AdSense for Search

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AdSense for Search

How to overcome markup validation error?

apprentice

9:45 pm on Aug 4, 2006 (gmt 0)

Having enabled and customised the flavour of AdSense for search, replaced the existing search, I just found out that it gives 1 validation error within the form tag: target="_top" is not allowed there. I am using 4.01 Strict. I know that this is a minor, but I d prefer to see the code fully validated. Google states clearly:

Any AdSense ad code, search box code, or referral code must be pasted directly into Web pages without modification. AdSense participants are not allowed to alter any portion of the ad code or change the layout, behaviour, targeting, or delivery of ads for any reason.

Isn't there anything within the bounds I can do to have the code validate without pushing my luck? Removing that bit fixes the error but is against the ToRs. What target="_top" does anyway? In my opinion, their generator should ensure that the code is already W3 compliant so people who actually care about it are kept satisfied.

Any ideas?

sailorjwd

10:19 pm on Aug 4, 2006 (gmt 0)

Did you contact adsense?

Perhaps they'll let you change it.

Let us know approximately what they say.

elfred

1:10 am on Aug 5, 2006 (gmt 0)

I asked long ago and I got an OK for my suggested fix.

apprentice

8:52 pm on Aug 8, 2006 (gmt 0)

I prepared a test page with my suggested adjustment as an example, emailed AdSense support and got no reply yet - its been 4 days now. My logs show the presence of someone from a #*$!x-google.com IP address which means they got my message. So, they are either too busy and left my query for later, or my suggested adjustment was too daring and they decided to ignore me instead.

Couple days later, large part of the site went back to the supplemental index (while it was only a week ago that it had already moved out). I want to believe that this is just a coincidence! Is it normal for pages to be jumping in and out of the supplemental index on a weekly basis? On the other hand, I won't have to worry about using AdSense for Search with most pages residing on the supplemental index - so I am sorted anyway.

Just out of curiosity what was your suggested fix?