Google AdSense Program Policies

This document sets the rules publishers must follow to run Google ads on their sites or apps. The most consequential rules prohibit artificially generating clicks or impressions, making ads look like regular content, and paying users to interact with ads. If Google Ads finds a violation, it can turn off your ads or permanently close your account without advance notice.

The Google AdSense Program Policies establish the conditions under which publishers may serve Google ads, defining permissible and prohibited conduct across ad code modification, ad formatting, traffic generation, user incentivization, page quality, third-party affiliate conduct, and in-app technical integration. Publishers bear responsibility not only for their own compliance but also for the conduct of any ad networks or affiliates that direct traffic to their AdSense pages. Google Ads retains discretionary authority to disable ad serving or close a publisher's account at any time upon policy non-compliance, without a prescribed notice period, and account disablement results in permanent ineligibility for the AdSense program. During sensitive events, Google Ads may take a variety of unspecified actions to address associated risks, leaving publishers with limited advance predictability regarding potential changes to their ad serving.

For ordinary users visiting sites that carry Google ads, these policies require publishers to clearly distinguish ads from editorial content, prohibit publishers from disguising ads as navigation or download links, and ban financial incentives designed to pressure users into clicking ads. As a result, any ad a user encounters on an AdSense-participating site is required to be visually distinguishable from the site's own content and functional elements. Users do not have a direct action available under these policies, as the obligations and enforcement mechanisms run entirely between Google Ads and the publisher.