Styling the adsense ad unit?

Question

I've lately seen a few websites doing some styling on the google adsense ad unit. Is it not against the TOS? I've seen Kotaku do it on few of their posts too.

Check this website (below the article) there are also using it.

If not could you point me in the right direction how it is suppose to be done.

Thanks

Answer 1

Here is the help information for Google's AdSense program: https://www.google.com/adsense/support/

Taking a brief look, it appears as if you can control some of the look and feel of the generated ads through Google's AdSense management interface. However according to Newbie Central - Learn our Program Policies page, they state Don't modify the AdSense code.

1. Don't click on your own ads.
2. Don't ask others to click on your ads.
3. Don't include any prohibited site content, including adult content, violence or excessive profanity, drugs (including alcohol and tobacco), or copyrighted material.
4. Don't modify the AdSense code.
5. Do follow our Webmaster Quality Guidelines.
6. Do provide a good user experience.
7. Don't place more than 3 ad units, 3 link units, 2 search boxes, and 3 referral units on any page.
8. Don't place images near ads in a way that may mislead users into thinking that the images are associated with the ads.

With a link to the full list of policies.