AHPRA Advertising Rules: What You Can and Cannot Say on Your Medical Practice Website

By Clare Burns, Narrative Digital

Your practice website is advertising. Every page. Every heading. Every meta description. Under Section 133 of the Health Practitioner Regulation National Law, it is regulated by AHPRA and subject to penalties of up to $60,000 per offence.

Most medical professionals do not know this. Most practice managers do not know this. And most web designers building medical practice websites have never read the rules.

Here is what you need to know.

Your Website Is Regulated Advertising

AHPRA defines advertising as "all forms of verbal, printed or electronic public communication that promotes a regulated health service provider." That includes your website, your social media pages, your Google Business Profile, your directory listings, and any content you publish online.

The Guidelines for Advertising a Regulated Health Service, published jointly by AHPRA and the 15 National Boards, set out what is and is not permitted. The underlying law is Section 133 of the National Law, which prohibits advertising that is:

False, misleading, or deceptive (or likely to be so)
Uses testimonials about the service
Creates an unreasonable expectation of beneficial treatment
Encourages the indiscriminate or unnecessary use of health services

The penalties were increased significantly in 2022. For individuals, the maximum fine is now $60,000 per offence. For body corporates, it is $120,000. A breach also constitutes unsatisfactory professional conduct, which can affect your registration.

Words That Could Cost You $60,000

Certain words and phrases are prohibited in advertising by registered health practitioners because they are considered misleading, unverifiable, or likely to create false expectations.

Never use these on your practice website:

"Expert" or "expertise" (unverifiable superlative)
"Best" as in "best surgeon" or "best outcomes" (comparative claim without evidence)
"Leading" as in "leading specialist" (comparative claim without evidence)
"Top" as in "top-rated" or "top surgeon" (unverifiable)
"World-class" or "world-renowned" (unverifiable)
"Guaranteed results" or "proven cure" (creates false expectations)
"No side effects" (misleading omission)
"Painless" (misleading about treatment experience)
"Quick and easy" or "walk-in, walk-out" (minimises actual recovery)
"Don't delay" or "Act now" (creates unnecessary urgency)

These terms appear on medical practice websites more often than you might expect. We have reviewed dozens of practice sites in NSW and most contain at least one of these terms.

What to say instead:

Instead of "expert in colorectal surgery", write "has extensive experience in colorectal surgery" or "fellowship-trained in colorectal surgery." Describe actual credentials, qualifications, and experience. These are verifiable facts, not marketing claims.

"Specialist" Is a Regulated Title

The word "specialist" has a specific legal meaning under AHPRA rules. You can only use it if the practitioner holds AHPRA specialist registration in that field.

A GP with a special interest in skin cancer cannot describe themselves as a "skin cancer specialist." A dentist performing orthodontics cannot call themselves an "orthodontic specialist" unless they hold specialist registration. A physiotherapist focused on sports injuries cannot advertise as a "sports injury specialist."

Safe alternatives:

"Has a practice focus on..."
"Has a special interest in..."
"Has substantial experience in..."

If you hold FRACS, FACS, or another recognised specialist fellowship and are registered as a specialist with AHPRA, you can use the term. If you are unsure, check the AHPRA register.

The Testimonial Ban Is Still in Force

As of April 2026, you cannot use patient testimonials that reference clinical outcomes on your practice website. This is one of the most commonly breached rules.

You cannot:

Embed Google reviews that mention treatment results ("Fixed my back pain", "Changed my life")
Display star ratings from review platforms on your website
Use patient quotes about outcomes
Share "success stories" referencing treatment results
Like, comment on, or repost clinical testimonials on your social media

You can:

Link to third-party review platforms (Doctify, Google, HealthShare) where you do not control the content
Use non-clinical feedback about your practice: "The clinic is clean and welcoming", "Booking was easy", "The staff were friendly and professional"

Many practices have a "Testimonials" or "Reviews" section on their website with embedded Google reviews. If those reviews mention anything clinical, the practice is in breach.

Every Procedure Page Needs Risk Information

If your website describes a treatment or procedure, it must include information about risks and potential complications. Listing only benefits without risks can be considered creating "an unreasonable expectation of beneficial treatment."

This does not mean you need a lengthy disclaimer on every page. It means you should present a balanced, accurate description of what a patient can expect, including realistic recovery times and common complications.

A good procedure page covers:

What the procedure involves
When it is recommended
What to expect during recovery
Potential risks and complications
Realistic outcomes (not best-case scenarios)

What a Compliant Website Looks Like

A well-built medical practice website can be both AHPRA-compliant and effective at attracting patients. In fact, the content AHPRA wants (balanced, evidence-based, educational) is exactly the content that ranks well on Google.

A compliant practice website typically includes:

Condition pages with factual, educational content about each condition treated
Procedure pages with balanced descriptions including risks and recovery
Practitioner bio stating verifiable qualifications, fellowships, and hospital appointments
Patient information pages (preparing for surgery, what to expect, referral information)
Blog or articles with educational health content (not promotional)
No embedded clinical testimonials (link to external review platforms instead)
No prohibited terms in any heading, title, meta description, or body text

How to Check Your Own Website

Run through this checklist:

Search your site for: expert, best, leading, top, guaranteed, proven, painless, world-class
Check whether "specialist" is used correctly (only with specialist registration)
Look for embedded reviews that mention treatment outcomes
Check that every procedure page includes risk information
Check that any pricing is complete and transparent (not just initial costs)
Check that any offers or discounts include full terms and conditions

If any of these checks fail, your site has a compliance issue that should be addressed.

We Can Help

At Narrative Digital, we build AHPRA-compliant websites for medical practices. Every page we write passes a mandatory compliance review against the AHPRA prohibited terms list, testimonial restrictions, and the Guidelines for Advertising a Regulated Health Service before it goes live.

If you are not sure whether your current website is compliant, we offer a free compliance review. We will assess your site against AHPRA requirements and provide a report of any issues found.

Clare Burns is the founder of Narrative Digital, a digital agency that builds AHPRA-compliant websites and content strategy for medical professionals. Based in NSW, Australia.