There was a time when an AdSense grid could mix a publisher’s own stories with paid recommendations. It looked like a “read next” module that also earned revenue, which explains why older screenshots and tutorials still call it Matched Content. That product no longer exists in that form. The current descendant is Multiplex: a native-looking grid of ads.

Matched Content and Multiplex at a glance

  • Matched Content before 2022 could promote a site’s own pages and, for eligible publishers, include ads.

  • Multiplex ads show multiple ads in a native-style grid.

  • The old eligibility restriction for Matched Content was removed when the ads-only format launched.

  • Publishers can create a manual Multiplex ad unit or enable Multiplex within Auto ads.

  • Related articles now require a theme, CMS query, recommendation system, or dedicated plugin separate from AdSense.

What a Multiplex unit is useful for

  • Monetizing the point after a reader finishes an article.

  • Filling a sidebar or wide end-of-content area with a responsive ad grid.

  • Presenting several native-style ad creatives within one unit.

  • Testing an alternative to another display placement without pretending it is editorial navigation.

  • Giving AdSense a distinct format whose performance can be reviewed in ad-format reports.

Manual unit or Multiplex Auto ads?

  • Use a manual unit when the exact template location and reserved layout space matter.

  • Use Multiplex Auto ads when you want Google’s placement system to decide eligible in-page locations.

  • Auto ads settings currently expose Multiplex under In-page formats.

  • A manual ad unit and Auto ads can coexist, but ad density and user experience must be reviewed as a whole.

  • Page exclusions can disable Auto ads on selected URLs but do not remove manually inserted units.

Create a manual Multiplex unit

  1. Sign in to AdSense and open Ads, then By ad unit.

  2. Choose Multiplex ads and give the unit a descriptive operational name.

  3. Preview layout and style choices at representative widths.

  4. Save the unit and copy the code supplied by AdSense.

  5. Place it through a controlled template, component, or ad-management plugin, then verify on the live page.

The shape of current Multiplex code

article template (illustrative placement)html
<!-- Use the exact code generated by your AdSense account. -->
<ins class="adsbygoogle"
     style="display:block"
     data-ad-client="ca-pub-REPLACE_WITH_YOUR_ID"
     data-ad-slot="REPLACE_WITH_YOUR_SLOT_ID"
     data-ad-format="autorelaxed"></ins>
<script>
  (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});
</script>

What the attributes mean

  • adsbygoogle identifies the placeholder consumed by the AdSense loader.

  • data-ad-client is the publisher ID and must come from the account’s generated code.

  • data-ad-slot identifies this ad unit for serving and reporting.

  • data-ad-format="autorelaxed" is associated with responsive Multiplex behavior.

  • The global AdSense loader should normally be installed once; copying duplicate loaders with every slot adds confusion.

Responsive layout customization

Google documents optional data-matched-content-* layout parameters even though the product name is now Multiplex. Those legacy-looking attribute names are expected. Use the unit editor and current generated code first; customize only within Google’s documented combinations and test every viewport.

responsive Multiplex attributeshtml
data-matched-content-rows-num="4,2"
data-matched-content-columns-num="1,2"
data-matched-content-ui-type="image_stacked,image_stacked"
data-ad-format="autorelaxed"

The comma-separated values form responsive pairs

  • The documented example requests four rows by one column on mobile and two rows by two columns on desktop.

  • Rows, columns, and UI type must be supplied together when manually specifying the grid.

  • Google may adjust the requested arrangement when the container cannot fit it.

  • The documented total number of ads must remain between 1 and 30 or the unit can appear blank.

  • A narrower container may produce text-only presentation; inspect real devices rather than trusting one preview.

Enable Multiplex in Auto ads

  1. Open Ads in AdSense and select Edit beside the site.

  2. Turn on Auto ads.

  3. Open In-page formats and enable Multiplex ads.

  4. Review the site preview and the rest of the ad-load settings.

  5. Apply the configuration to the site or run an eligible experiment when the interface offers it.

  6. Allow the documented propagation time, then verify actual pages.

Choose placement by reader intent

  • End of article: the reader has completed the content and may accept a commercial next step.

  • Sidebar: usable on wide screens, but confirm visibility and density on responsive layouts.

  • Between related articles and comments: separate editorial recommendations, ads, and discussion with clear spacing and labels.

  • Avoid login, checkout, account, empty search, 404, private communication, and other low/no-publisher-content screens.

  • Do not interrupt code samples, multi-step commands, forms, or a paragraph whose meaning depends on continuity.

  • Use taxonomies, curated relationships, search similarity, or behavioral recommendations to select your own content.

  • Label the module “Related articles” or another accurate editorial phrase.

  • Keep selection explainable and avoid trapping readers in repetitive or stale recommendations.

  • Track internal-link clicks separately from ad clicks.

  • Place the editorial module before or after Multiplex based on user testing, with enough visual distinction that neither is misleading.

Measure more than revenue

  • AdSense ad-format and placement-method reports help compare Multiplex with other formats.

  • Measure viewability, impressions, revenue, RPM, coverage, and click behavior using consistent date ranges.

  • Also watch scroll depth, next-page navigation, related-article CTR, page speed, layout shift, bounce/exit behavior, and accessibility.

  • Segment desktop/mobile because grid layout and attention differ substantially.

  • Use controlled experiments where available; before/after comparisons can be distorted by seasonality, traffic source, consent rate, and advertiser demand.

A 2026 reporting discontinuity

  • Annotate dashboards and reports at the change date.

  • Do not compare pre-change and post-change request-based ratios as if their denominator were identical.

  • Use impressions and revenue alongside request metrics when evaluating the transition.

  • Update anomaly detection, forecasts, and stakeholder definitions that assumed one request per grid.

Performance and layout safeguards

  • Load the AdSense script asynchronously using Google’s supplied implementation.

  • Reserve an appropriate minimum area to reduce layout shift without creating a large empty hole when no ad fills.

  • Do not lazy-load or rewrite ad code in an unsupported way.

  • Test ad blockers and no-fill behavior so editorial navigation remains usable.

  • Keep ads out of the initial viewport when that placement would compete with the page’s primary content and LCP element.

  • Inspect mobile horizontal overflow and tap-target spacing.

  • Use the required consent/CMP workflow for the visitor’s region; an ad unit type does not replace consent enforcement.

  • Comply with current Google Publisher Policies and AdSense Program policies on every monetized page.

  • Do not click your own units or ask others to click them.

  • Do not place more ads or paid promotion than publisher content.

  • Do not disguise Multiplex as navigation, downloads, messages, or editorial recommendations.

  • Recheck policy and product documentation periodically because controls and requirements change.

Why a unit can appear blank

  • The new unit or Auto ads configuration is still propagating.

  • The publisher/slot ID is wrong or the global loader is missing/blocked.

  • Consent has not authorized the request.

  • An ad blocker, CSP, DNS filter, browser protection, or network firewall blocks Google ad hosts.

  • The container is hidden, zero-width, removed by responsive CSS, or incompatible with requested rows/columns.

  • No eligible ad is available, the page is excluded, or serving is limited by account/policy status.

  • Duplicate or modified code produces a browser-console error.

Verify without generating invalid traffic

  • Use the AdSense preview, page source, Elements panel, Network panel, and console.

  • Confirm only one loader is present and the intended slot appears at the correct breakpoint.

  • Check desktop, mobile, consent accepted/rejected, signed-in/out, and no-fill/ad-blocked states.

  • Never click a live ad during QA.

  • Use reporting after normal traffic accumulates; a visual impression in your own browser is not a performance test.

Decision guide

  • Need recommendations to your own posts → build a first-party related-content module.

  • Need an ads-only native grid at a controlled location → create a manual Multiplex unit.

  • Want automated eligible in-page placement → evaluate Multiplex Auto ads.

  • Still running old Matched Content code → audit its current rendering and reporting as Multiplex, then keep or replace deliberately.

  • Need both retention and monetization → use two clearly distinguished modules and test their combined density.

Primary references