteristics of Promotional Content, but is not sufficient on its own to label as such.
Always assess if the content might be informational, in which case it wouldn't be labeled as Promotional Content.
Promoting a Quora space is not considered promotional. It is OK.
Notes on informational links
Answers with links to informational websites are not considered promotional. Informational websites are those that educate audiences and are thought to provide unbiased sources of information. For the purposes of this labelling, the following are considered informational websites (list is not comprehensive):
News publications (e.g., BBC, The Economist, NYTimes)
Knowledge sharing platforms (e.g., Stack Exchange, Wikipedia)
Online dictionaries (e.g., Thesaurus)
All websites ending with “.gov”
Established academic journals (e.g., Science, Nature, etc.)
Quora - Linking to any Quora page in an answer is considered informational and not promotional
Quora.com links are denoted by “qr.ae” in the url_domain_count
Note: This is not a comprehensive list. Use your best judgment when trying to differentiate between websites with promotional and informational intent.
Some links can appear to be promotional at first. Here are some tips to differentiate between informational and promotional:
Google the domain name and look for signs of reputation (e.g. legitimate news articles referencing the domain in a positive way)
It is important to understand the intent of the answer and check why the link is there. For example, if it’s part of a footnote, it is likely to be OK. However, if it’s used as a way to disguise the intention to promote and sell a product/service, then it’s promotional or spam.
Some websites’ primary purpose might not be purely informational (e.g. can also sell products/services besides containing information), but they are OK as long as the user references them only for their informational aspect.
Example: Sacred-texts.com contains information about sacred texts. You also have the option to buy them. In this case, we need to check the intent of the answer to identify if there is an intent to sell/promote or only to inform. If it’s the latter, then it’s informational.
Notes on social media links
Social media links like Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, Patreon, and Medium, etc within an answer are excluded from the promotional content policy below, as long as the answer is otherwise compliant/contains no other policy violations.
Allowed:
Links to social media pages like Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, Patreon, Medium, Substack, etc. within an answer.
Example: “If you want to know more about me or connect with me, reach out to me on my FB/LinkedIn/Insta/Patreon”
Note: Social media link does not need to be contextually relevant to the content
Not allowed:
Links to social media company pages or business profiles
Example: https://twitter.com/OnlineC25117784
Example: https://www.facebook.com/autotrader
OnlyFans (due to spam issues and to avoid these links being posted in non-adult questions and answers), other pornographic websites
Steps to take to evaluate answers for promotional content:
Read the answer (and only the answer, not the accompanying information)
Determine if the answer is spam
If yes, label as spam
If no, move to step 3.
3. Determine if it promotes a specific product, service, business or company someone is going to directly make money off it and if the question is answered.
Answers the question + relevant promotion = Promotional
Label as promotional if it is promotional in nature and the user has revealed their affiliation, notably within one of the following:
Metadata:
Credentials, short bio, author description : product/service mentioned or link shared in metadata
Username (if near identical to domain/product/service name)
Way the product/service/link is mentioned (e.g. “I am helping” ; “with my program” ; “with our service” ; “join us”)
Channel name for YouTube videos
If affiliation has not been revealed anywhere in the queue:
Evaluate the queue metadata. If:
Promotion is present in >= 2 answers (excluding the answer you are reviewing) label as promotional
Promotion is present in <2 answers (excluding the answer you are reviewing), label as OK
Note: This includes bit.ly links and other shortened links, which should be reviewed like any other links (i.e. checking for affiliation and/or link present in >= 2 answers)
Answers with informational links are not considered promotional. This includes wikipedia, Quora, all websites that end in ".gov", etc. See section above for more info on informational links.
2. Answers the question + completely irrelevant promotion = Spam
3. Doesn’t answer the question at all + relevant promotion = Spam
4. Doesn’t answer the question at all + completely irrelevant promotion = Spam
Notes:
Only completely irrelevant promotions that are not even remotely related to the question at all should be flagged as spam. Reviewers should be liberal when deciding how relevant the promotion is. As long as it belongs to the same category as what is being asked about in the question, it should be considered relevant.
Relevant and Promotional: Promoting a tennis academy on a question about sports
Not Relevant and Spam: Promoting a tennis academy on a question like “What are the top 10 reggae songs?”
What does it mean when an answer does not answer the question? Here is an example with several variations:
Q: Have you ever used a stroller? A: Yes = Short but answers the question → OK
Q: What are the best strollers? A: After doing some research, these are the strollers that work best for me: stroller X, stroller Y, stroller Z = Answers the question → OK. If this answer includes links, it can be OK or Promotional.
Q: What is the best stroller you used for your child? A: We didn’t use a stroller, we actually used [other product name] that worked better for us. = Challenging the premise of the question is OK
Q: What is your experience with using a stroller? A: There are so many different strollers. Check out this one: [link] = Does not answer the question and provides a link that hasn’t been asked for → Spam
If no products, services, websites, blogs, or businesses have been promoted, move to Step 4
4. Check to see if it violates any other answer policies.
If yes, label as OK + Policy Violation
If no, move on to Step 5
5. If the answer is not spam or promotional in nature, label it as OK
How do I label (what looks like) positive customer reviews? I’m not sure if someone was paid to write it.
Take the following steps:
Step1: Check to see if it violates spam policies. If not, go to Step 2
Step 2: Look at the queue metadata. Has the user promoted the same product or service >=2 times in addition to the answer you are reviewing? If so, flag as promotional. If not, label as OK.
What do I do if the answer is not promotional but the author description and/or credential is?
Assuming the answer doesn’t violate any spam policies, label as OK.
What do I do if the question is spammy but the answer is OK?
Label the answer as OK because that is the content that you are reviewing and taking action on.