Contrary to the interpretation of some forum and blog posters, Google AdSense terms and conditions does currently forbid the use of AdSense ads in email.

No Ads For You!

In a story from the 29th I reported on a method of pushing AdSense ads directly into emails, and some talk that the practice might be in some way admissable based on the wording of the AdSense terms and conditions.

The exact section under forum debate is this:

“You shall not, and shall not authorize or encourage any third party to: (v) display any Ad(s) on any error page, registration or “thank you” page (e.g. a page that thanks a user after he/she has registered with the applicable Web site), or in any email or on any Web page or any Web site that contains any pornographic, hate-related or violent content.”

The confusion arose because some read that it was only emails that, “contain any pornographic, hate-related or violent content” that are not allowed to run AdSense ads.

A Google representative stated yesterday, “in that sentence, the ‘pornographic, hate-related or violent content’ refers to the Web page or Web site. The ‘or in any email’ refers to emails in general.”

For full text of terms and conditions #5 visit the AdSense Online Standard Terms and Conditions page.

Google’s clarification does nothing to quell speculations that it at some point WILL allow AdSense ads in email.

Garrett French is the editor of iEntry’s eBusiness channel. You can talk to him directly at WebProWorld, the eBusiness Community Forum.