NMC Advertising Guidelines 2026: What Doctors Can and Can't Put on Their Website
On 6 October 2026, the National Medical Commission (NMC) released its Guidelines on Ethical Advertising and Public Communication, effective immediately. In short: doctors and hospitals can publish factual, verifiable information on their websites (who you are, your qualifications, services, facilities, location, timings and fees), but patient testimonials, before-and-after photos, "best doctor" claims, discounts and AI-generated promotional content are now clearly off-limits.
If you run a clinic or hospital in Surat or anywhere in India, your website and social media likely need a review. This guide explains what changed, what to remove, and how to keep getting found on Google without breaking the rules.
This is a plain-English summary for website planning, not legal advice. Read the official notice on the NMC website and check with your State Medical Council if you are unsure about anything.
Who the guidelines apply to
According to the notice, as reported by Medical Dialogues, they cover:
- Registered Medical Practitioners (RMPs): advertising, publicity, digital communication and promotion
- Hospitals and medical institutions: also governed by the Clinical Establishments Act or the applicable state law
- Healthcare platforms that list doctors: no paid doctor rankings, and listings must be transparent
One important point: using an agency, platform or influencer doesn't move the responsibility. Anyone who authorises, sponsors or knowingly allows the content remains accountable. So if your web designer or social media agency adds something non-compliant, it is still your problem.
Dentists are regulated by the Dental Council of India rather than the NMC, but the same principles of factual, non-misleading communication are a sensible standard for dental clinic websites too.
What your website can show
Based on the guidelines, these are generally fine when they are factual and verifiable:
- Clinic or hospital name, address, map, phone and timings
- Doctors' names, qualifications, specialities and registration details
- Departments, services and facilities
- Emergency services and accreditations
- Consultation fees, stated plainly
- Announcements: starting a practice, a new address, a temporary absence or resumption
- Health education content that doesn't promote your practice or solicit patients
- A doctor directory on a hospital website that exists to inform patients
What to remove from your website now
These are the items most clinic websites we see in Surat will need to change:
| Remove | Why |
|---|---|
| Patient testimonials and video reviews | Testimonials and endorsements are prohibited |
| Before-and-after photos | Prohibited, except anonymised cases for scientific or educational use with consent |
| "Best doctor in Surat", "No. 1", "100% success" | Unverifiable superiority claims are prohibited |
| Discounts, free check-up camps used to attract patients, cashback | Inducements are prohibited |
| Doctor photos used for self-promotion | Photographs for self-promotion are restricted |
| AI-generated promotional images or text | AI content for commercial promotion is prohibited; allowed AI content must be labelled |
| Fear-based messages ("Don't wait until it's too late") | Fear-based marketing is prohibited |
| Paid ranking badges or "featured" listings | Paid rankings and fake engagement are prohibited |
The guidelines also mention fake reviews, fake followers and manipulating search rankings as prohibited. Genuine Google reviews that patients leave on their own are a different matter from you publishing testimonials on your website, but never buy, write or incentivise reviews.
What happens if you don't comply
The notice sets out graded penalties for doctors, from a warning and ethics training for a first violation, through censure and a monetary penalty, to suspension of registration for repeated or serious violations. Hospitals are dealt with under state clinical establishment laws. That's a real risk for a marketing claim that probably wasn't bringing in many patients anyway.
How to stay visible on Google without breaking the rules
The good news: the things that actually bring patients through Google are mostly factual information, which the guidelines allow.
1. Make your Google Business Profile complete and accurate
When someone searches "dentist near me" or "skin specialist in Vesu", the map results come from Google Business Profiles. Accurate categories, services, timings, address and real photos of your clinic (not of patients) are all factual. Our guide to why a business doesn't show on Google Maps covers the common problems.
2. Give each service its own factual page
A page for each treatment or speciality, explaining what it is, who it is for, how the procedure works, what to expect and common questions. This is patient information, and it is also exactly what Google needs to show you for treatment searches.
3. Show credentials, not claims
Replace "best" and "leading" with facts: qualifications, years in practice, registration numbers, memberships and facilities. Facts persuade patients more than adjectives anyway.
4. Make booking easy
A clear phone number with a direct call option, a simple appointment form, timings and a map. Removing friction is allowed; it isn't advertising.
5. Publish genuine health education
Articles that explain conditions and answer common questions are permitted when they don't solicit patients. They help patients and help Google understand your expertise.
6. Be careful with privacy
Any patient information must follow the IT Act and the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023. Don't put patient details into forms or tools you haven't checked.
A quick compliance checklist for your clinic website
- No patient testimonials, reviews widgets showing patient quotes, or video reviews on the site
- No before-and-after galleries
- No "best", "No. 1", "guaranteed" or "100%" claims
- No discounts, offers or free camps used to attract patients
- No AI-generated promotional images or text; any allowed AI content is labelled
- Doctor details are factual: qualifications, specialities, registration
- Fees, if shown, are stated plainly
- Privacy policy covers how patient data from forms is handled
- Social media and Google Business Profile posts follow the same rules
FAQ
Can I still have a website for my clinic? Yes. The guidelines are about what you say and show, not whether you can have a website. Factual information is allowed.
Can I show my photo on my clinic website? Photographs used for self-promotion are restricted. A factual doctor directory that exists to inform patients is treated differently from promotion. If you're unsure, check with your State Medical Council.
Are Google reviews allowed? The guidelines prohibit fake reviews and manipulating ratings. Patients leaving genuine reviews on Google is different from you publishing testimonials, but don't offer anything in return for reviews.
Can I mention my fees? Yes. The notice lists publicly declared consultation fees among permitted communications.
Do these rules apply to my Instagram page too? Yes. They cover digital communication and social media, not just websites.
Want your clinic website checked?
We build websites for doctors and dental clinics, including a clinic that went from 25 to 58 patients a day after launch, and we're reviewing clinic sites against the new guidelines. See our websites for dentists, or message us on WhatsApp at +91 9099245605 for a free website audit.