AdSense Site Approval in 2025: A Policy‑Aligned, Step‑by‑Step Checklist

Outline

This guide covers: (1) what AdSense reviewers check, (2) technical readiness and performance signals, (3) policy alignment and enforcement, (4) consent and privacy for European users, (5) ads.txt and authorized sellers, (6) setup and verification options, (7) a troubleshooting playbook, and (8) FAQs and websources.

What AdSense checks first: real value, clear ownership, and policy compliance

Before ads can serve, your account and your site both need approval. Officially, Google reviews payment/account details and separately reviews your site for policy compliance; timelines are usually a few days but can extend to two to four weeks depending on volume and manual reviews [4]. The review focuses on whether your pages offer original, substantial content, easy navigation, and adherence to AdSense policies and publisher rules laid out in Google’s policy hub [1].

On the search side, building an audience sustainably requires meeting Google’s Search Essentials: ensure your content is indexable, avoid spam tactics, and follow key best practices like creating people‑first pages and making links crawlable [2]. For content quality itself, Google advises creators to publish helpful, reliable, people‑first content—guidance you can use as a self‑audit when shaping articles, category pages, and supporting pages (About, Contact, and detailed editorial policies) [3].

Finally, ensure site ownership is unambiguous (consistent domain use, no parked or placeholder pages) and that your primary navigation reveals your core topic. This helps reviewers and automated systems understand what your site offers and whether it’s policy‑safe [1] [2].

Technical readiness: indexable, fast, and accessible

AdSense doesn’t require speed perfection to approve a site, but slow or unstable pages undermine user experience and can hurt long‑term monetization. Google’s Search Essentials reinforce technical fundamentals (crawlability, renderability, and clean status codes), all of which you should validate before applying [2].

For performance, review your Core Web Vitals using PageSpeed Insights. PSI reports field (real‑user) data and lab diagnostics and highlights the Core Web Vitals assessment across Interaction to Next Paint (INP), Largest Contentful Paint (LCP), and Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS) at the 75th percentile thresholds [6]. Google’s developer articles clarify that field data appears first and that lab data is used for diagnosis; understanding the difference helps you prioritize fixes that affect real users [11].

Practical actions: serve images in modern formats, set correct image dimensions (to minimize layout shifts), reduce JavaScript bloat, and ensure caching/CDN is configured. Improving INP often means cutting heavy client‑side scripts and avoiding long tasks; improving LCP often means optimizing server time‑to‑first‑byte and above‑the‑fold media; improving CLS requires defined sizes and careful injection of UI elements [6] [11].

Policies you must meet—and how enforcement works

All publishers must follow Google’s Publisher Policies (for example, no dangerous or derogatory content, no invalid clicks, no deceptive ad placement). Some categories are allowed but restricted, which can limit demand and earnings even if not outright disallowed [1]. Google explains that policy enforcement blends automated systems and human review to protect users and advertisers, with actions ranging from limited ad serving to account‑level enforcement for serious or repeated violations [10].

Translate this into your build: ensure every page with ads has meaningful, original content; avoid layouts that could be confused with navigation or download buttons; and keep intrusive interstitials and pop‑unders off pages that serve ads. If your niche includes borderline topics, carefully review the policies in the transparency center before applying [1].

Consent and privacy for EEA, UK, and Switzerland traffic

If you receive visitors in the EEA, UK, or Switzerland, Google requires adherence to its EU User Consent Policy, including using a Certified CMP integrated with the IAB TCF when serving personalized ads and obtaining valid consent for ads measurement and personalization where legally required. Google updated the policy and guidance in 2024, expanding applicability to Switzerland and reinforcing audits and record‑keeping expectations [7].

Implementation notes: ensure your consent banner loads before ad tags for these users; store consent choices; and pass consent signals to Google. If you monetize only with non‑personalized ads for these regions, confirm your CMP and settings reflect that choice. Keep consent records (text shown, choices, timestamps) as Google recommends [7].

Authorized sellers and ads.txt: recommended for trust and demand

While ads.txt isn’t strictly required for AdSense to serve ads, many buyers prefer or require it, so adding it can improve demand quality and reduce counterfeit inventory risks. Publishers declare authorized sellers in a simple text file at your root domain (for example, example.com/ads.txt). The initiative is defined by IAB Tech Lab and widely adopted across programmatic advertising [8] [9].

Include your seller line for Google AdSense in ads.txt, using your own publisher ID, for example: google.com, pub‑1234567890123456, DIRECT, f08c47fec0942fa0. If you also use other monetization partners (such as an ad server or SSP), list them on separate lines. After publishing, allow time for crawlers to recheck. Google’s developer guidance reiterates where the file must live (root) and how entries are structured [9] [8].

Set up and verify: manual tag vs. WordPress Site Kit

There are two common paths: (1) paste the AdSense code manually (usually in the head) and publish ads.txt at your root; or (2) on WordPress, use Site Kit by Google to place the AdSense snippet and track status. Site Kit’s documentation explains that both your AdSense account and your site must reach “Ready” status before ads serve; the plugin surfaces statuses and helps ensure the snippet is present without duplication [5]. If you prefer full control, you can still place ad code manually and use Site Kit only for reporting, but avoid duplicate snippets [5].

Google notes the two‑step approval flow—account details and site review—and that in normal conditions it’s quick, but it can extend to a few weeks. Check your Sites tab for the authoritative status and act on any requested changes before reapplying [4].

Troubleshooting approval bottlenecks and confusing messages

“Getting ready” for many days: this usually means your site review is still in progress. Reapplying repeatedly doesn’t speed it up; instead, audit content depth, navigation clarity, and technical access (no accidental blocking by firewalls or bot protections) and wait for the next decision cycle. Google’s approvals guidance shows the expected window and confirms both account and site must be approved before ad serving begins [4].

“ads.txt not found” while the file exists: confirm it’s reachable at your root over HTTP(S) without redirects that drop the path (for example, non‑www to www). Remember, ads can serve without ads.txt, but buyers may bid less; once your site is approved and ads start serving, Google’s systems typically recheck and update status. Confirm file location and formatting against Google’s and IAB’s guidance [9] [8].

“Ready” vs. “Getting ready” in tools: Site Kit distinguishes account and site readiness; both must be “Ready.” If Site Kit shows the code snippet placed but AdSense still says “Getting ready,” the site review likely isn’t complete. Continue improving content and UX rather than making superficial changes that reset caches without improving substance [5] [4].

Low or limited ad serving after approval: revisit policy alignment and page experience. Ensure placements aren’t confusing, no accidental policy violations exist (such as misleading labels), and page templates provide sufficient main content. Google’s policy resources and enforcement overview explain how issues can limit serving on specific pages or site‑wide [1] [10].

Raise your approval odds with a pragmatic checklist

Content and structure: publish a coherent set of articles (not just tags or archives), write for people, and show who you are. Add About/Contact/Privacy pages and a straightforward navigation hierarchy. This aligns with Search Essentials and people‑first content guidance [2] [3].

Technical and UX: pass basic crawl checks, remove intrusive pop‑ups, and improve CWV where feasible. Use PSI to diagnose INP/LCP/CLS and prioritize changes that affect the initial render and responsiveness for real users [6] [11].

Compliance and consent: review policies for your niche; implement a Certified CMP for EEA/UK/CH visitors and capture consent before loading ad tags where required. Keep records of consent choices as Google recommends [7] [1].

Ads infrastructure: publish an accurate ads.txt at your root and avoid duplicate ad code. Verify with your Sites tab (AdSense) or Site Kit’s status panes on WordPress [9] [5].

Websources

1. Google AdSense Policies and Guidelines (Transparency Center)

2. Google Search Essentials (Search Central)

3. Creating helpful, reliable, people‑first content

4. AdSense account and site approval process

5. Managing AdSense with Site Kit (WordPress)

6. About PageSpeed Insights and Core Web Vitals

7. Help with the EU User Consent Policy

8. IAB Tech Lab: About ads.txt

9. Google guidance on ads.txt for publishers

10. How AdSense policies and enforcement work

11. What’s new in PageSpeed Insights (web.dev)

12. Search Quality Rater Guidelines update