Resources for Australian Healthcare Practices

Is your healthcare website Ahpra compliant?

Review your website against key Ahpra advertising requirements with our free AI-powered audit.

Whether you’re an individual practitioner, multidisciplinary clinic or larger healthcare practice, your website is subject to advertising requirements under the National Law. This practical guide explains the key compliance risks Ahpra looks for in healthcare advertising, with real examples of common website issues and a free AI-powered audit that helps identify potential problems in minutes.

Why healthcare practitioners specifically?

Healthcare advertising is held to a higher standard than other marketing

Healthcare advertising in Australia is governed by National Law and regulated by the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (Ahpra) together with the relevant National Board for each registered health profession.

If your website contains unsupported claims, clinical testimonials, misleading promotional offers or language that creates unrealistic expectations, you may be at risk of breaching these advertising requirements. Complaints can be made by anyone — members of the public, patients and even your competitors — and significant penalties may apply where advertising is found to be non-compliant.

Few healthcare practices intentionally publish advertising that breaks the rules. Most compliance issues come from well-intentioned website content that inadvertently breaches Ahpra’s advertising guidelines. What appears to be ordinary marketing copy can often create risks that aren’t obvious until the content is reviewed.

What can make the difference is whether you can demonstrate that you’ve taken reasonable steps to review your website and address potential compliance risks. This guide and audit tool are designed to help you do exactly that.

The practical reality.

Most chiropractors who get an Ahpra notification aren’t trying to break the rules. The risk often comes from how you promote your practice — confident headlines, patient-focused promises, or treatment claims that are not supported by adequate evidence can all unintentionally cross the line.

What changes the outcome is whether you can show you have reviewed your site and addressed the obvious issues. This page will help you do exactly that.

The Five Rules

What Ahpra looks for when assessing healthcare advertising

These are the five advertising prohibitions under Section 133 of the National Law, illustrated with examples of the kinds of wording commonly found on healthcare websites.

Claims should be truthful, accurate, and supported by evidence (Section 133(1)(A))

Claims about treatments, practitioner expertise, qualifications or expected outcomes should be supported by appropriate evidence and presented in a way that does not mislead. The risk is not limited to claims that are obviously false. Advertising can also become misleading when it exaggerates benefits, omits important context or creates an impression that cannot be substantiated.

Likely breach

"Our proven treatment provides long-term relief."

Better wording

"We provide evidence-based treatment tailored to each patient's individual needs and circumstances."

If you advertise an offer, clearly explain the conditions (Section 133(1)(B))

Advertising a discount, gift or other incentive is not prohibited, but the important terms and conditions must be clearly communicated. Patients should be able to understand exactly what is being offered, who is eligible, any exclusions that apply and when the offer expires before deciding whether to respond.

Likely breach

"New patient special — only $49!"

with no explanation of what is included, or any terms and conditions.

Better wording

"Initial consultation $49 (normally $120). Available to new patients only until 31 December 2026. Includes consultation only. Further treatment or investigations, if required, will incur additional fees."

Clinical testimonials cannot be used in advertising (Section 133(1)(C))

Ahpra prohibits the use of testimonials that refer to a clinical aspect of a regulated health service. This includes reviews, case studies or patient stories discussing symptoms, diagnoses, treatments or outcomes. The restriction applies even where the testimonial is genuine and voluntarily provided by the patient.

Reviews that are posted to independent third-party platforms, where the practice has no control over them (such as your Google Business profile) may remain visible, although care should be taken when responding to them.

Likely breach

★★★★★ "After just a few appointments my pain was completely gone."

Better wording

Reviews discussing clinical care or treatment outcomes should not be used in advertising controlled by the practice. Feedback relating only to non-clinical aspects of the service, such as communication, booking or customer service, may be acceptable.

Avoid creating unrealistic expectations about treatment (Section 133(1)(D))

Claims should not exaggerate likely benefits, guarantee particular outcomes, minimise potential risks or limitations, or suggest that treatment will be successful for every patient. Advertising should recognise that treatment outcomes vary according to an individual’s condition, circumstances and response to care.

Likely breach

"We'll have you pain-free in weeks."

Better wording

"We'll discuss appropriate treatment options and expected outcomes based on your individual circumstances."

Don't encourage unnecessary use of healthcare services (Section 133(1)(E))

Website content should not encourage unnecessary consultations, investigations or treatment, promote ongoing care without an appropriate clinical basis, or use offers and incentives in a way that encourages greater use of regulated health services than is clinically justified.

Likely breach

"Everyone should have a comprehensive health check every six months."

Better wording

"The need for health assessments depends on an individual's age, health history, risk factors and clinical circumstances."

Free site audit

Check your website for common advertising compliance issues

Paste your website URL below. Our AI will assess your website against the five rules, highlight wording that may create compliance risks, and suggest alternative wording.

Audit your healthcare website

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

Your website URL

Free audit includes an initial review of up to five pages. For full-site recommendations, see our complete AHPRA audit service.

Tailored to regulated healthcare advertising

The AI is briefed on Ahpra advertising guidelines and National Board guidance, assessing your website against the requirements that advertising apply to regulated healthcare.

Independent self-review, not monitoring

The audit is designed to help you review your own website content before concerns are raised. We don't report findings to Ahpra or any regulator, and the results are provided only to you.

No legal advice

The audit is an educational self-assessment tool, not a legal opinion. Where a claim is complex or open to 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 National Boards for each registered health profession. 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.

Is your chiropractic website Ahpra compliant?

Advertising compliance is an ongoing focus for the chiropractic profession, and many website breaches stem from everyday marketing language rather than deliberate misconduct.

Claims about treatment outcomes, testimonials, areas of specialty, and patient offers can all break the rules if not worded carefully. Our practical guide explains the five key advertising guidelines chiropractors need to understand, with real examples of common breaches and a free AI-powered audit that helps identify potential issues on your website in minutes.

Still have questions? Contact us