Clinics · 7 min read
What Ahpra's advertising rules mean for your clinic website
By the iListen team · Published 25 October 2026
Quick answer
Your clinic website counts as advertising under the National Law. That means no testimonials about clinical results, no lines that promise outcomes, no unprovable "best" or "#1" claims, clear terms on any offer, and titles that don't overstate qualifications. Most problems are old copy nobody has re-read.
Most clinic websites that break Ahpra's advertising rules don't do it on purpose. The problem is usually a line written years ago by an agency or a template, that nobody has read since. Here's what to look for, in plain English.
1. Does Ahpra treat my website as advertising?
Yes. Section 133 of the Health Practitioner Regulation National Law covers any advertising of a regulated health service. That includes your website, your social media, your Google Business Profile and anything else you publish or control.
It also covers copy someone else wrote for you. If an old agency or a template filled your site with marketing lines, you are still responsible for them.
2. Can I show patient reviews or testimonials?
Not about the clinical side of your service. Ahpra describes testimonials as recommendations or positive statements about the clinical aspects of a regulated health service, and the National Law doesn't allow them in your advertising. "My back pain was gone after two visits" is a clinical testimonial.
Comments about non-clinical things, like friendly reception staff or easy parking, are a different matter. Reviews that patients post on Google themselves aren't your advertising either, as long as you don't copy them onto your site or share them.
The fix: remove review widgets and "what our patients say" sections that talk about results. Let Google reviews stay on Google.
3. What claims about results are risky?
Advertising must not create an unreasonable expectation of beneficial treatment. Lines that promise or imply an outcome are the most common problem on clinic websites:
- "Become pain-free" or "live a pain-free life"
- "Fix your back in three sessions"
- "Guaranteed results" or "consistently positive outcomes"
The fix: describe what you do and what a visit involves, not what will happen. "We assess the cause of your back pain and give you a plan you can follow at home" says plenty without promising a result.
4. Can I say we're the best or the number one clinic?
Be very careful. Words like "best", "#1", "leading", "the finest" or "the most experienced", and comparisons with other practitioners, are likely to mislead unless you can objectively prove them. They also add nothing a patient can check.
The fix: swap superlatives for facts. "Treating patients in Newtown since 2009" is both safe and more convincing than "the most experienced clinic in town".
5. What titles and qualifications can I use?
Words like "specialist", "specialises in" or "specialised" suggest a practitioner holds specialist registration. Ahpra's guidance is that using them without that registration is likely to mislead. Phrases like "substantial experience in" or "working primarily in" are less likely to be a problem.
If practitioners who aren't medical doctors use "Dr", make the profession clear straight after the name, for example "Dr Jane Smith (Osteopath)". Accurate, factual qualifications, and where they were earned, are fine.
6. Can I advertise discounts or offers?
Yes, but any gift, discount or other inducement must state its terms and conditions clearly in the same ad. Avoid offers that push people to book more treatment than they need, such as large discounted packs of sessions.
A 15-minute check you can do today
Open your website on your phone and read every page as if you were a new patient. Look for:
- Any review, quote or "success story" that mentions results
- Words like "pain-free", "guaranteed", "cure", "fix" or "fast relief"
- "Best", "#1", "leading", "finest" or "most experienced"
- "Specialist" or "specialises in", and any "Dr" without a profession next to it
- Offers without clear terms and conditions
Then do the same for your Google Business Profile description and your most recent social posts.
Common questions
Do Ahpra's advertising rules apply to my Google Business Profile?
Yes, for the parts you control, such as your business description, posts and photos. Reviews patients write themselves are not your advertising unless you republish or share them.
What happens if my website breaks the rules?
Ahpra looks at each complaint on its risk and who controls the advertising. In most cases practitioners are asked to correct their advertising, and most physiotherapy matters closed in 2024–25 were resolved once the advertising was fixed.
Who is responsible if an agency wrote my website?
You are. Practitioners are responsible for advertising about their services, even if someone else wrote or published it, so it is worth re-reading copy you inherited.
This is general information, not legal advice. For the full rules, see Ahpra's Advertising hub and its guidance on titles in health advertising, or ask your professional association or insurer.
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