Resources for Australian Doctors & GPs

Is your medical practice website Ahpra compliant?

Review your website against key Ahpra advertising requirements with our free tool.

A practical guide to the Ahpra advertising requirements doctors and general practitioners need to understand, including real examples of common website compliance issues and a free AI-powered audit designed to identify potential issues in minutes.
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Why doctors specifically?

GP websites are held to specific advertising standards

Medical advertising in Australia is governed by strict advertising requirements designed to protect the public from misleading information about health services.

The Medical Board of Australia and Ahpra set specific guidelines for doctors to ensure that website content accurately represents the services they provide and does not create misleading impressions, unrealistic expectations or unsupported claims about treatment outcomes. Breaches of these guidelines can carry hefty fines and can be reported by anyone, including patients and your competitors.
Child having a medical check-up with a doctor and parent in a clinic.

The practical reality.

Most compliance issues are not intentional. In many cases, they arise from everyday website content written to explain services, attract new patients or communicate a practitioner’s experience. Treatment claims, team profiles, testimonials, promotional offers and service pages can all create compliance concerns when they are not reviewed against Ahpra’s advertising requirements.
Regularly reviewing website content helps reduce the risk of inadvertent breaches and demonstrates a commitment to responsible advertising. This guide and audit tool are designed to help medical practices identify potential issues and make informed decisions about their website content.
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The Five Rules

Five areas where medical advertising commonly creates risk

These are the five advertising prohibitions under Section 133 of the National Law, written for doctors and general practices and illustrated with examples commonly found on medical websites.
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Information presented to patients should be accurate and evidence-based (Section 133(1)(A))

Website content should accurately reflect the services provided and any claims made about treatments, outcomes or practitioner expertise must be supported by acceptable evidence. Advertising may become misleading when it overstates likely benefits, omits important context or creates impressions that cannot be supported.

Likely breach

"The most experienced skin cancer clinic in the region."

Better wording

“Our doctors are experienced in skin cancer detection and management.”

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Any advertised offers should be complete and transparent (Section 133(1)(B))

Where advertising includes a gift, discount or other inducement, the terms and conditions must be clearly communicated. Patients should be able to understand any eligibility criteria, exclusions or limitations before responding to the promotion.

Likely breach

“Half-price health checks this month.” with no explanation of what is included or who qualifies.

Better wording

“Reduced-fee executive health assessments available during July for new patients. Standard pathology and imaging fees may still apply.”

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Patient experiences should not be used to promote clinical care (Section 133(1)(C))

Testimonials that refer to a clinical aspect of a regulated health service cannot be used in advertising controlled by the practice (including your website). This includes comments relating to diagnosis, treatment, recovery or health outcomes, even if the testimonial is genuine or voluntarily provided.

Likely breach

“★★★★★ Dr Smith treated my condition when nobody else could."

Better wording

Non-clinical feedback relating to aspects such as communication, parking or the booking process are usually okay.

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Website content should not imply certain treatment outcomes (Section 133(1)(D))

Website content should provide balanced information about medical services without implying that a particular outcome is guaranteed or that treatment will be successful in every case. Advertising must recognise that each patient is different and should support realistic expectations based on individual circumstances.

Likely breach

“We'll get you back to full health faster."

Better wording

"We provide comprehensive medical care and work with patients to support their health and recovery."

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Use of registered health services should be promoted according to clinical needs (Section 133(1)(E))

Medical services should be promoted in a way that supports appropriate healthcare decisions rather than encouraging indiscriminate or unnecessary use of a GP service. Advertising may create compliance concerns where it promotes consultations, investigations or ongoing care without regard to whether those services are appropriate for the individual.

Likely breach

“Everyone should book a full health check every six months."

Better wording

"The need for health assessments depends on a person's age, risk factors and individual health circumstances. Your GP will discuss the best options for your needs."

Free site audit

Put your GP website to the test

Paste your website URL below. Our AI will review the page for wording that may create concerns under Ahpra advertising requirements. Any flagged content will include an explanation of the potential breach and suggested alternative wording.

Audit your gp website

Takes about 15 seconds. We don't store your URL or send you anything unless you ask us to.

Tailored to Doctors & GPs

The AI is briefed on guidance from Ahpra and the Medical Board of Australia, helping to identify issues that may arise in content about treatments, health checks, practitioner expertise, patient services and clinical outcomes.

Independent self-review, not monitoring

We don't report findings to Ahpra or any regulator. The audit is designed to help you review your own website content, identify potential issues and make informed decisions about any changes you may wish to make.

No legal advice

The audit is intended as an educational and self-assessment resource only. If a claim is complex, contentious or requires formal interpretation, we recommend seeking advice from your professional indemnity insurer or a suitably qualified regulatory lawyer.

About this tool. Built as a self-assessment aid based on the Ahpra Guidelines for advertising a regulated health service, section 133 of the Health Practitioner Regulation National Law, and published guidance from the Medical Board of Australia. It is not legal advice and does not guarantee compliance. For formal advice, consult your professional indemnity insurer or a regulatory lawyer. Official Ahpra resources are available at ahpra.gov.au/Resources/Advertising-hub.

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