Software vs services
| You sell | Policy position (v1.6) |
|---|---|
| Contract management, e-discovery, practice management software | Not named; usually treated as a digital product |
| Legal advice or representation | US only, licensed advertisers; prohibited elsewhere |
| Legal education with no services offered | Allowed |
Buyer questions that work
- "Contract management software for an in-house team of five lawyers"
- "Practice management for a 30-lawyer firm in the UK"
- "How to speed up NDA review"
Copy rules
- Describe what the software does, not legal outcomes.
- Avoid "we'll make sure you're compliant".
- Point to features, integrations and security.
AI visibility
Law firms and in-house teams ask AI to compare tools and explain processes. A product facts page and an honest comparison page help in both.
Copy examples (fictional)
| Avoid | Prefer |
|---|---|
| "Stay compliant with every contract law" | "Track renewal dates and obligations across 2,000 contracts" |
| "Our software gives you legal certainty" | "Clause library with approved language your team maintains" |
Questions
Can law firms use AI ads to win clients?
Legal services ads are allowed only in the US, for licensed advertisers, and prohibited elsewhere under policy v1.6.
Do lawyers use AI to choose software?
Increasingly, especially for research and comparisons. Organic visibility matters as much as ads.
What pages help most?
Security and confidentiality pages, integrations with document management, and clear pricing.
The line between software and advice
Legal tech marketing often drifts into promises about legal outcomes: compliance guaranteed, risk eliminated. In ads, that language can make software look like legal services, which OpenAI's policy restricts. It also overstates what software does. Describe what the product does and leave legal judgements to lawyers.
Buyer questions worth tracking
- "Contract management for an in-house team at a 500-person company"
- "Document automation for UK law firms"
- "E-discovery tools for mid-size litigation teams"
Track them in both the US and UK if you sell in both: legal systems and vocabulary differ.
Proof that works
Security certifications, integration with document management systems, adoption by named firms (with permission) and clear pricing. Legal buyers are careful; give them facts they can check.
Start here: AI ads for SaaS and tech. More articles in Industry playbooks.