Styling Adsense Search Box Allowed?

[thvi]

Does anyone alter the look of thier Adsense Search box?

It seems poorly suited in it's default forms.

Is it against the Adsense TOS to do so?

I found this link that shows styling it, but want to know if anyone else does this.

Thanks!

[edited by: jatar_k at 2:54 pm (utc) on Jan. 9, 2007]
[edit reason] no urls thanks [/edit]

[barns101]

Technically you're modifying the ad code and thus breaching the Ts and Cs. However, how could Google find out? Only by an employee actually visiting your site or someone reporting you. Only you can decide whether it's worth the risk of being banned! ;)

(It may be possible to change the style via CSS without editing the code itself, but I'm not sure.)

[FourDegreez]

Would you take advice from a site with such a blatant TOS violation as this:

if you search with it, then click on one of the resultant ads on the results page, I'll see a small % of the transaction.

?

I've e-mailed the AdSense team about modifying the code to blend the search into my site design, and they responded with a clear "no". Too bad, because now I don't have the search on my site... and it's even a feature that my users have requested. =( But since I can't change the look of it or fit it into tight places, I just can't work it into my site in a way I'm happy with.

Google has to work on this.

[thvi]

Hello FourDegreez,

Thanks for your reply. Would you be kind enough to share the exchange between you & G?

THanks!

Thvi

[lightheaded]

Another compelling reason to modify the adsense search box code is that it's not valid XHTML and I'm amazed that Google haven't got to grips with this one yet..

[Erick_L]

I asked Google to change the CCCCCC background to CFCFCF (almost the same) so it would match my pages. "No" was their answer (canned).

[FourDegreez]

I don't have the e-mail anymore, but from my experience and what Erick_L just mentioned, it seems clear that Google takes a firm stand on not altering the code in any way. By the way, one of my requests was simply to be able to drop the "www." on the radio button label for my site search ... no luck.

I also mentioned that the code uses outdated tags and attributes, and was told that this info would be passed along to the appropriate parties.

It seems the search box is a bit neglected. I really don't think it is too much to ask for customizing it, even if you have to use a Google wizard rather than being allowed to do so yourself. It is sorely needed.

[JinxBoy]

I think he's pointing at the website css styling the input field... It doesn't mean editing the code, but it will affect appearence...

My guess: they'll say no. How to be sure: ask.

[winglian]

Why not just create a custom search engine at [google.com...] and link it to your adsense account? The layout is pretty much the same for the search results, but the search box code is a little more "plain" and basic. I've used this method since it came out.

Just my $0.02.
Wing

[poisonerbg]

You can change the adsense for search background from adsense setup

just select
Logo type: "Google Search" on button
instead - Google Logo
and you can change the background color now

[norbiu]

I have been running my site with changed search code for more than a year now. I've tried every way to blend the original one with my site but it just doesn't work, so I set the search google and search mydomain.com to hidden, default ticked radio to mydomain.com and it looks great! just a textbox and a button. I don't understand how it hurts anybody? I only help the user do the search he wants to perform ... SITE search not WHOLE WORLD search.

[vincevincevince]

Technically you're modifying the ad code and thus breaching the Ts and Cs. However, how could Google find out? Only by an employee actually visiting your site or someone reporting you.

As google knows the exact and correct form of the code it is very very easy for them to check as the spider comes around to crawl your pages.

Incidentally, the TOS indicate that you cannot change the code but do not mention a restriction upon changing the appearance.

[barns101]

Good points, vincevincevince. However, I would think that because the code controls the appearance it would still be a violation.

[Erick_L]

You can change the adsense for search background from adsense setup

That's right, I forgot about that. I asked them before the change. What I did was a "Search" text link leading to a page with the search box, and changed the background for that single page to match Google's. My grey and Google's are very close.

A simple box and a button like norbiu would be very nice. The choice between www and mydomain.com could be given on the result page.

[poisonerbg]

@Erick_L
ohhh, you didn't understand me, read my post again.
You can choose green, red, blue or whatever you want from the adsense setup, but only when the type is without google logo and with "Google search" button.

[marcel]

By the way, one of my requests was simply to be able to drop the "www." on the radio button label for my site search ... no luck.

My site search doesn't have the 'WWW', you can easily set this from the control panel.

Also, as already mentioned by poisonerbg, you can change the background colour with any RGB code when '"Google Search" on button' is selected as the "Logo Type"

[Erick_L]

I got you poisonerbg. It's just that when I asked Google, you couldn't change the background, even without the Google logo. At least that's what I remember. I was just saying what I did. The search box with the buttons is too big for my taste anyway, so I kept it that way.

[edited by: Erick_L at 4:14 pm (utc) on Jan. 10, 2007]

[barns101]

The styling that can be applied through the AdSense control panel is minimal and is not really what the OP was looking to do.