The Information and Broadcasting Ministry has framed guidelines and criteria for empanelment of agencies and rate fixation for advertisements on websites in a bid to streamline the government's online outreach.

The guidelines aim to ensure that the visibility of government advertisements online increases by strategically placing these on websites having higher unique users per month, a statement saidin New Delhi .

According to the norms, websites which are owned and operated by companies that are incorporated in India will be considered for empanelment by Directorate of Advertising and Visual Publicity (DAVP).

However, websites owned by foreign companies can be empanelled if such firms have branch offices which are registered and operating in India for at least one year. The policy stipulates eligibility criteria for websites to get empanelled with DAVP which includes unique users per month data, which shall be cross-checked and verified by internationally accepted and credible third party tool that monitors website traffic in India, the statement added.

The policy requires that the websites shall run the government ads through a third party Ad Server (3-PAS) engaged by DAVP for providing all relevant reports linked with online billing and will be used for verification of bills for payment.

The unique user data of each empanelled website will be reviewed in first week of April every year. The guidelines categorises the unique user per month data of the websites into three categories with A category having 5 million and more unique users per month.

Category B would have 2 million to 5 million unique users per month while category C 0.25 million to 2 million unique users per month.

Key features of the policy guidelines include different rates for different ad properties like standard banners on cost per thousand impressions basis and a minimum click-through rate of 0.30, video ads per five second videos, fixed banner on home page with minimum display size of 300x250 pixels in a time frame on six-hour slots (6 am-12 noon, 12 noon to 6 pm, 6 pm to 12 midnight and 12 midnight to 6 am) and fixed video ads for 24 hour time slots on home page, the statement said.

The policy emphasises that DAVP shall be the nodal agency for all central government ministries or departments for advertising through DAVP empanelled Internet websites.

However, autonomous bodies or PSUs can directly release advertisements but at DAVP rates and to agencies empanelled with DAVP.