Google AdSense publishers frequently encounter challenges with ads that conflict with their content, promote competitors, or pose brand safety risks.
For instance, imagine managing a popular plant-based cooking blog that suddenly displays ads for fast-food burger chains or controversial weight-loss supplements. Such ads can undermine editorial credibility by promoting non-vegan products, create user distrust through misleading health claims, and divert traffic to competing meal delivery services.
AdSense provides various blocking tools to help publishers control which ads appear on their websites. However, blocking too many ads can reduce demand for your ad spots and affect revenue. This guide explains managing unwanted ads effectively while balancing content relevance, user trust, and monetization.
Key considerations for blocking AdSense ad content
To control the ads shown on your site, go to your AdSense account and open the Brand Safety section. Here, the Ad Review Center lets you block individual ads, while the Blocking Controls allow broader ad filtering based on categories, advertiser URLs, and other criteria.
Finding the right balance
When starting to block specific AdSense ad content, you should adopt a balanced approach. It’s crucial to understand that each block reduces the available ad inventory. Less competition in ad auctions can lead to lower earnings and a reduced RPM, so publishers should block selectively and strategically. In the worst case, you will see a significant drop in your ad unit’s coverage rate. Therefore, I recommend monitoring this metric regularly if you introduce ad blocking to your AdSense setup.
However, high-quality, relevant ads can improve the user experience and strengthen trust in the website. This can lead to higher user engagement and better ad revenue in the long term.
Stricter blocking may protect credibility despite short-term revenue losses in sensitive niches like health or finance. Publishers should regularly review and adjust their blocking strategies to align with changing business goals or seasonal trends. They must also consider legal requirements that may demand stricter controls in specific industries, such as prohibiting alcohol ads on youth-oriented sites.
User feedback can provide valuable insights for blocking decisions. You should closely monitor reactions from your audience to your ad content. Ultimately, the goal is to balance ad quality, user trust, and monetization that optimally aligns with the individual website strategy.
Pro tips for optimal ad-blocking configuration
- Balanced blocking: Over-blocking reduces competition, leading to lower RPM.
- Seasonal adjustments: Block holiday retailers post-Christmas and allow tax services during the filing season.
- Multi-layer protection: Combine URL blocks, category filters, and manual reviews.
- Performance monitoring: Check AdSense reports and monitor ad unit coverage weekly. Run A/B tests with different blocking configurations to optimize performance.
Manual ad blocking
As a publisher, you may often notice an inappropriate ad yourself or receive feedback from your readers. To quickly and reliably address this issue, navigate to AdSense > Brand Safety > Content > Ad Review Center.
Once there, you’ll see a gallery of all ads displayed on your pages, typically sorted by the number of impressions. You can also sort them by “highest revenue” or “prioritized for review.” Additionally, a filter function allows you to narrow down the selection of ads based on criteria such as publisher domain (if you use AdSense on multiple sites), language, size, ad network, and more.
Under each ad, you’ll find its destination URL. Next to it, there’s an icon to block the ad and prevent it from being delivered via your AdSense ad code in the future. Using a three-dot menu beside it, you can report the ad, mark it as “reviewed,” copy a link to it, or find similar ads based on criteria like ad network, ad size, ad type, or advertiser URL.
However, since there’s no bulk action available, you must block each ad individually.
Accessing AdSense Blocking Controls
To prevent unwanted ads from appearing on your site without having to react to them individually, you can set up rules using AdSense’s Blocking Controls. To access these controls, navigate to AdSense > Brand Safety > Blocking Controls.
They allow you to configure rules based on advertiser URLs, sensitive categories (like gambling or alcohol), general categories (such as clothing or travel), and privacy settings related to EU user consent and the California Consumer Privacy Act. Additionally, you can manage the ad types to be served and restrict which ad networks are allowed to book your ad spots.
Keep in mind that the settings you apply at this level affect your entire account.
Pro Tip: Use site-specific settings for niche content to ensure targeted ad filtering, and apply global settings for uniform policies across all your sites. For example, suppose you configure settings for a specific website from your portfolio. In that case, you can enter the site’s URL in the search field within the Blocking Controls Center and adjust settings accordingly using options like advertiser URLs, sensitive categories, or general categories.
Specific advertisers via URLs
You can exclude ad content based on their target URLs. Use this feature to block ads leading to specific URLs from appearing on your site by entering the URLs in the provided box. It’s important not to click on the ad to find its URL, as this violates AdSense program policies.
To block ads, enter either the display URL shown on the ad or the destination URL. This block setting will prevent AdSense from displaying new or existing ads leading to this URL. You can list multiple URLs by separating them with commas or line breaks.
Ensure you enter domains in their root format, such as competitor.com, without including https://
or subpaths.
Using the toggle switch, you can quickly change the status of specific advertiser URLs and unblock them if needed.
General categories
Behind each category is a toggle switch that allows you to enable or block ads from that category.
These categories include, for example, Apparel, Arts and entertainment, Autos and vehicles, Beauty and Personal Care, Business and industrial, Computers and consumer Electronics, Finance, Food and groceries, Health, Home and Garden, Real Estate, Sports and fitness, or Travel and tourism.
Sensitive categories
On this page, you’ll find a selection of categories that Google AdSense considers sensitive. Behind each category is a toggle switch that allows you to enable or disable ads from that category.
These categories include, e.g.
- Astrology & Esoteric
- Cosmetic Procedures & Body Modification
- Dating
- Get Rich Quick
- Politics
- References to Sex
- Religion
- Sensationalism
- Sexual & Reproductive Health
- Video Games (Casual & Online)
- Weight Loss
Restricted categories
Further down, you’ll find a selection of restricted categories blocked by default.
These include:
- Alcohol
- Gambling and Betting (18+)
You can use the toggle switch to exclude or allow ads from these categories on your pages.
Turning off personalized ads
Another way to influence the content of embedded advertisements is to deactivate personalized AdSense ads.
Personalized ads are more relevant to your users based on their previous activity. As long as you have a GDPR consent tool in place, you should enable personalized ads for those users who granted permission. Non-personalized ads are less relevant to your users as they’re not based on their previous activity and rely solely on contextual information.
However, by deactivating personalized ads, you can prevent users from seeing advertisements that don’t match your content and may be inappropriate in your opinion. Additionally, many users need consent to process personal data, including personalized ads.
Navigate to AdSense > Privacy & messaging. This setting is under “European regulations” in the options for consent for GDPR and other European regulations to ensure you can serve ads to site visitors in the EEA, UK, and Switzerland. Right next to it, you can make settings for data processing under “US state regulations.”
Conclusion on blocking specific AdSense ad content
Managing AdSense ads includes blocking certain ad content when necessary. Google’s blocking tools help publishers align ads with their brand, maintain audience trust, and support user engagement.
Using these options thoughtfully is essential, as excessive blocking can affect revenue. Regularly reviewing and adjusting your settings ensures they align with your goals and audience expectations. The aim is to balance ad relevance, user experience, and monetization.