Xiaohongshu Pre-Publish Compliance Checklist

Why a three-minute check is worth it

Most creators pour their energy into titles, covers and copy, and overlook compliance. When a note breaches China's advertising rules or Xiaohongshu (RED) community guidelines, it may be restricted from recommendations, flagged for edits or removed — and repeated issues can affect the whole account.

Make a quick self-check a fixed step before every post. To be clear, this is about avoiding unnecessary risk, not a growth hack: reach depends on content quality, account standing, reader response and more, and platform rules change. Always defer to the latest community guidelines the platform publishes.

1. Absolute claims under advertising law

China's Advertising Law bans terms such as “national-level”, “highest grade” and “best” in advertising. Product recommendation notes can easily be treated as advertising, so steer clear of these categories entirely:

• Superlatives: most, best, strongest, cheapest, most effective, top-tier, ultimate.
• Rankings: number one, No.1, TOP 1, best-seller, #1 online.
• Authority claims: national-level, world-class, global first, exclusive, only.
• Guarantees: 100%, works for everything, permanent, zero risk, absolutely.

Swap absolute judgments for personal impressions and specifics. “The best sunscreen” becomes “my favorite of the ones I've tried”; “lowest price anywhere” becomes “I paid 89 yuan”. And note that homophones, pinyin initials or symbols used to disguise banned words don't make them safe.

2. Exaggerated benefits and health claims

Beauty, personal care, food and fitness content is where overclaiming happens most. Ordinary cosmetics and foods cannot claim to treat or prevent disease.

• Cosmetics: avoid medical terms like “cures acne”, “removes dark spots”, “regrows hair” or “anti-inflammatory”, and promises like “whiter in one week”.
• Food and supplements: don't claim they lower blood pressure, cure insomnia or “detox”, or imply they replace medication.
• Weight loss: skip specific-result promises such as “lose 10 kg in a month” or “slim down without trying”.
• Medical and aesthetic treatments: never give diagnoses or medication advice; be especially careful with clinics and cosmetic procedures.

When sharing personal results, add a note like “my own experience; results vary”. For health concerns, point readers to a doctor rather than presenting a product as the answer.

3. Off-platform funneling

The platform closely manages attempts to move users elsewhere. Any of the following in your title, cover, body or comments can be treated as a violation:

• WeChat IDs, phone numbers, QQ numbers, emails, QR codes or external links.
• Disguised contact details using homophones or symbols — for example, writing “V” in place of WeChat.
• Hints at private deals, such as “DM me for the file” or “surprise on my profile”.
• Sending people to other platforms to buy or ask questions.

If you have a genuine commercial need, use the platform's official tools and partnership channels.

4. Label AI-generated content

China's Measures for Labeling AI-Generated and Synthetic Content took effect on September 1, 2025, and Xiaohongshu asks creators to declare AI-generated or synthesized content. When AI tools help with your posts:

• Use the platform's AI-content declaration option when publishing; don't hide it.
• Never pass off AI images as real photos, especially product results or before-and-after shots.
• Don't use AI to fabricate the likeness or voice of real people.
• Review AI-drafted text line by line, remove anything inaccurate and add your own real experience.

5. Authenticity — and no fake engagement

Xiaohongshu's community value rests on genuine sharing. Sponsored or not, hold to these principles:

• Only say “tested” if you tested it. Don't invent usage time, results or experience details.
• Disclose partnerships properly. Register and label sponsored posts through the platform's official channels; never disguise ads as personal posts.
• Don't buy numbers. No purchased followers, likes, saves or comments, and no engagement-swap groups.
• No unfair comparisons. Don't trash competitors or cite made-up data.

Bought engagement is easy for platforms to detect and penalize, and it hides how your content actually performs, so you can't learn from it. Put that money and energy into real content instead — that's what compounds over time.

The one-minute pre-publish checklist

Run through these before every post:

• No absolute terms like “best”, “No.1”, “national-level” or “100%” in the title, cover or body.
• No treatment or guaranteed-result claims; health-related content notes that results vary.
• No contact details, QR codes, outside links or disguised versions of them.
• Any AI-generated content is declared as the platform requires.
• Everything labeled as personal experience is real; partnerships are registered and labeled.
• Hashtags match the content; no unrelated trending tags.
• The cover matches the note, with no exaggerated before-and-after imagery.

Compliance isn't a limit on good content — it's the foundation that lets trust build steadily over time.

Velpora can help you draft titles, copy and covers faster, but AI-generated drafts need the same check against this list. Compliance decisions, and responsibility for what you publish, remain yours.