Resources for Australian Physiotherapists

Is your physiotherapy website creating Ahpra advertising risks?

Find potential issues in minutes with our free tool.

Review your website against the five key Ahpra advertising requirements, see examples of common physiotherapy marketing risks, and identify potential issues with our free AI-powered audit.
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Why physiotherapists specifically?

Physiotherapy is one of Australia's most visible allied health professions

The Physiotherapy Board of Australia and the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (Ahpra) require physiotherapists to ensure their advertising is accurate and not misleading.

Physiotherapy websites often contain detailed information about conditions, treatment approaches, practitioner expertise and expected outcomes. While this information can help patients make informed decisions, it can also create compliance concerns if claims go beyond the available evidence, create unrealistic expectations or omit important context.
Physiotherapist providing treatment to a patient in a clinical setting.

The practical reality.

Many advertising issues arise from ordinary website content rather than deliberate misconduct. Service pages, practitioner profiles, treatment descriptions and patient-facing messaging can all create compliance risks when they are not reviewed against current advertising requirements.
Being able to demonstrate that you’ve reviewed your website and addressed obvious risks can make a significant difference if concerns are raised. This guide and audit tool are designed to help you identify potential issues before they become a problem.
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The Five Rules

What Ahpra actually checks for on a physiotherapy website

These are the five advertising prohibitions under Section 133 of the National Law, written for physiotherapists and illustrated with examples commonly found on physiotherapy websites.
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Claims about treatment, expertise and outcomes need to be supported by evidence (Section 133(1)(A))

Advertising can become deceptive through descriptions of treatment outcomes without adequate evidence, exaggerated practitioner expertise, superiority claims, or statements that imply a particular result is likely for every patient. Information should be accurate, evidence-based and presented in a way that does not create a misleading impression.

Likely breach

"Recover faster with our proven rehabilitation system."

Better wording

“We provide rehabilitation programs tailored to individual injuries, goals and circumstances.”

Likely breach

"Leading specialists in sports injuries." — physiotherapy has no Ahpra-approved specialist registration.

Better wording

“Physiotherapists with a specific interest in working with sporting injuries and active individuals.”

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Patients should know exactly what an offer includes (Section 133(1)(B))

Discounts, incentives and introductory offers are permitted, but patients should be able to clearly understand what they are receiving. Terms and conditions must be clearly stated on or directly linked from the offer.

Likely breach

“Initial physiotherapy consultation only $49!” with no explanation of what is included.

Better wording

“Initial physiotherapy consultation $49 (normally $120). Includes history taking, assessment and treatment where clinically appropriate. Available to new patients only until 31 December 2026.”

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Patient success stories are not suitable for advertising (Section 133(1)(C))

Testimonials that refer to clinical aspects including symptoms, injuries, treatment experiences or patient outcomes cannot be used in any advertising controlled by the practitioner. This includes website testimonials, review widgets, screenshots of reviews and social media posts featuring patient feedback.
Reviews on third party platforms such as your Google Business Profile are allowed but you should be careful in how you respond to them.

Likely breach

★★★★★ “After months of shoulder pain, I was back at the gym within weeks thanks to the team.”

Better wording

Non-clinical reviews of your service (parking, friendliness, ease of booking) are acceptable.

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Be careful with promises about outcomes and recovery (Section 133(1)(D))

Advertising must not create unreasonable expectations about what treatment can achieve. Recovery timeframes, return-to-activity outcomes and treatment success can vary considerably between individuals.

Likely breach

“Get back on the field in half the time", “Guaranteed pain relief", or “Recover faster with our proven treatment system."

Better wording

"We provide individualised treatment and rehabilitation plans designed around your injury, goals and circumstances."

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Care should not be promoted where it is not clinically needed (Section 133(1)(E))

Advertising should present physiotherapy services in a balanced and responsible way. Statements that imply everyone needs treatment, suggest ongoing care is always necessary, or indicate that a person’s health will suffer if they don’t act urgently can raise concerns under the National Law. Information should help patients make informed decisions rather than encouraging treatment that may not be clinically appropriate.

Likely breach

“You should see a physiotherapist regularly, even if you are not experiencing pain or injury."

Better wording

"Physiotherapy may be beneficial for people experiencing pain, injury, movement difficulties or other physical concerns."

Free site audit

Find potential website compliance issues in minutes

Paste your website URL below. Our AI will review the page, assess it against the five rules above, identify wording that may require attention and suggest alternative rewrites for any content flagged.

Audit your physiotherapist website

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

Tailored to physiotherapists

The AI is specifically briefed on guidance from Ahpra and the Physiotherapy Board of Australia, helping it identify advertising risks commonly found on physiotherapy websites.

Review your website privately

Results are provided directly to you and are not reported to Ahpra or any regulator. The purpose of the tool is to help physiotherapy practices identify and address potential issues before they become a concern.

No legal advice

Where interpretation is unclear or a claim may be contentious, 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 Physiotherapy 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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We’ll review where your practice is today, where you want to go and what a structured, compliant approach could look like.

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