{"id":34718,"date":"2013-07-28T12:21:57","date_gmt":"2013-07-28T06:51:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/?p=34718"},"modified":"2026-10-15T13:08:47","modified_gmt":"2026-10-15T07:38:47","slug":"remove-arrows-icons-adsense-ads","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2013\/07\/remove-arrows-icons-adsense-ads\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Remove AdSense Arrows and Icons From Ads (and What Works in 2026)"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Want to <strong>remove adsense arrows<\/strong> and advertiser icons from the ads on your site? In 2013 Google AdSense added large grey arrows and colourful advertiser favicons to text ads, and many publishers wanted the old, clean look back. This guide explains the 2013 setting that turned them off and what control you have over ad appearance in 2026.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Quick answer:<\/strong> In 2013 you could switch off &#8220;Enhanced text ads&#8221; under Allow and block ads, then Ad serving, to remove the arrows and icons. Today&#8217;s AdSense ads are responsive and designed by Google, and the current blocking controls don&#8217;t include a switch for arrows or icons. You can still block advertisers and ad categories, and review individual ads.<\/p>\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_89 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6adcab89062fa\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"ez-toc-cssicon\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #1a202c;color:#1a202c\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #1a202c;color:#1a202c\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6adcab89062fa\" checked aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2013\/07\/remove-arrows-icons-adsense-ads\/#Why_AdSense_added_arrows_and_icons\" >Why AdSense added arrows and icons<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2013\/07\/remove-arrows-icons-adsense-ads\/#How_to_remove_adsense_arrows_the_2013_method\" >How to remove adsense arrows (the 2013 method)<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2013\/07\/remove-arrows-icons-adsense-ads\/#Controlling_AdSense_ad_appearance_in_2026\" >Controlling AdSense ad appearance in 2026<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2013\/07\/remove-arrows-icons-adsense-ads\/#FAQ\" >FAQ<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2013\/07\/remove-arrows-icons-adsense-ads\/#Can_I_still_turn_off_arrows_in_AdSense_ads\" >Can I still turn off arrows in AdSense ads?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2013\/07\/remove-arrows-icons-adsense-ads\/#What_was_the_AdSense_%E2%80%9CNessie%E2%80%9D_arrow\" >What was the AdSense &#8220;Nessie&#8221; arrow?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2013\/07\/remove-arrows-icons-adsense-ads\/#Can_I_hide_AdSense_icons_with_CSS\" >Can I hide AdSense icons with CSS?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-8\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2013\/07\/remove-arrows-icons-adsense-ads\/#Did_turning_off_enhanced_text_ads_lower_earnings\" >Did turning off enhanced text ads lower earnings?<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Why_AdSense_added_arrows_and_icons\"><\/span>Why AdSense added arrows and icons<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Google AdSense often tests new features, like <a href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2013\/07\/new-collapsible-google-adsense-ad-units\/\">collapsible ad units<\/a> or <a href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2011\/03\/google-adsense-twitter-ad-units\/\">Twitter-style ad units<\/a>, and rolls them out across all sites once they improve click-through rate and user experience. In 2013 these &#8220;Enhanced text ads&#8221; added a clickable arrow (nicknamed <strong>Nessie<\/strong>) and multicoloured advertiser favicons to draw attention to ads.<\/p>\n<p>Many webmasters found them obtrusive and hard to blend with their site design. This screenshot shows how cluttered text ads looked at the time, even after we <a href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2012\/08\/remove-google-adsense-1-button\/\">removed the +1 buttons<\/a> from AdSense ads:<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-34719\" src=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-content\/uploads\/adsense-arrows.png\" alt=\"AdSense text ads with grey arrows and advertiser icons\" width=\"341\" height=\"290\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-content\/uploads\/adsense-arrows.png 341w, https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-content\/uploads\/adsense-arrows-300x255.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 341px) 100vw, 341px\" \/><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_to_remove_adsense_arrows_the_2013_method\"><\/span>How to remove adsense arrows (the 2013 method)<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>In the 2013 AdSense dashboard, the steps were:<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>Go to <em>Allow &amp; Block Ads<\/em> and open <em>Ad Serving<\/em>.<\/li>\n<li>Find the option for <strong>Enhanced text ads<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<li>Switch it off to get plain text ads without arrows, icons or advertiser images.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-34720\" src=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-content\/uploads\/enhanced-ads.png\" alt=\"Enhanced text ads setting in AdSense Ad serving\" width=\"440\" height=\"71\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-content\/uploads\/enhanced-ads.png 440w, https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-content\/uploads\/enhanced-ads-300x48.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 440px) 100vw, 440px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>This only affected text ads, not image ads, which fill the whole unit anyway. It was worth watching your CTR after turning it off, because arrows and coloured icons pull attention to ads and can encourage clicks. I would have preferred separate switches for arrows and icons, since some publishers liked one but not the other.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Controlling_AdSense_ad_appearance_in_2026\"><\/span>Controlling AdSense ad appearance in 2026<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>AdSense has changed a lot since then. Text and display ads are now mostly responsive, and Google decides the final design, so the old one-click setting for arrows and icons is not part of the blocking controls Google lists today. What you can do in your <a href=\"https:\/\/adsense.google.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">AdSense account<\/a>:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Ad review center:<\/strong> review ads that have shown on your pages and block individual ones.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Advertiser URLs:<\/strong> block ads pointing to specific advertisers.<\/li>\n<li><strong>General and sensitive categories:<\/strong> block broad groups of ads or topics you don&#8217;t want on your site.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Ad serving settings:<\/strong> control options such as user-based ads.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Auto ads formats:<\/strong> turn off formats you don&#8217;t like. See our guides to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2022\/12\/using-adsense-auto-ads\/\">AdSense Auto ads<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2022\/12\/adsense-side-rails-ads\/\">side rail ads<\/a>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Avoid editing the ad code or hiding parts of ads with CSS. Changing how ads display outside Google&#8217;s settings can break AdSense policies. For faster loading, use the standard asynchronous ad code as Google provides it.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"FAQ\"><\/span>FAQ<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Can_I_still_turn_off_arrows_in_AdSense_ads\"><\/span>Can I still turn off arrows in AdSense ads?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>The 2013 &#8220;Enhanced text ads&#8221; switch is not among the blocking controls Google lists today. Use the Ad review center and category blocks to control which ads appear.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_was_the_AdSense_%E2%80%9CNessie%E2%80%9D_arrow\"><\/span>What was the AdSense &#8220;Nessie&#8221; arrow?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>It was the nickname for the large clickable arrow added to enhanced text ads in 2013 to make ads easier to click.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Can_I_hide_AdSense_icons_with_CSS\"><\/span>Can I hide AdSense icons with CSS?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>It&#8217;s not a good idea. Modifying how ads display outside AdSense settings can break the program policies and put your account at risk.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Did_turning_off_enhanced_text_ads_lower_earnings\"><\/span>Did turning off enhanced text ads lower earnings?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>It varied by site. Arrows and icons attract attention, so some publishers saw fewer clicks after turning them off. Checking CTR before and after was the safest approach.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Want to remove adsense arrows and advertiser icons from the ads on your site? In 2013 Google AdSense added large&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":34719,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_kad_post_transparent":"","_kad_post_title":"","_kad_post_layout":"","_kad_post_sidebar_id":"","_kad_post_content_style":"","_kad_post_vertical_padding":"","_kad_post_feature":"","_kad_post_feature_position":"","_kad_post_header":false,"_kad_post_footer":false,"_kad_post_classname":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[43,6],"tags":[13],"class_list":["post-34718","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-advertising","category-blogging","tag-adsense"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/34718","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=34718"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/34718\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":66979,"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/34718\/revisions\/66979"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/34719"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=34718"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=34718"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=34718"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}