Terms of Service

Last updated: March 04, 2026

1. Agreement to Terms

By accessing or using SpotEngine ("Service," "Platform," "we," "us," or "our"), you agree to be bound by these Terms of Service ("Terms"). If you do not agree to these Terms, do not use the Service.

These Terms constitute a legally binding agreement between you and SpotEngine. Please read them carefully.

2. Description of Service

SpotEngine is an advertising marketplace that connects website publishers ("Publishers") with advertisers ("Advertisers"). Publishers create ad placements on their websites, set pricing, and approve or reject ads. Advertisers purchase placements and provide ad creatives.

SpotEngine provides the platform infrastructure, payment processing, and ad delivery widget. We do not create, endorse, or control the content of ads or the websites on which they appear.

3. Platform Role

SpotEngine acts solely as an intermediary platform connecting Publishers and Advertisers. We are not a party to any transaction between Publishers and Advertisers. We do not guarantee any outcomes, results, or performance.

The relationship between Publishers and Advertisers is directly between those parties. SpotEngine is not responsible for disputes between Publishers and Advertisers, the quality or performance of ads, the content or operation of Publisher websites, or any agreements made outside the Platform.

4. Eligibility and Accounts

Age Requirement

You must be at least 18 years old to use SpotEngine. By using the Service, you represent that you are at least 18 years of age.

Account Registration

You must create an account to use SpotEngine. You agree to provide accurate, current, and complete information during registration and to update this information to keep it accurate.

Account Security

You are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of your account credentials and for all activities that occur under your account. You must immediately notify us at [email protected] if you suspect unauthorized access to your account.

We are not liable for any loss or damage arising from unauthorized use of your account.

5. Publisher Terms

Website Ownership

By registering a website on SpotEngine, you represent and warrant that you own the website or have full authorization from the owner to monetize it with advertising.

Publisher Responsibilities

Publishers agree to:

  • Review and approve or reject all ads before they appear on their website
  • Properly install and maintain the SpotEngine widget on their website
  • Ensure their website complies with all applicable laws and regulations
  • Not engage in any activity that artificially inflates impressions or clicks
  • Provide accurate information about their website's traffic, audience, and content
  • Comply with FTC guidelines by clearly disclosing sponsored content where required

Ad Approval

Publishers have full discretion to approve or reject any ad for any reason. Rejected ads result in a full refund to the Advertiser. Once approved, Publishers may not remove or hide ads before the paid period ends without cause.

Publisher Payments

Publishers receive payments through Stripe Connect. You must provide accurate banking and tax information. Payments are subject to Stripe's terms and processing times. SpotEngine is not responsible for payment delays caused by Stripe, your bank, or incorrect information you provide.

You are responsible for all taxes on income received through SpotEngine.

6. Advertiser Terms

Ad Content Ownership

By submitting ads, you represent and warrant that you own or have all necessary rights, licenses, and permissions to use all content in your ads, including images, text, logos, and trademarks.

Advertiser Responsibilities

Advertisers agree to:

  • Submit only truthful, non-misleading advertisements
  • Ensure ads comply with all applicable laws, including FTC advertising guidelines
  • Maintain functional destination URLs that accurately represent the advertised product or service
  • Not engage in click fraud, artificial engagement, or any deceptive practices
  • Comply with the advertising policies of the jurisdictions where ads are displayed

Ad Specifications

Ads must meet the format and size requirements specified for each ad placement. We reserve the right to reject ads that do not meet technical specifications.

Advertiser Payments and Refunds

Payment is collected when you submit an ad purchase. If a Publisher rejects your ad, you will receive a full refund to your original payment method. Refunds are typically processed within 5-10 business days.

Once an ad is approved by a Publisher, purchases are non-refundable except in cases of Platform error or at the Publisher's sole discretion.

You are responsible for all chargebacks initiated on your payment method. Accounts with excessive chargebacks may be suspended or terminated.

7. Prohibited Content

The following content is prohibited on SpotEngine:

  • Illegal products, services, or activities
  • Adult, sexually explicit, or pornographic content
  • Hate speech, harassment, discrimination, or violence
  • Malware, spyware, phishing, or deceptive software
  • Counterfeit goods or intellectual property infringement
  • Unsubstantiated health, medical, or miracle claims
  • Weapons, ammunition, or explosives
  • Illegal drugs or controlled substances
  • Tobacco, vaping, or related products
  • Gambling, betting, or casino services (unless legally licensed)
  • Cryptocurrency, NFTs, or unregistered securities offerings
  • Multi-level marketing or pyramid schemes
  • Payday loans or predatory financial products
  • Political campaign advertising
  • Misleading or fake news content
  • Content that exploits minors in any way

We reserve the right to remove any content and suspend or terminate accounts that violate these prohibitions, without refund.

8. Invalid Activity

"Invalid Activity" includes any clicks, impressions, or engagement that is artificial, fraudulent, or not generated by genuine user interest. This includes but is not limited to: automated clicking or bots, incentivized clicking, repeated clicking by the same user, publisher self-clicking, and any method intended to artificially inflate metrics.

We reserve the right to investigate suspected Invalid Activity, withhold payment for Invalid Activity, suspend or terminate accounts engaged in Invalid Activity, and pursue legal action for fraud.

While we implement measures to detect Invalid Activity, we do not guarantee detection of all fraudulent activity.

9. No Guarantee of Results

SpotEngine does not guarantee any specific results from using the Platform, including but not limited to:

  • Number of impressions or clicks
  • Conversion rates or sales
  • Revenue or income amounts
  • Advertiser interest or ad purchases
  • Traffic quality or audience demographics

Advertising results depend on many factors outside our control. Past performance does not guarantee future results.

10. Fees and Billing

Subscription Fees

SpotEngine is free to use until your first approved ad sale. After your first sale is approved, a monthly subscription fee applies. Current pricing is displayed on our website.

Subscriptions are billed monthly in advance. Your subscription will automatically renew each month until cancelled.

Price Changes

We may change subscription pricing with at least 30 days notice. Continued use after a price change constitutes acceptance of the new pricing.

Failed Payments

If a subscription payment fails, we may retry the payment, suspend your account until payment is received, or terminate your account after repeated failures.

Taxes

All fees are exclusive of taxes. You are responsible for paying any applicable taxes on your purchases and income.

11. Intellectual Property

Your Content

You retain ownership of content you upload to SpotEngine. By uploading content, you grant us a worldwide, non-exclusive, royalty-free license to use, display, reproduce, and distribute your content as necessary to operate and promote the Service.

SpotEngine Property

The SpotEngine name, logo, website, widget, and all associated intellectual property are owned by SpotEngine. You may not use our trademarks without written permission.

Copyright Complaints (DMCA)

If you believe content on SpotEngine infringes your copyright, please send a notice to [email protected] containing:

  • Identification of the copyrighted work claimed to be infringed
  • Identification of the allegedly infringing material and its location
  • Your contact information
  • A statement that you have a good faith belief the use is not authorized
  • A statement, under penalty of perjury, that your notice is accurate and you are the copyright owner or authorized to act on their behalf
  • Your physical or electronic signature

We will respond to valid DMCA notices by removing or disabling access to the allegedly infringing material. Repeat infringers may have their accounts terminated.

12. Third-Party Services

SpotEngine integrates with third-party services, including Stripe for payment processing. Your use of these services is subject to their respective terms and privacy policies.

We are not responsible for the availability, accuracy, or performance of third-party services. If a third-party service experiences issues, we will work to resolve them but are not liable for any resulting damages or losses.

13. Indemnification

You agree to indemnify, defend, and hold harmless SpotEngine and its officers, directors, employees, and agents from any claims, damages, losses, liabilities, and expenses (including reasonable attorneys' fees) arising from:

  • Your use of the Service
  • Content you submit or display through the Service
  • Your violation of these Terms
  • Your violation of any rights of another party
  • Your violation of any applicable law or regulation

14. Disclaimer of Warranties

THE SERVICE IS PROVIDED "AS IS" AND "AS AVAILABLE" WITHOUT WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, NON-INFRINGEMENT, OR ACCURACY.

We do not warrant that the Service will be uninterrupted, secure, or error-free, that defects will be corrected, or that the Service or servers are free of viruses or harmful components.

15. Limitation of Liability

TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW, SPOTENGINE SHALL NOT BE LIABLE FOR ANY INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES, OR ANY LOSS OF PROFITS, REVENUE, DATA, OR USE, ARISING FROM YOUR USE OF THE SERVICE.

IN NO EVENT SHALL OUR TOTAL LIABILITY EXCEED THE GREATER OF (A) THE AMOUNTS YOU PAID TO SPOTENGINE IN THE TWELVE MONTHS PRIOR TO THE CLAIM, OR (B) ONE HUNDRED DOLLARS ($100).

SOME JURISDICTIONS DO NOT ALLOW LIMITATION OF LIABILITY FOR CERTAIN DAMAGES, SO SOME OF THESE LIMITATIONS MAY NOT APPLY TO YOU.

16. Termination

Termination by You

You may close your account at any time through your account settings or by contacting us. Closing your account does not entitle you to a refund of any fees paid.

Termination by Us

We may suspend or terminate your account immediately, without notice, if you violate these Terms, engage in fraudulent or illegal activity, pose a risk to other users or our systems, or fail to pay fees when due.

Effect of Termination

Upon termination, your right to use the Service ends immediately. We may delete your account data after a reasonable period. Provisions that by their nature should survive termination (including indemnification, limitation of liability, and dispute resolution) will remain in effect.

17. Modifications to Service

We reserve the right to modify, suspend, or discontinue any part of the Service at any time, with or without notice. We are not liable for any modification, suspension, or discontinuation of the Service.

18. Changes to Terms

We may update these Terms from time to time. If we make material changes, we will notify you by email or by posting a prominent notice on the Platform at least 30 days before the changes take effect.

Your continued use of the Service after changes become effective constitutes acceptance of the new Terms. If you do not agree to the new Terms, you must stop using the Service.

19. Dispute Resolution

Before filing any claim, you agree to first contact us at [email protected] and attempt to resolve the dispute informally for at least 30 days.

If informal resolution fails, any dispute arising from these Terms or the Service shall be resolved through binding arbitration administered by the American Arbitration Association under its Commercial Arbitration Rules, except that either party may seek injunctive relief in court.

Class Action Waiver: You agree that any dispute resolution will be conducted only on an individual basis and not as a class, consolidated, or representative action.

20. Governing Law

These Terms are governed by the laws of the State of Washington, United States, without regard to conflict of law principles. For any claims not subject to arbitration, you consent to the exclusive jurisdiction of the state and federal courts located in Washington State.

21. General Provisions

Entire Agreement

These Terms, together with our Privacy Policy, constitute the entire agreement between you and SpotEngine regarding the Service.

Severability

If any provision of these Terms is found to be unenforceable, the remaining provisions will continue in full force and effect.

Waiver

Our failure to enforce any right or provision of these Terms does not constitute a waiver of that right or provision.

Assignment

You may not assign or transfer these Terms or your rights under them without our prior written consent. We may assign our rights and obligations without restriction.

Force Majeure

We are not liable for any failure or delay in performance due to causes beyond our reasonable control, including natural disasters, war, terrorism, labor disputes, government actions, or internet or infrastructure failures.

Notices

We may send you notices via email to the address associated with your account. You are responsible for keeping your email address current.