Industry & Compliance Questions
14 questions on this page. Other topics are listed in the FAQ overview.
Can adult products be advertised on Douyin?
Advertising restrictions for this category on Douyin are very strict. Feed ads and selling livestreams are both subject to tight review, and content that describes a product's intended use explicitly is easily throttled.
This is not something operational technique can work around — it is a category-level restriction at the platform level.
See Platform Compliance & Risk Control.
Can I post on Xiaohongshu?
You can post, but notes in this category are easily judged as violations, facing throttling or even removal, with keywords blocked so that users searching for them often cannot find them.
Advice: post knowledge-type content only; do not promote products directly.
If I can't find it in Douyin search, does that mean nobody is doing it?
No. Adult products are an active category on Douyin and Xiaohongshu.
"Can't find it in search" is usually a platform content restriction or search block, not an empty market.
Mistaking "restricted channel" for "no market" is the most common analytical error in this category.
What qualifications are needed to open an adult products store?
A business licence, whose business scope must include the relevant category.
Category-specific requirements:
| Category | Additional requirement |
|---|---|
| Ordinary adult products | Business licence |
| Products labelled as medical devices | Medical device business licence / filing |
| Care products containing medicinal ingredients | Corresponding operating qualification |
| Imported goods | Customs declaration and Chinese-language labelling |
Not selling to minors is the statutory baseline.
Can an unattended vending store sell these?
Yes, but the unattended model has to solve the age-verification problem around "may not be sold to minors".
Common approaches are face or ID verification at the entrance, or switching to staffed operation.
For the specific compliance requirements, consult your local market regulation authority — enforcement practice can differ between localities.
Can I claim medical benefits?
No. Under Article 17 of the Advertising Law (《广告法》), non-medical institutions may not claim therapeutic functions.
Terms such as "delays ejaculation", "treats" or "improves" all carry risk.
This is a hard red line with no grey area.
Can I publish sponsored articles without labelling them as advertising?
No. Article 14 of the Advertising Law (《广告法》) requires advertising to be identifiable and to be expressly marked as "advertising". Hidden advertising is unlawful.
The correct approach: label commercial promotional content as "advertising" or "promoted". Labelling it actually reduces the risk of penalty.
Can I write "we work with brand X"?
You must distinguish three cases:
| Situation | How you may write it |
|---|---|
| Contract signed | Write "in partnership with" |
| In negotiation | Write "in discussion with" |
| No contact at all | Do not mention their name |
Under Article 8 of the Anti-Unfair Competition Law (《反不正当竞争法》), misappropriating another party's commercial reputation means the party whose name is misused can sue you directly.
A more immediate risk: the partnership you are actually negotiating falls apart on the spot — the other side searches and finds themselves "in partnership" with you in public.
Can I compare with and disparage a competitor?
No. Article 11 of the Anti-Unfair Competition Law (《反不正当竞争法》) prohibits commercial disparagement.
How to draw the line:
| ✅ May write | ❌ Must not write |
|---|---|
| "No standard GATT service detected" | "Technologically backward" |
| "Latency around X ms under this test environment" | "Highest latency in the industry" |
| Objective fact | Value judgement |
"It won't connect" is a fact; "it's bad" is a value judgement.
What should I watch for with efficacy words in product descriptions?
The range of restricted promotional wording in this category is fairly wide. Safe practice:
- Describe function (Bluetooth control, mode adjustment), not effect
- Explain how to use it, without making performance promises
- Avoid medical, therapeutic or improvement-type wording
For wording you are unsure about, run it past legal first.
Why must this category build a first-party audience?
Because platform traffic is restricted, expensive, and can be cut off at any time.
| Dimension | Platform store | First-party (own app) |
|---|---|---|
| Rule risk | The platform decides | Under your own control |
| User ownership | Platform | Manufacturer |
| Reach cost | Buy traffic every time | Acquire once, reach repeatedly |
| Commission | Yes | No |
The value of a first-party channel in this category is not "one more channel" — it is the only channel a platform cannot unilaterally cut off.
What should I do if the platform deletes my content?
First work out why, in one of three common categories:
- Category restriction — the category itself is not permitted; changing the content won't help
- Prohibited wording — efficacy claims, absolute terms and the like; can be revised and reposted
- Misjudgement — you can appeal
Advice: don't keep probing the edges of the rules; put your energy into assets you control (your own site, a knowledge base, a first-party channel).
Can I do marketing aimed at minors?
Absolutely not. Content involving minors is directly unlawful, with no room for discussion.
This includes: material using images of minors, promotion aimed at student groups, and any wording implying minors may use the product.
If a supplier exaggerates in their marketing, am I liable?
Yes. You are the seller, and you are the responsible party for the promotional content.
Advice: review any marketing material a manufacturer hands you before use — strip out efficacy claims, exaggerated statements and figures with no stated source. A manufacturer giving you images does not mean you can use them as-is.