{"id":43453,"date":"2015-08-05T19:58:35","date_gmt":"2015-08-05T14:28:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/?p=43453"},"modified":"2026-10-30T11:06:47","modified_gmt":"2026-10-30T05:36:47","slug":"adsense-matched-content-for-related-posts","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2015\/08\/adsense-matched-content-for-related-posts\/","title":{"rendered":"AdSense Matched Content: What Happened and Related Posts Options (2026)"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>In 2015 we started using <strong>AdSense Matched Content<\/strong> to show related posts below our articles. It was free, looked good on any screen and put no load on our server. That feature no longer exists in its original form: in March 2022 Google turned Matched Content into an ads-only unit called Multiplex ads. Here is what Matched Content was, what changed, and the best ways to show related posts on your site in 2026.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Quick answer:<\/strong> AdSense Matched Content stopped promoting your own posts on March 1, 2022. Existing units were converted to show only ads and the format was renamed Multiplex ads, now open to all AdSense publishers. To show related posts today, use a related posts plugin such as YARPP, Contextual Related Posts or Jetpack Related Posts on WordPress, and add a Multiplex ad unit separately if you want a grid of native 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-6af307cdef5de\" 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-6af307cdef5de\" 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\/2015\/08\/adsense-matched-content-for-related-posts\/#What_AdSense_Matched_Content_was\" >What AdSense Matched Content was<\/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\/2015\/08\/adsense-matched-content-for-related-posts\/#What_happened_Matched_Content_became_Multiplex_ads\" >What happened: Matched Content became Multiplex ads<\/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\/2015\/08\/adsense-matched-content-for-related-posts\/#How_to_show_related_posts_in_2026\" >How to show related posts 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\/2015\/08\/adsense-matched-content-for-related-posts\/#Should_you_add_Multiplex_ads\" >Should you add Multiplex ads?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2015\/08\/adsense-matched-content-for-related-posts\/#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-6\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2015\/08\/adsense-matched-content-for-related-posts\/#Is_AdSense_Matched_Content_still_available\" >Is AdSense Matched Content still available?<\/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\/2015\/08\/adsense-matched-content-for-related-posts\/#What_replaced_Matched_Content\" >What replaced Matched Content?<\/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\/2015\/08\/adsense-matched-content-for-related-posts\/#Do_Multiplex_ads_have_eligibility_requirements\" >Do Multiplex ads have eligibility requirements?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-9\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2015\/08\/adsense-matched-content-for-related-posts\/#Will_my_old_Matched_Content_code_still_work\" >Will my old Matched Content code still work?<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_AdSense_Matched_Content_was\"><\/span>What AdSense Matched Content was<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Matched Content was a free recommendation widget in AdSense. It crawled your site and showed thumbnails and titles of your other posts, with next and previous buttons to browse more. On our site, the units looked great, although sometimes the images didn&#8217;t match the post. It reminded us of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2010\/10\/google-related-links\/\">Google Related Links<\/a>, an earlier Google tool we used until it was discontinued.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-43541\" src=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-content\/uploads\/adsense-matched-content.png\" alt=\"AdSense Matched Content related posts unit with thumbnails and titles\" width=\"403\" height=\"247\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-content\/uploads\/adsense-matched-content.png 403w, https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-content\/uploads\/adsense-matched-content-150x92.png 150w, https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-content\/uploads\/adsense-matched-content-300x184.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 403px) 100vw, 403px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Not every publisher could use it. Sites needed enough traffic and unique pages, and eligibility appeared in the AdSense site management settings. Some of our smaller sites never qualified.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-43535\" src=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-content\/uploads\/matched-content-approved.png\" alt=\"AdSense site management showing a site eligible for Matched Content\" width=\"439\" height=\"193\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-content\/uploads\/matched-content-approved.png 439w, https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-content\/uploads\/matched-content-approved-150x66.png 150w, https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-content\/uploads\/matched-content-approved-300x132.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 439px) 100vw, 439px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Why publishers liked it:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>It worked on any platform (Blogger, Tumblr, custom sites), not just WordPress.<\/li>\n<li>Google did the crawling, ranking and delivery, so shared hosting servers weren&#8217;t slowed by database-heavy related posts plugins.<\/li>\n<li>It used the same main AdSense script, and you could track views and clicks with custom channels.<\/li>\n<li>Later, eligible sites could turn on ads inside the unit to earn money.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Its drawbacks: links were loaded by JavaScript and passed no SEO value, and own-content clicks earned nothing.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_happened_Matched_Content_became_Multiplex_ads\"><\/span>What happened: Matched Content became Multiplex ads<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Google announced that from March 1, 2022, Matched Content units would show only ads and be renamed Multiplex ads, citing declining use of the content promotion service. According to the <a href=\"https:\/\/support.google.com\/adsense\/answer\/11170711\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">AdSense help announcement<\/a>:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>All existing Matched Content units were converted to ads-only, even those with ads turned off.<\/li>\n<li>Eligibility limits were removed, so all AdSense publishers can use the format.<\/li>\n<li>Publishers who didn&#8217;t want an ads-only unit had to remove the code before the change.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>So if an old Matched Content code is still in your theme, it is now showing a Multiplex ad grid, not your related posts.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_to_show_related_posts_in_2026\"><\/span>How to show related posts in 2026<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>For WordPress sites, a dedicated plugin is the simplest replacement:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/wordpress.org\/plugins\/yet-another-related-posts-plugin\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">YARPP<\/a><\/strong> (Yet Another Related Posts Plugin): the plugin we used alongside Matched Content, with follow links that help internal linking. Use a caching plugin and decent hosting, as it queries your database.<\/li>\n<li><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/wordpress.org\/plugins\/contextual-related-posts\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Contextual Related Posts<\/a><\/strong>: actively maintained, with thumbnails and caching built in.<\/li>\n<li><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/jetpack.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Jetpack<\/a><\/strong> Related Posts: processing happens on WordPress.com servers, so it is light on shared hosting, much like Matched Content was.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Theme or block options:<\/strong> many themes, including Kadence, include a related posts section, or you can add a Query Loop block filtered by category.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Hand-picked internal links inside your articles still beat any widget for SEO and readers. See our list of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/best-wordpress-plugins\/\">WordPress plugins we use<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Should_you_add_Multiplex_ads\"><\/span>Should you add Multiplex ads?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Multiplex ads display a grid of native-looking ads, often below articles where Matched Content used to sit. They can add revenue, but test them: a grid of ads where readers expect related posts can reduce page views. Keep them below the content, and track the unit&#8217;s performance like any other. If ads stop appearing, see <a href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2012\/01\/google-adsense-bug-showing-no-ads\/\">AdSense ads not showing: causes and fixes<\/a>, and avoid the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2005\/05\/15-common-mistakes-by-google-adsense-publishers\/\">common AdSense mistakes<\/a> that put accounts at risk.<\/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=\"Is_AdSense_Matched_Content_still_available\"><\/span>Is AdSense Matched Content still available?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>No. Since March 1, 2022 it shows only ads and is called Multiplex ads.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_replaced_Matched_Content\"><\/span>What replaced Matched Content?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Multiplex ads replaced the unit itself. For related posts, use a plugin or your theme&#8217;s related posts feature.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Do_Multiplex_ads_have_eligibility_requirements\"><\/span>Do Multiplex ads have eligibility requirements?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Google removed the old Matched Content traffic and page requirements, making the format available to all AdSense publishers.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Will_my_old_Matched_Content_code_still_work\"><\/span>Will my old Matched Content code still work?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>It will display Multiplex ads rather than your posts. Remove it if you only wanted related content.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>In 2015 we started using AdSense Matched Content to show related posts below our articles. It was free, looked good&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":43541,"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":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-43453","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-blogging"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/43453","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=43453"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/43453\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":68779,"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/43453\/revisions\/68779"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/43541"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=43453"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=43453"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=43453"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}