Is it possible to split options on a desktop/mobile basis?

Not sure

Good question

I would like to use auto ads but worried the search side of Google may penalize the site.

It would be nice to be able to add several "tags" to our site template that stipulate where autoads could be displayed. E.g. AutoAdsStartHere - MAIN-CONTENT - AutoAdsStopHere and AutoAdsStartHere - SIDEBAR - AutoAdsStopHere and AutoAdsStartHere - FOOTER - AutoAdsStopHere - so they only display in between those "tags" and nowhere else. That way if we didn't want ads at the very top of our pages they wouldn't show there if the header area wasn't included in the start-stop "tags".

What I noticed is my auto ads get no play, not many clicks but that Anchor ad for mobile pays REALLY well. I had 4 clicks on the anchor ad for mobile and it was a total of $5.45 just for 4 clicks, usually a click is like a few pennies or 15 to 20 cents.

But the only way to get those is by using the auto code they removed that auto code option and just merged it with the auto code settings.

Mobile ads pay way more for some reason.

If you're going to tell AdSense where it can place auto ads, you're defeating the purpose of "auto" ads.

I've been using them for a long time, I definitely like it in cases such as a forum where they can put ads in places where I can't due to template issues. I'm a fan.

You can't do any splits between mobile/desktop. In my experience there is no need to concern yourself about being penalized.

I've been experimenting with these for a while now, getting mixed results. They seem to work well on some kinds of page but not on others. Going too continue experimenting as some sites are seeing good increases in usability metrics.

Now google places an auto ad even if you never put the code in your site, its an auto inserted ad, and they do poorly but worst of all is Google is putting these auto ads in places that violate google policy its like they are trying to sabotage websites, several people ahve said when they put auto ads google sent them a policy violation for putting ads to close to links or something or overlapping ads, but they never did it, it was google who was placing ads and they punished the publishers for it. scary stuff.

@Broaster
I can't imagine google is so blatantly and obviously hacking sites now. There must be something you haven't realized on your end.

@skaterpunk
There is no hacking its google adsense placing ads with the auto ad thing in places that can cause a violation like too close to images or links.

I have good luck with the vignette auto ads but the others perform terribly, mainly because they get half the impressions that regular ads get. Or maybe it's because I am using them on a Wordpress site and Wordpress is the problem. All my other sites are hand coded.

@ember
Its very strange how the auto ads rarely get clicks, im thinking that maybe google is making the other clicks invalid and not paying publishers. Because my hand placed ads all get more clicks, but I noticed the auto ads that show up when I search are highly clickable something is fishy, why nobody is clicking the auto ad especially in mobile. But they click the ad that is placed there manually

All my auto ads get low CTR its very fishy.

I'm worried too that Google may penalize the site because of many auto Ads. It is well known that Adsense team does not commumicate vith Google search quality team and why take a risk for a site to be penalized!?
But from other side just thinking of there is possibility that Adsense auto ads does not show Ads for Google bot and all other bots?

It will be nice.if someone.from Adsense team can give answer to us or someone from Google search team and clear things up regarding auto Ads

thats what I fear too dolcevita

Google is shady you can find people online who said google punished them for something google did with auto ads, that is foul and also google makes you go thrugh so many troubles just to fight the violation

Its weird, you cant trust them, the more the option sounds too good to be true it probably is. So far my Auto ads dont make much but they seem to pay more per click compared to my placed ads.

I had 3 auto ad clicks and I made $4.50 thats a lot of money for only 3 clicks, my placed ads I put the code manually Ill get 40 clicks and only make 3 dollars.

Im really wondering if Google is not paying me and getting publishers free traffic with the auto ads, because looking at my mobile these ads are very clickable, yet to tell me nobody is clicking them? very strange indeed.