AdSense policy FAQs

The purpose of AdSense policy is to keep Google's Display and Search networks safe and clean for our advertisers, users and publishers. To understand why we need policies and the role that they play in the ads eco-system you can watch this video. We hope that all publishers participating in AdSense have a long and successful partnership with Google. For that to happen, it’s important that you familiarise yourself with the AdSense Programme policies. It’s also important to make sure that visitors to your pages are not misled, and you avoid any deceptive implementation that may bring accidental clicks. For more details, visit the ad implementation policies.

Jump to:

• Part 1: Ad implementation
• Part 2: Mobile-related
• Part 3: Deductions from earnings FAQs
• Part 4: Requests for reviews and violation reporting
• Part 5: More resources

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Part 1: Ad implementation

Is it a violation if my ads display above the fold?

Displaying ads above the fold is not a violation as long as there is enough content above the fold for the users to read. We don't allow page layouts that push all content below the fold so that the only visible content is ads. Implementations like this make it hard for users to distinguish between content and Google ads.

When blending ads to look compatible with my site, how do I make sure that the ads don’t mimic the format of the content without having gaudy ads?

When you implement ads, please always think about your users and consider whether, if you were a user coming to the page for the first time, you would be able to distinguish the ads from the content. You can choose the appropriate ad size, colour and background to match the design of your page, but never try to format the ads in such a way that makes them indistinguishable from the other content on the page where they appear. And please always keep a proper distance between ads and content to avoid accruing accidental clicks.

What labels are allowed above ads?

We don't allow publishers to mislead users in any way. The only labels that we allow to be put above ads are 'sponsored links' or 'advertisements'.

Could I put ads under a 'download' link or button?

Putting ads around a 'download' button may mislead users into thinking that the ads are the download links. So please always keep your ads far away from 'download' links and make 'download' buttons readily seen.

Is it violating programme policy if I place ads on iframe pages in my site or app?

Yes, it does violate our policies. Firstly, you’re not allowed to place ads in a frame within another page. Secondly, you’re not allowed to put ads in your software, e.g. if you control both a page with ads and an app that loads that page, we will take action against it

Part 2: Mobile-related

Which ad code should I put on web apps (app embedding web): AdMob or AdSense?

You can monetise with AdSense ads in your app, provided you follow one of the supported web content viewing frame options described in the Technical requirements for web content viewing frames for apps and all other relevant policies. For more details about AdMob policy, refer to the AdMob Help Centre.

Part 3: Deductions from earnings FAQs

Your earnings may include deductions for various reasons. Google may adjust your earnings if it detects invalid click activity in your account or ad implementations that are not in compliance with AdSense policy. We encourage you to review the policy and traffic quality guidelines to learn more.

Why were my earnings deducted?

Your earnings were deducted either for invalid click activity or for activity that was not in compliance with Google policies. Google periodically reviews publisher accounts for such activity. When we find such activity in your account, we adjust your earnings and reimburse the advertisers who paid for these clicks.

I’d like to appeal the deduction. Can I do so?

Unfortunately you can't appeal the deduction. Please be assured that we have applied due diligence in reviewing the traffic in your account. As mentioned, a deduction is issued only when we find invalid clicks in your account or when we find activity that's not in compliance with Google policy.

I noticed that my finalised earnings are different from my estimated earnings. Why would I receive an additional deduction?

The estimated earnings in your account give you a close estimate of recent account activity as and when traffic is accrued in your account. The finalised earnings, on the other hand, include all revenue that you'll be paid for validated clicks and impressions. On some occasions, Google may notice that activity you've already been paid for is invalid or not in compliance with Google policy. In such cases, Google posts an adjustment to your account in the form of a deduction. Find out more about understanding your AdSense earnings better or the difference between estimated and finalised earnings.

What was the date range for this deduction?

We're unable to provide the date range for which your adjustment was issued. Note that as per our Terms and Conditions, we credit advertisers for invalid traffic accrued 60 days prior to the date of invoice. Once we complete our investigation and begin processing the credits, it may take up to 30 days for the credits to appear in your account.

Can I get more details on the deduction?

To maintain the integrity of our invalid activity detection system and to prevent users from circumventing the system, we are unable to provide details about what activity we noticed in your account.

How can I prevent this from happening again?

We encourage publishers to continuously monitor their AdSense accounts for potential signs of invalid click activity. It's important for you to know where your traffic comes from. We understand the need to have ad campaigns to promote your page, but it's equally important to monitor what kind of traffic these promotions generate. To do this successfully we recommend monitoring the traffic driven to your page using a web analytics tool like Google Analytics. You can also try segmenting your traffic into channels and monitoring the traffic from these channels.

What should I do if I suspect invalid activity?

If you notice any suspicious activity in your account, you can notify us using our invalid clicks form. Please share as detailed information as possible via the form. Note that we'll keep this information in our records, but we may not respond unless we find a significant issue with your account.

Part 4: Requests for reviews and violation reporting

I removed the violation from the example page that you sent to me in the site-disabling notification email. Why is ad serving still disabled to my site?

It’s likely that while you removed the violation from the example page that we provided, similar violations are still existent throughout your site. Note that the URL we provide in the notification email is just an example and the same violations may exist on other pages of this site. We recommend that you take the time to review the rest of your site to ensure that it’s in compliance with our policies. After you fix all the violations on your site, you can request a review via the Policy centre in your AdSense account or the Help Centre.

My ads are not showing on my page or site. How can I fix the problem?

You can use the Ads not showing troubleshooter to help you troubleshoot common issues on your page or site.

How do I contact the Adsense team if I receive a policy notification?

You don't need to contact us if you’ve received a warning. You should take action on the warning ensuring that you remove all the violations throughout your site. If ads have been disabled on your page or site then you can contact us through a review request form. Before you contact us, please fix the problem first. We strongly recommend that you read the related policies in our Help Centre to help you understand the current violation. To request a review, use the Violation review request troubleshooter, and then go through the steps to find the right review request form.

My account got disabled and my appeal was denied. Is there any way I can start again?

As you may know, Google takes issues regarding programme policy compliance very seriously. Our programme policies are in place to help ensure a positive experience for our publishers, their page visitors and our advertisers. As such, our decisions are usually final.

If you feel that this decision was made in error, and if you can maintain in good faith that the policy violations accrued were not due to the actions or negligence of you or those for whom you are responsible, you may appeal the disabling of your account. To do so, contact us only through our Policy violation appeal – account disabled form.

We will review your request as soon as one of our specialists is available. However, please keep in mind that we reserve the right to disable an account for violations of programme policies, and there is no guarantee that your account will be reinstated.

Note that you may submit only one appeal for your account. Any additional submissions will not be reviewed.

My page or site was found to be non-compliant to policy but I can see multiple other sites doing the same thing, why aren't they being actioned?

We strive to maintain the quality and reputation of AdSense by holding all of our publishers to our programme policies. We appreciate your help in upholding these standards. If you find any page or site that may contain the policy violations, report it to us by clicking the 'Ads by Google' or 'Ad choice' label on the ads. Our specialists will review it and take action accordingly.

My site was hacked and the hackers inserted their own ad code on my site. What should I do?

If you haven't already done so, you can remove the ads from your site by deleting the ad code from your site's source code. In addition, we suggest that you review your site’s security to ensure that unauthorised individuals aren't able to access your site's source code. For more information, refer to: What is hacking or hacked content?

Part 5: More resources

To find out more about AdSense policies and best practices, visit the AdSense blog and AdSense YouTube channel.