Clickthru Google Ads script from 2015 not working, ideas why?

[OptimalDesigns]

Much has changed in Google and the web since 2015.  Due to lost passwords (and maybe other things), my Google scripts listed below are NOT working.  Ideas why?

<meta name="google-site-verification" content="k1JtA8__K4x_n9DYmtjzXYy-4rFOOSaQnOkpU7Xlv_8" />
ooo

  <script>
  (function(i,s,o,g,r,a,m){i['GoogleAnalyticsObject']=r;i[r]=i[r]||function(){
  (i[r].q=i[r].q||[]).push(arguments)},i[r].l=1*new Date();a=s.createElement(o),
  m=s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];a.async=1;a.src=g;m.parentNode.insertBefore(a,m)
  })(window,document,'script','//www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js','ga');

  ga('create', 'UA-42392081-1', 'goal-driven.net');
  ga('send', 'pageview');

</script>
ooo

<script><!--
google_ad_client = "ca-pub-7754447827398000";
/* 160x600 Google AdSense */
google_ad_slot = "4145553146";
google_ad_width = 160;
google_ad_height = 600;
//-->
</script>
<script src="http://pagead2.googl...m/pagead/show_ads.js">
</script>
---

No ads show on my webpages (e.g. https://goal-driven....et/apps/curvfit.html), error with scripts being out-of-date OR something else?

I'm a mathematician trying to educate engineers & scientists on how to use Calculus-level Problem-Solving to help them design their next 'black' box; i.e. I know little about computer science.

[Shades]

I see a http link in your <script> ... </script> text. Think you'll need to change that to https.

On the server that runs your website, can you ping (all of) the google domains you use?
Or take each of the (referral) links you use in your sites, copy-paste each into a separate browser tab and check if your browser shows you the content of these scripts. At least, if you see content, then you'll know that part is still available to you. If there is no response shown in the browser tab, then you'll know which links are failing and you can focus on getting these resolved.

Did you install a browser extension that blocks access to certain domains? Or do you have an extension that uses blocklists it automatically downloads from the internet? If so, it is possible that this list contains domains which you need for ads. Maybe you use a DNS server that is too overzealous for your purposes.

Do you have by any change a pi-Hole device running in your network? It is possible that it is configured to block with too much zeal for your purposes as well. Same statement is true if you are behind a (hardware) firewall.

It might even be the case that you have incorrectly configured the HOST file of your web server.

Way too many questions and way too little information. Most of this incomplete list of failure situations require a very different approach to solve them. If available, the exact error codes can be very helpful. If you have those, you could google these yourself and more than likely you'll find a manual with steps on how to fix these error codes. If you do, don't trust links to websites that claim to have a tool that automatically fix the problem you experience. 95% of those are male cow excrement in the best case scenario.

*edit*
I forgot: server logs are your friend. Dig through those and you'll likely find your problem. Most of the time log files are text files, but can be rather large. Not all text editors can handle large text files that well. One of the few that can, is the free version of emEditor, but there are a few more.

[OptimalDesigns]

I see a http link in your <script> ... </script> text. Think you'll need to change that to https.

On the server that runs your website, can you ping (all of) the google domains you use?

-Shades (March 12, 2020, 09:43 PM)

My server is inmotionhosting.com but don't know where to ping ANY google domains.

Or take each of the (referral) links you use in your sites, copy-paste each into a separate browser tab and check if your browser shows you the content of these scripts. At least, if you see content, then you'll know that part is still available to you. If there is no response shown in the browser tab, then you'll know which links are failing and you can focus on getting these resolved.

I have no referral links ... these scripts create the links back in the 2008 to 2016 when they worked.

Did you install a browser extension that blocks access to certain domains?

Not to my knowledge.

Or do you have an extension that uses blocklists it automatically downloads from the internet? If so, it is possible that this list contains domains which you need for ads. Maybe you use a DNS server that is too overzealous for your purposes.

no.

*edit*
I forgot: server logs are your friend. Dig through those and you'll likely find your problem. Most of the time log files are text files, but can be rather large. Not all text editors can handle large text files that well. One of the few that can, is the free version of emEditor, but there are a few more.

Tried to find these logs, but support said no luck.

[Shades]

While the action of pinging/checking links is rather simple, access to the server that hosts your website can and does vary a lot, depending on the software that your hoster uses to give you access to your website.

Very few hosters give you command-line access directly, (using TelNet/TTY client, like 'Putty') but that is usually the simplest way for their customer to execute commands like: ping https://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/
Most hosters give you an online version of a TelNet/TTY client nowadays. Which is usually a lot less advanced than a dedicated client and slower too. But when you are in a pinch, it suffices.

When you don't get any response from your ping command, it's highly likely that this particular domain is not available anymore and you'll need to find out which Google domain is currently hosting those scripts/ads.
If you do get a valid response, then you could use a browser on the hoster's server and see if you get the content from the file 'show_ads.js' in the link https://pagead2.goog...m/pagead/show_ads.js.

If you get valid content there, the file/folder structure at Google hasn't changed, so you can be certain the your problem is not this particular link. However, if you don't get any content or garbage content, you'll have found the (first?) error on your end. Unfortunately, you must repeat this for every link that your website generates. It won't be too difficult of a job, but time-consuming it definitely will be.


Did you try to see the ads in your site using only your favorite browser inside your own network? If so, go and use a computer/tablet/laptop that you do not own in a network that isn't yours. With permission, of course.
If ads de show up on that device, you can be sure that you have a local problem (as in: your computer/browser is blocking your ads and you'll need to go revise all extensions/configuration options on your own computer.

But if the ads also not show on the other computer, it is more likely that your problem is related to your hoster and/or your website configuration than anything else. And that analysis needs a very different approach. How different? That depends on your hoster and the software they use to manage their hosting equipment.

All of the above is more or less manual labor and I'm sure that a developer extension, making most of the above a lot easier, does exists for your favorite browser. Yet going through the motions manually will give you a troubleshooting mindset, which will help you solving future problems.

Logging files give you better insights too. Perhaps even more than the manual stuff above, but I understand that you are S.O.L. on that front, unfortunately.

[Shades]

With the passing of time, inevitably, insights and methods change. Usually for the better.

That is true for for any kind of science, but also for computing.

It is also very possible that the content of the 'show_ads.js' file has changed to better suit newer insights/methods. And that the link generation scripts behind your website are not able to cope with those changes. And that will likely require the attention of the person(s) who created those scripts for your website in the first place.

Generic answers are the best you can expect, without disclosing much more info about your website. Unfortunately, it sounds more and more like a job, requiring time to investigate and fix/test.

On an even more general note:
If you are unable or unwilling to find out and work with Google's new insights/methods, you'd better bite the bullet and spend some cash on one or more persons that are already able with time to spare.