Thou shalt not twiddle with the code of the adsense Gods....ahmmmmmmmm

Ann

Code Modification

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, behavior, targeting, or delivery of ads for any reason.

Making your AdSense text the same COLOR as your page text (through the ad setup control panel) is fine.

Making your AdSense text the same FONT as your page text (which can't be done through ad setup control panel) is definitely NOT!

Chapman

It sounds like you changed the font rather than the color? You can't change the font. You can only make tweaks that can be done in the Google Adsense control panel.

Does that mean I can't prevent the display of ads to certain ips, such as my work place?

Or, the local college where I teach a class?

ps. Change font is definitely a no-no.

sailorjwd-

This is certainly an interesting question, depending on your interpretation of the reference to "change the layout, behavior, targeting, or delivery".

Initially I thought it was all tied to "altering the code" but... perhaps not. I've certainly read posts from a number of members that have done similar things. It will be interesting to hear what others have to say.

Chapman

Along with not showing to your work place...

What about not showing to Bots so that they don't have to chew on the javascript code. I assume eating javascript by bots can't be a 'good thing'.

I use include statements for script - could this be a basic no no too? Since I'm not pasting directly into the 'web page'?

Ohhh godddd... there is a knock at the door.

This whole thing is falling apart...

What about every single Yahoo advertiser who also shows Adsense? they are altering the delivery so only Yahoo get USA visitors...

I'm dead :(

Actually I went into the code and changed only the COLOR. I mentioned Trebuchet was my text font but the color was something like "CC3300" in my FrontPage html so highlighted it & right clicked>saved it and added that color to my AdSense code so the ad "blended" into the page. I hear somewhere it is OK to do this tweaking but NOTHING else. Heck, I don'y wanna get banned! Before I made this tweak, I was averaging 40 or 50 cents a day...then when I did this tweak, "boom", I noticed $2.40 one day, then $3 and another day $7 etc.

rock

Keep tweaking - it never ends. Add more content and pretty soon you'll be pushing $50 a day.

dinrock-

This kind of tweaking is precisely what Google wants you to do, so it's all good! But, as has been mentioned, manually changing the code to achieve anything that can't be achieved through the control panel... is all bad!

BTW, welcome to Webmaster World's AdSense Forum!

Chapman

Thanks you AdSenors . . .mucho appreciated. As for doing it in the control panel vs. in the actual html, I COULDN'T blend the actual color as the code I was given in my initial setup didn't contain the line "google_color_link = "CC3300";" so I was FORCED to add that line in there . . . NOW, is that against the rules? In fact, when I highlighted & right-clicked>copied the code, it was missing all the good elements of
google_color_bg = "":
google_color_link = "":
google_color_url = "":
google_color_text = "":

sailorjwd-

It is, of course, dangerous to try to second guess Google and the ultimate disclaimer is "If in doubt, ask them because no one else can assume responsibiltiy for your account". But, on thinking this over, I don't believe it is Google's intent to govern webmaster management in using standard procedures.

The title of the quoted section was: Code Modification and I do believe that is the cruix of the issue and nothing more.

I assume eating javascript by bots can't be a 'good thing'.

My understanding is that they eat it up but can't (don't) process (execute) it so why bother with them?

What about every single Yahoo advertiser who also shows Adsense? they are altering the delivery so only Yahoo get USA visitors..

You've got me here! As I understand it... you can use Yahoo AND AdSense on the same site but NOT on the same page. In light of that... what does Yahoo's USA visitors have to do with AdSense?

Chapman

Yahoo USA Vistors...

You are only allowed to show Yahoo ads to USA visitors.

You must figure out from where the user is coming and show Yahoo, Show nothing, or show someother ad such as Adsense. Most folks show adsense - which means they are adjusting the Delivery of the ads.

Understand?

Bots store the javascript - don't you think it could possibly influence keyword associations/ distance, etc?

dinrock-

as the code I was given in my initial setup didn't contain...

That's very odd! Most of my code was pasted into my pages over a year ago and has all of the elements you found missing. So... I went to AdSense Setup and created a new ad... and all of the elements were STILL there. I don't know what to say (but there'll probably be someone along shortly with an answer). What type of ad is this?

In any event, while it is safest to always use the AdSense Setup control panel for ad generation, it is not unheard of to adjust portions of the code manually that could be adjusted with the control panel. I regularly adjust colors and sometimes channel information on my 400+ pages using a search and replace program which "technically" isn't what was intended but still within the boundries of adherance. Adding code elements manually because they don't show up upon ad creation is coming VERY close to pressing your luck!

It would be best to find out WHY your ad code is devoid of these statements rather than to just patch them in!

Chapman

[edited by: Chapman at 3:36 am (utc) on Oct. 18, 2006]

sailorjwd-

Understand?

Yeah... I see what you're saying! Even though the ads are on different pages, you have (or whomever has) modified the delivery characteristics on a site wide basis such that an unintended violation may have ocurred.

I still believe, as I said earlier, that this was not Google's intent in that policy statement, however, if there really might be a "knock at the door"... give them a shout and see what they say. Word on the street is that they've been much more responsive as of late.

BTW,

You are only allowed to show Yahoo ads to USA visitor

This is pretty much the single reason I don't use Yahoo anymore. The arrogance of denying the existence and/or importance of the world beyond the USA is sickening... Yahoo should be ashamed! Obviously taking after our current political administration!

Chapman

[edited by: Chapman at 3:44 am (utc) on Oct. 18, 2006]

To change the code to your chosen color you copy the color without the # sign then go to Google and in the color area (when generating an ad) simply paste your color numbers into the appropriate box. Google will spit out the adcode using it.

Works for me. :)

Ann

Chapman asks: WHAT KIND OF ADS? OK, what I had done is go into my AdSense setup, choose my ad unit, leaderboard etc. Then in the end, my code was sitting in that box for me to right click / highlight & copy. The LAST line of code was google_color_border =""; and MISSING, was:
google_color_bg = "":
google_color_link = "":
google_color_url = "":
google_color_text = "":

then the other code followed, i.e. //--></script> etc.

CHAPMAN & OTHERS, here is what is happening:
when I go into my AdSense setup - - - -
#1. Clicked ADSENSE FOR CONTENT.
#2. Clicked AD UNIT (TEXT ADS ONLY)
#3. Chose 728X90 leaderboard
#4. GET AD CODE (and here is all code that appears in box)
_____________________________________________________________
<script type="text/javascript"><!--
google_ad_client = "pub-8420064843889681";
google_ad_width = 728;
google_ad_height = 90;
google_ad_format = "728x90_as";
google_ad_type = "text";
google_ad_channel = "";
//--></script>
<script type="text/javascript"
src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js">
</script>
___________________________________________________________________Note BELOW google_ad_channel all that is missing!

Feedback when you can -

I think you have to setup a custom color scheme. It is just above selecting the Channel info.

Thanks SAILORjwd. As for not previously setting up a custom color code, I guess that is OK....because I HAD to add all that info back into the code when I added it to my pages, correct?

dinrock-

I'm glad sailorjwd was able to help out. I may never have made the connection as I started right off with custom color schemes.

As for not previously setting up a custom color code, I guess that is OK....because I HAD to add all that info back into the code

I'd suggest that if don't have too many pages to modify that you start with a "fresh" set of ad block code. It may be overkill but it's the safest way to stay away from TOS/Policy violations that may ocurr through too much manual editing.

It has been noted that in certain ad configurations there are subtle deviations in the code... like an extra space or a space missing. It'd sure be a shame to have the crawler detect some annomoly as it serves up your ads... compromising your account!

Chapman

Thanks you guys. Feedback is invaluable. Let me ask this . . . why can't I email AdSense support directly, and run the question by them personally so as to show them my intentions are not against anything within the TOS? Or, just roll with the status quo?

No reason why you shouldn't ask Google - what's the worst that can happen? Probably a boilerplate response.

why can't I email AdSense support directly

You certainly can always contact AdSense support BUT... you really didn't start out clean and your going to be asking them to approve the fact that you've modified your code (even if the reason is honorable) which is clearly a violation of policy.

Personally, I'd think it'd be better to do it right than to take that tact.

Chapman

The TOS are quite clear that you must not tweak their code (as quoted above).

Who knows how carefully they monitor these things?

But if you do it in obvious ways like fonts, it will doubtless not be long before a competitor reports you.

thanks Quadrille...but I needed to reemphasize I didn't change the fonts afterall . . . it was the actual color of the fonts. By the way, as for tweaking the color in the code, like:
google_color_bg = "CC3300"; I was FORCED to add that color anyway, because it wasn't a color in the Google palette. In essence, the color of my page I designed in FrontPage was from their own palette which I customized. So basically, I needed to take that palette number from the bg color in FrontPage and insert it in there so I could "blend" the ad in the first place. Seems like a pretty tangled web...........

I believe at the end of the day Adsense want more business, more traffic..

I changed the font and the color to be exactly as I was using on my site and found that clicks trebled..

I believe people feel more secure with what they are clicking in to when it feels part of your site.

Yep, seems reasonable that if you slid on past the color choices and did not pick any colors then they would not be in your code.

Ann