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What AdSense reviewers check before approving a site
By the ads-txt.in team · Published November 8, 2026
Google does not publish a step-by-step scoring sheet for AdSense reviews, but its programme policies and help pages make the main expectations clear. Reviewing your site against them before you apply saves time and avoids repeated rejections.
1. Content
Your site should offer original, useful content or tools, with enough depth that a visitor leaves better informed than when they arrived. Copied, automatically generated or very thin content is a common reason for rejection. Our guide to the low value content rejection explains this in detail.
2. Navigation and user experience
Visitors should be able to find their way around: a clear menu, working links, readable pages on mobile, and no pop-ups or redirects that get in the way. Pages should load reasonably fast.
3. Transparency
Most approved sites have an About page explaining who runs the site, a way to get in touch, and a privacy policy that discloses the use of cookies and third-party advertising such as Google AdSense. Terms and a disclaimer are also helpful, especially for finance or health topics.
4. Policy compliance
Content must follow Google’s publisher policies. That rules out, among other things, content that is sexually explicit, promotes dangerous or illegal activities, infringes copyright, or deceives users. See our summary of key AdSense policies.
5. Site ownership and setup
You must own or control the site and be able to add the AdSense code or verification meta tag. The site should be live, publicly reachable and not under construction.
6. ads.txt
An ads.txt file with your publisher ID is not always required for approval, but Google recommends it, and adding it early avoids an “Earnings at risk” alert later. Create one with our generator.
7. Visitors and activity
Recent rejection notices mention “genuine user interest” and “ongoing curation”. A site that is regularly updated and receives real visitors is in a stronger position than one launched yesterday.
Track it
Our interactive AdSense approval checklist covers these areas so you can tick them off before you apply.