Now when you log into your Adsense account you will notice a new feature in the Adsense setup panel. The “Alllowed Sites” option allows you to specify which sites you publish Adsense ads on. This is a useful feature to help publishers prevent unauthorized use of their IDs.

adsense allowed sites

For the benefit of those who don’t understand this, here’s an example. Let’s assume there is someone who has a grudge against you or a competitor who wants to get at you. One of the easiest ways is to create a website that clearly violates the Adsense Program Policies. Now, they’ll use your Publisher ID in the code, knowing that eventually, Adsense will notice the violations. It’s sort of like someone using your car number plates and breaking all the traffic rules!

<script type="text/javascript"><!--
google_ad_client = "<<pub-ID of the intended victim goes here>>";
google_ad_width = 728;
google_ad_height = 90;
google_ad_format = "728x90_as";
google_ad_type = "text_image";
google_ad_channel = "";
google_color_border = "FFFFFF";
google_color_bg = "FFFFFF";
google_color_link = "003399";
google_color_text = "000000";
google_color_url = "000000";
//-->
</script>
<script type="text/javascript"
src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js">
</script>

The result - since YOUR publisher ID is the one recorded on the violating site, YOU are the one Google will ban. Even if you manage to prove that you are innocent, having your account suspended for any length of time can only create a big dent in your earnings?

So do you REALLY need to use this feature?
One piece of advice I got from an experienced Adsense publisher who makes five-figures monthly from Adsense is NEVER to let people know your URL. That isn’t quite so easy when you run a blog is it? What was his reason for giving that advice? The Internet is filled with all sorts of people and most of them are strangers to you. Things happen… for example :

  • You break up with your girlfriend / boyfriend and she / he wants to get back at you and knows exactly HOW you make money.
  • Your best friend is peeved because you turned him down when he asked for a loan and he thinks “since you’re so tight with your dough, we’ll see how you like losing your cash cow”
  • A visitor to your website gets pissed off with a comment you made, or a joke you make rubs hims up the wrong way or he just doesn’t like your face.
  • Jealous competitors eyeing your number one ranking or bigger slice of the pie decides if he can’t compete on even ground, he’d try and hit you under the belt.

I’ve had the unfortunate experience of being clicked attacked. What started out as an online friendship between a group of Adsensers led to an intelectual discourse that quickly turned sour. To avoid taking sides and making things worse, I distanced myself from the group and this was misunderstood by one person as me being aloof and giving the group the cold shoulder. Well, the next thing I knew, I found myself having to explain to Google about a whole bunch of clicks that came from on IP. I believe that person could also have hijacked my publisher ID and used it to get back at me if he wanted to.

In any case, having the “Allowed Sites” feature plugs the hole on a weakness in the Adsense Program. I strongly suggest you use it if you value your Adsense earnings.

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