Yes! Sticky ads are allowed in AdSense now but what are the latest policy rules?

This post was most recently updated on January 18th, 2023

Introduction

Sticky ads are simply ads that stay in place as a user scrolls up and down on your page. If you’re a publisher that uses AdSense, you’ll be glad to know that sticky ads are now allowed. But before you start slapping those ads all over your site, there are a few rules you should keep in mind. So what are the policy restrictions for sticky ads? Keep reading to find out.

What is a sticky ad?

When you first see a sticky ad, it probably looks like a normal AdSense ad unit. But when you scroll down the page, it sticks at the top or bottom of the browser window and doesn’t move with your scroll. This can be annoying if you’re trying to read an article or watch a video without getting distracted by ads that move around with every swipe of your finger across your screen.

Sticky ads were first introduced as part of Google’s Accelerated Mobile Pages (AMP) rollout back in 2015 and are available on both desktop and mobile devices since then. These ads will track whether users have scrolled past them or not via JavaScript code embedded in each ad unit’s HTML markup. If they haven’t yet been viewed by anyone who visits your site, they’ll stay at their initial location until someone clicks on them—at which point they’ll automatically shift down into place so that users can interact with them as normal static units would work within AMP pages (that is: non-scrolling).

When should I consider using sticky ads?

The best time to consider using sticky ads is when you want to make sure your users see an ad. They can be used to encourage users to explore more of your website or promote your own content. For example, let’s say you have a homepage set up for new visitors and those that haven’t been on your website in a while. If someone lands on this page for the first time, they may not know where else on the site they should go—and so their only option would be to leave and look elsewhere (or stay put). However, if you integrate sticky ads into that particular section of your site, it will allow them an opportunity to explore other areas of what you’re offering without having to leave altogether.

Sticky ads work well because they provide links which users will naturally click on as opposed to banner units which are often ignored by readers due their lack of relevance towards current browsing activity at any given moment.

Are sticky ads allowed in AdSense now?

Sticky ads are permitted in AdSense. However, they must be implemented in a way that complies with our program policies. Sticky ads should not interfere with the site’s content or the user experience.

Sticky ads may have an animated border surrounding the ad unit and may be placed above or below a webpage’s content (but within a reasonable distance from it). Sticky ads will automatically appear on all pages of your website once placed on one page, but you can choose to disable sticky ad placement on specific pages as needed.

Sticky Ads latest policy rules

You may now use sticky ads in AdSense, but you must comply with the following requirements for this format to function:

• Ad formats of width 300px or less are permitted.
• Allowed ad formats: 300×600, 160×600, 300×250, 120×600, and 300×50
• Sticky ads must not obscure site content or user interface elements, or come too close to content, scrollbars, other ads, etc. Pages with responsive design & issues arising from resized windows are also included here.
• At all times, all ad attributions and the ad content must be visible.
• In order to appear or disappear at any time during the scroll, ads must scroll into or out of the viewport.
• Advertisements must be confined to a vertical axis, with no horizontal scrolling. Sticky ads aren’t permitted to follow the cursor ot float elsewhere.
• Advertisements must scroll smoothly and render at a reasonable rate.
• Only one sticky ad can be visible in the viewport at a time.
• Mirrored sticky units on both sides of the content, or parallel sticky units on one side are not permitted.
• These sticky selections are for desktop only & ads shouldn’t be sticky on mobile/tablet mode.It is the publisher’s responsibility to ensure their implementation will be compliant if their site loads on a tablet or mobile, even if the page isn’t mobile optimized.

Sticky ads and WordPress

Want an easy way to add sticky ads to your WordPress site? Don’t forget to check out the sticky ads feature on Advanced Ads here.

Conclusion

Publishers rejoice! Google has finally updated its AdSense policy to allow for sticky ads. But, in order to make sure you don’t get penalized, there are a few things you need to keep in mind. For example, all ad attributions must be visible at all times – no hiding those “Ads by Google” labels. And the ads themselves can only take up 300px or less of width on your page (desktop only).

We’ll help you power up those sticky ads and maximize your earnings potential while keeping you compliant with Google.

So if you want to start slapping some sticky ads onto your site and increase your revenue stream, sign up for a premium account with MonetizeMore today. 

Kean Graham

Kean Graham is the CEO and founder of MonetizeMore & a pioneer in the Adtech Industry. He is the resident expert in Ad Optimization, covering areas like Adsense Optimization,GAM Management, and third-party ad network partnerships. Kean believes in the supremacy of direct publisher deals and holistic optimization as keys to effective and consistent ad revenue increases.