How to Protect Your Brand on Baidu PPC: A Complete Guide

If your brand is well-known in your industry, here is a scenario you have probably faced: competitors are bidding on your brand terms and using your brand name in their ad copy. Your first instinct might be to assume there is nothing you can do — or that Baidu works exactly like Google on brand protection.

Neither assumption is correct. Baidu does offer brand protection, but the rules are different. This guide covers what you can and cannot protect, the documents you need, how long it takes, and how to avoid common delays.

"Baidu's brand protection program lets you stop competitors from using your trademark in ad copy, but it does not prevent them from bidding on your brand keywords. Understanding this distinction is the first step toward a realistic protection strategy."

⚡ The Core Difference: Brand Protection vs. Brand Bidding

Here is the main thing about brand management on Baidu: you can stop competitors from using your brand name in their ad text, but you cannot stop them from bidding on your brand keywords.

On Google, trademark holders can restrict both ad copy usage and keyword bidding through the Google Ads Trademark Policy. Baidu separates these two protections. You get one, not both. Competitors can still trigger their ads when users search for your brand — they just cannot display your brand name in the ad itself.

📋 What You Actually Get

Once Baidu approves your brand protection application, these rules apply to every advertiser on the platform:

• No brand name in ad titles — Competitors cannot use your registered brand as the headline of their ads
• No brand name in ad descriptions — The brand term is blocked from the body text of competitor ads
• No brand name in display URLs — Competitors cannot create display URLs that include your brand term
• Enforcement across all ad formats — Protection applies to text ads, dynamic ads, and product listing ads

📅 The Complete Brand Protection Process

Step 1: Gather Required Documents

The documentation package is the most time-consuming part of the process. Getting it right the first time saves weeks of back-and-forth with Baidu's review team.

Step 2: Submit the Application

You can obtain the Brand Protection Application Form directly from Baidu. Fill it out, attach all supporting documents, and submit through Baidu's official brand protection channel. The application form itself is straightforward — it asks for basic company information, trademark registration details, and the brand terms you want protected.

Alternatively, you can work with an authorized agency that handles Baidu advertising accounts. Agencies familiar with the process can prepare the document package on your behalf and often catch issues before submission, cutting down on rejection-related delays.

Step 3: Review and Approval

Once submitted, Baidu reviews the application against their brand protection guidelines. If everything is in order, the process takes up to one month from submission to approval. If documents are missing, stamps are incorrect, or the handwritten annotation is missing, the review resets after corrections.

Step 4: Activation

After Baidu approves your application, the brand protection takes effect 7 business days after approval. During this window, Baidu pushes the protection rules across their ad delivery systems. After the 7-day period, your brand is officially protected — no competitor can use your registered brand terms in their ad copy on Baidu.

💼 How an Agency Changes the Timeline

For brands managing their own Baidu presence, the brand protection process can feel slow. The document gathering alone takes time, especially if your trademark is registered outside of China and needs to be verified against CNIPA (China National Intellectual Property Administration) records.

Agencies that specialize in Baidu advertising can speed this up in several ways:

• Document templates — Pre-prepared application forms and authorization letters that meet Baidu's format requirements
• Submission guidance — Knowing exactly which documents need stamps and handwritten annotations avoids first-round rejections
• Direct communication — Established agencies often have direct contacts at Baidu for application status follow-ups
• Ongoing monitoring — After protection is active, agencies can monitor for violations and file takedown requests when competitors attempt to circumvent the rules

🔓 What Happens After Protection Is Active

Once the 7-day activation period passes, Baidu's system automatically scans all ads for your protected brand terms. If an ad contains the brand name in its title, description, or display URL, that ad will be rejected or paused until the advertiser removes the brand term.

Competitors can still bid on your brand keywords. Their ads will still show when users search for your brand. But the ad itself will not contain your brand name, which cuts down on the confusion that happens when someone sees a competitor's ad dressed up like your brand.