AdSense Policies You Must Know

Your AdSense account is a valuable asset. Understanding and following policies protects your account and ensures sustainable revenue. This lesson covers the essential policies every publisher must know.

Why Policies Matter

Policy compliance isn't optional—it's existential for your AdSense account.

Consequences of Violations

Policy violations can result in:

• Warning: First-time or minor violations
• Ad Serving Restrictions: Ads temporarily disabled
• Account Suspension: Temporary account freeze
• Account Termination: Permanent ban from AdSense

The Stakes

A terminated account means:

• Loss of all current earnings
• No ability to create new account
• Permanent exclusion from program
• Loss of revenue stream

Policy Philosophy

Google's policies exist to:

• Protect advertisers (their customers)
• Ensure user experience quality
• Maintain ecosystem trust
• Prevent fraud and abuse

Content Policies

Your content must meet Google's standards.

Prohibited Content Categories

Never Monetize:

Category	Examples
Adult/Sexual	Pornography, explicit content
Dangerous Products	Drugs, weapons, explosives
Hateful Content	Discrimination, hate speech
Illegal Activity	Hacking tutorials, fraud
Violence	Graphic violence, gore
Misrepresentation	Fake news, impersonation

Restricted Content

Some content is allowed but restricted:

Alcohol and Tobacco:

• Must follow local laws
• No promotion to minors
• May have ad restrictions

Gambling:

• Heavily regulated
• Requires certification in most cases
• Country-specific rules

Healthcare:

• Prescription drug restrictions
• Medical claims limitations
• Supplement advertising rules

Content Quality Requirements

Beyond prohibited content, quality matters:

Required:

• Original, valuable content
• Clear purpose
• Professional presentation
• Accurate information

Problematic:

• Thin content (little value)
• Scraped/copied content
• Auto-generated content
• Doorway pages

Ad Placement Policies

How and where you place ads matters.

Click Encouragement Prohibition

Never Do:

• Ask users to click ads
• Offer incentives for clicks
• Use misleading click prompts
• Position ads to get accidental clicks

Examples of Violations:

• "Support us by clicking ads"
• "Click here to continue" (leading to ad)
• Ads that look like navigation buttons
• Ads that look like content

Ad Labeling

Ads must be distinguishable:

• Users should know it's an ad
• Can use "Ads" or "Sponsored" labels
• Cannot blend so much as to deceive
• Cannot hide ad nature

Density Restrictions

Too many ads create problems:

• Content should exceed ad space
• No more ads than content
• Maintain user experience
• Follow Google's Better Ads standards

Placement Restrictions

Prohibited Placements:

• Pop-ups/pop-unders with ads
• Ads in emails
• Ads in software applications (without approval)
• Ads on error pages
• Ads on parked domains
• Ads on pages with no content

Traffic Quality Policies

Traffic must be legitimate.

Invalid Traffic

What Constitutes Invalid Traffic:

• Clicks from publishers on own ads
• Automated clicking (bots)
• Incentivized clicks
• Click exchanges
• Traffic from purchased sources (for clicking)

Publisher Responsibilities

You're responsible for your traffic:

• Don't click your own ads
• Don't encourage others to click
• Monitor for suspicious patterns
• Block problematic traffic sources

Traffic Source Requirements

Acceptable Traffic:

• Organic search
• Direct navigation
• Quality referrals
• Legitimate social media

Problematic Traffic:

• Purchased traffic for ad revenue
• Traffic from prohibited sources
• Traffic from misleading promotions
• Bot traffic

Technical Policies

Implementation must follow guidelines.

Code Modification

Never Modify:

• AdSense JavaScript code
• Ad behavior
• Ad appearance beyond allowed options
• Tracking parameters

Multiple Accounts

One Account Rule:

• Only one AdSense account per person
• Cannot create new account after termination
• Family members can have own accounts

Site Ownership

Requirements:

• Must own or have rights to sites
• Must be able to edit site code
• Must be authorized publisher
• Cannot add ads to others' sites without permission

Behavioral Policies

How you interact with the program matters.

Transparency

Required:

• Accurate account information
• Truthful application details
• Prompt notification of changes
• Response to Google inquiries

Cooperation

Expected:

• Comply with requests for information
• Respond to policy warnings
• Make required changes promptly
• Maintain valid contact information

Policy Center Navigation

Monitor your compliance in AdSense.

Accessing Policy Center

1. Log into AdSense
2. Go to Account → Policy Center
3. Review any issues
4. Take required actions

Understanding Notifications

Types of Notifications:

• Page-level issues (specific pages)
• Site-level issues (entire site)
• Account-level issues (most serious)

Responding to Violations

When You Receive a Warning:

1. Don't panic
2. Read the notification carefully
3. Understand the specific issue
4. Make required changes
5. Request review if applicable
6. Document your actions

Staying Compliant

Proactive compliance prevents problems.

Regular Audits

Periodically review:

• All content for policy compliance
• Ad placements for proper implementation
• Traffic sources for quality
• User-generated content (comments)

Content Review Process

Before publishing:

• Check against prohibited categories
• Verify content quality
• Ensure no misleading elements
• Consider advertiser perspective

Team Education

If you have team members:

• Train on policy requirements
• Review content before publishing
• Establish approval processes
• Monitor contributor content

Policy Resources

Know where to find information.

Official Resources

• AdSense Program Policies: Comprehensive rules
• AdSense Help Center: Detailed guidance
• Policy Center: Your specific issues
• Creator Blog: Updates and announcements

Staying Updated

Policies change over time:

• Subscribe to AdSense updates
• Check policy pages periodically
• Review emails from Google
• Follow industry news

Key Takeaways

• Policy violations can result in warnings, suspension, or permanent termination
• Never create content in prohibited categories (adult, violence, illegal, etc.)
• Never encourage or incentivize ad clicks
• You're responsible for traffic quality—monitor and block suspicious sources
• Only modify ads within allowed customization options
• Maintain one AdSense account per person
• Regularly audit your site for compliance
• Check Policy Center frequently for notifications
• Respond promptly to any warnings
• Stay updated on policy changes

What's Next

Now that you understand the policies, the next lesson covers common violations and specific strategies to avoid them.