Captured before automated identity checks (Oct 14, 2026): accurate as of its capture on Aug 19, 2026; our capture on Oct 15, 2026 found the same text, but its identity was not checked by them.
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Companies change their terms without announcing it. We capture governance documents, compare each new version with the last, and publish what changed, with the source text behind it. One email a week on what we found and what we could not reach.
This page describes what the document states, permits, or reserves. It does not constitute a legal determination about enforceability. Regulatory applicability may vary by jurisdiction. Methodology
“If you fail to comply with these policies without permission from Google, we reserve the right to disable ad serving to your site and/or disable your AdSense account at any time.”
“Publishers are permitted to make modifications to the AdSense ad code so long as those modifications do not artificially inflate ad performance or harm advertisers.”
“Format ads so that they become indistinguishable from other content on that page. Format site content so that it is difficult to distinguish it from ads.”
“Compensate users for viewing ads or performing searches, or promise compensation to a third party for such behavior.”
“Encourage users to click the Google ads using phrases such as "click the ads", "support us", "visit these links" or other similar language.”
“During a sensitive event, we may take a variety of actions to address these risks.”
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.
Which mapped governance frameworks each document engages, tied to the specific provisions that engage them.
We withheld clauses we had published from this document. Each withholding is recorded in our correction log:
“If you fail to comply with these policies without permission from Google, we reserve the right to disable ad serving to your site and/or disable your AdSense account at any time.”
“Publishers are permitted to make modifications to the AdSense ad code so long as those modifications do not artificially inflate ad performance or harm advertisers.”
“Format ads so that they become indistinguishable from other content on that page. Format site content so that it is difficult to distinguish it from ads.”
“Compensate users for viewing ads or performing searches, or promise compensation to a third party for such behavior.”
“Encourage users to click the Google ads using phrases such as "click the ads", "support us", "visit these links" or other similar language.”
“During a sensitive event, we may take a variety of actions to address these risks.”
“If your account is disabled, you will not be eligible for further participation in the AdSense program.”
“Any method that artificially generates clicks or impressions on your Google ads is strictly prohibited. These prohibited methods include, but are not limited to, repeated manual clicks or impressions, automated click and impression generating tools and the use of robots …”
“Publishers may not use deceptive implementation methods that place ads in a way that might be mistaken for menu, navigation or download links to obtain clicks or views.”
“Placed on pages published specifically for the purpose of showing ads.”
“It is your responsibility to ensure that no ad network or affiliate uses such methods to direct traffic to pages that contain your AdSense code.”
Every distinct legal provision identified in this document. Featured provisions appear above with analysis.
We have not recorded a change to this document since we began capturing it. Monitor includes alerts from a daily check, structured change summaries, and monitoring for up to 20 platforms.
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Cross-platform context
See how other platforms handle Account Disable for Policy Non-Compliance and similar clauses.
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