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BowlersMart Ads in Gmail: How to Block or Limit Them

Brian Halstrom
Updated

Quick Summary

These are paid ad placements that Google chooses to show inside Gmail. The controls are in your own Google account. No setting removes every ad from Gmail. Block the ad using the three dots on the Sponsored row, turn off personalized ads in your Google account, or hide the Promotions tab.

Table of Contents

📍 Understand Ads in Gmail

Google places paid ads in Gmail's Promotions and Social tabs. These are the rows marked Sponsored. These are not emails sent by BowlersMart or part of our email list. Unsubscribing from our emails or changing email preferences does not affect them.

Google automatically selects personalized Gmail ads based on your online activity while signed in. Google says it does not scan or read your Gmail messages to show ads.

If you are seeing a marketing email from us, visit Manage Your Email Preferences.

🚫 Block an Ad

Use this option while signed in with personalized ads on. Some My Ad Center features may be unavailable otherwise.

The pictures show Gmail on a computer.

  1. Open the Promotions tab and find the row marked Sponsored.
  2. Select the three dots at the far right end of that row. A panel titled My Ad Center opens.

    Gmail Promotions tab with a row marked Sponsored and the three-dot menu at the right end of that row circled.

  3. Select Block.

    The My Ad Center panel that opens from the three dots, with Block highlighted.

On a phone, look for the three dots on the Sponsored message, then Block.

Google says it will do its best to keep blocked ads from appearing on Google services or partner sites for at least 6 months. Blocking is imperfect, and you may see a similar ad in another format or style.

⚙️ Turn Off Personalized Ads

  1. Open My Ad Center while signed in to the Google account you use for Gmail.
  2. Find Personalized ads at the top right and select the On button.

    My Ad Center with the Personalized ads button, showing On, highlighted at the top right.

  3. Select Turn off personalized ads at the bottom of the window.

    The confirmation window with Turn off personalized ads highlighted next to Cancel.

This deletes the ad preferences saved in My Ad Center. Repeat for each Google account you use.

Google will stop using information and activity saved to that account, or your My Ad Center choices, to show ads. Ads will use general factors instead, such as the time of day. You may still see Gmail ads.

📂 Hide the Promotions Tab

Hiding Promotions, and Social if you want, takes away those tab locations for ads. With Promotions hidden, promotional emails appear in Primary instead.

On a Computer

  1. Open Gmail. Click Settings (the gear icon) at the top right to open Quick settings.
  2. Under Inbox type, find Default and click Customize beneath it.

    Gmail Quick settings with Customize highlighted under Inbox type, Default.

  3. In Select tabs to enable, clear Promotions, and Social if you want. Click Save.

    The Select tabs to enable window with the Promotions checkbox highlighted.

On Android

  1. Open Gmail. Tap Menu at the top left, then Settings. Choose your account.
  2. Tap Inbox type, then Default Inbox. Tap Inbox categories and uncheck Promotions, and Social if you want.

On iPhone and iPad

  1. Open Gmail. Tap Menu at the top left, then Settings. Under Inbox, tap Inbox type, then Default Inbox.
  2. Go back to Settings. Tap Inbox customizations, then Inbox categories. Turn Promotions off, and Social if you want.

🔧 Your Privacy Choices on BowlersMart

The panel lets you opt out of Sale of my personal information, Sharing of my personal information, and Processing of my personal information for targeted advertising.

  1. At the bottom of bowlersmart.com, select Your Privacy Choices to open that panel.

    The Your Privacy Choices link at the bottom of bowlersmart.com.

  2. Select Reject all, then Save and continue.

    The Your Privacy Choices panel with Reject all and Save and continue highlighted.

This choice is saved in your browser. Repeat it on each browser and device. This is the control BowlersMart offers. It does not switch off Gmail ads. Use the Google steps above for those.

💡 What to Expect Afterward

Expect these limits:

  • Blocking an ad: Google tries for at least 6 months, but may miss ads or show similar ones.
  • Turning off personalized ads: Ads still appear, but aren't based on personal data Google associates with your account.
  • Hiding the Promotions tab: Removes that ad location. Promotional emails appear in Primary instead.

Google decides who sees paid placements and when, with controls in your Google account.

📞 When to Contact Us

If you need help with preferences for an email from us, or anything else we can help with, contact us.

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