Google AdSense is a free program for website owners (publishers) to earn money by displaying targeted Google ads on their websites, blogs, and forums. Publishers place a snippet of code on their site, which allows Google to automatically serve relevant ads based on the content and user. The publisher then earns revenue when visitors view or click on these ads.

How to set up a Google AdSense account for your blog or website

Quick intro: Google AdSense lets publishers earn money by showing contextual ads on their site. Google matches ads to your content and visitors, and you earn when visitors view or click those ads. This guide walks you from “readying the site” to signing up, connecting the site, placing ad code, handling payments, and best practices.

Quick checklist before you start
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  1. Understand eligibility & program rules

    Before applying make sure you meet Google’s eligibility: you must own the site, be the site administrator, and meet age & content requirements (Google lists the full eligibility and program policies in AdSense Help). Follow publisher policies strictly — policy violations will stop approval or can disable ad serving.

  2. Prepare your blog/website (what Google expects)

    Do the following before applying:

    • Publish several high-quality pages (real content — not “placeholder” or thin pages).
    • Create clear navigation, About, Contact and a Privacy Policy page that discloses use of cookies/ads.
    • Make sure your site is mobile-friendly and loads well (speed and UX matter).
    • Remove any content that might violate Google policies (copyrighted content, adult/illegal content, malware links, scraped content, etc.).

    Tip: If you use a subdomain (example.blogplatform.com) check whether that host supports AdSense — owned root domains are preferred for full control.

  3. Create (or use) a Google Account

    If you don’t already have one, create a Google (Gmail) account — AdSense uses your Google account to sign in. If your blog is for a business, you can later configure a business payments profile in the AdSense Payments area.

  4. Sign up for AdSense

    Steps (overview):

    1. Open https://adsense.google.com and click Get started.
    2. Sign in with your Google account, then enter the URL of the site you want to monetize (use the domain you control).
    3. Choose your country/primary payments profile and fill out required personal details (name, address — will be used for payments & verification).
    4. Submit your application — AdSense will prompt you to connect your site (next step).
  5. Connect your site to AdSense (site verification & ad code)

    After sign-up you must prove you control the site and add the AdSense code snippet to your pages. The AdSense dashboard shows a “Connect your site” card and gives the required snippet and verification options.

    Where to paste the AdSense setup snippet: Google asks that you paste the provided script between the <head> and </head> tags of the pages (or into a theme header) so AdSense can verify and later show Auto ads. If you use a CMS (WordPress, Blogger, etc.) there are easier ways (see WordPress/Blogger section below).

    <!-- AdSense setup snippet (example) -->
<script async src="https://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/js/adsbygoogle.js"
     data-ad-client="ca-pub-XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX"></script>

    Important: Replace ca-pub-XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX with your own publisher ID (starts with ca-pub-) exactly as shown in your AdSense account.

  6. How to place ads: Auto ads vs Manual ad units

    Auto ads (recommended for beginners): add the single setup snippet above site-wide and enable Auto ads in AdSense. Google will automatically place ads where they perform best and you can customize formats and limits in the Auto ads settings.

    Manual ad units: create ad units in AdSense (Ads → By ad unit → Create ad unit) and paste the generated ad snippet where you want an ad to appear (inside article, sidebar, footer). Example manual unit (responsive):

    <!-- Example manual ad unit -->
<ins class="adsbygoogle"
     style="display:block"
     data-ad-client="ca-pub-XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX"
     data-ad-slot="1234567890"
     data-ad-format="auto"
     data-full-width-responsive="true"></ins>
<script>(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});</script>

    Use Auto ads for speed and consistent compliance; switch to manual placement when you want precise control over positions and sizes.

  7. If you use WordPress, Blogger or other platforms

    WordPress (self-hosted): use the official Site Kit by Google plugin or a header insertion plugin to add the AdSense code and connect the account. Site Kit can connect AdSense, Analytics and Search Console in one flow.

    Blogger: go to your Blogger Dashboard → Earnings and follow the AdSense setup flow — Blogger has built-in AdSense integration and will prompt you once eligible.

  8. Wait for AdSense review (what to expect)

    After you connect your site and submit, Google will review your site for policy compliance and ownership. The AdSense account and site status appear in your AdSense dashboard. If the reviewer finds issues (content policy, navigation, insufficient content), you'll receive details and should fix the problems and re-submit.

  9. Payments, verification & getting paid

    To get paid you must:

    • Set up your Payments profile (Payments → Manage settings) and add your bank/payment method.
    • Submit any required tax forms if requested by Google for your country.
    • Verify your payment address when requested — Google sends a 6-digit PIN by post when your earnings reach the verification threshold; you must enter that PIN in AdSense to verify your address.
    • Meet the payments threshold for your account (thresholds vary by reporting currency; for USD accounts the threshold commonly used is $100 — check your Payments page for the exact value).

    Note: Payments are only released if there are no holds on your account and you meet verification & policy requirements.

  10. Add ads.txt (recommended and often required)

    What is ads.txt? ads.txt is a text file placed at the root of your domain (example.com/ads.txt) that lists authorized sellers of your ad inventory (including AdSense). Implementing ads.txt helps ensure your inventory is valid for buyers and prevents unauthorized sellers.

    # example ads.txt file for AdSense
google.com, pub-XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX, DIRECT, f08c47fec0942fa0

    Replace pub-XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX with your publisher ID. You can create this file manually and upload it to your hosting root, or use AdSense’s generated ads.txt text if AdSense offers it for your account.

  11. Best practices, compliance & things to avoid
    • Do NOT click your own ads or ask others to click — that’s invalid activity and will get your account banned.
    • Do not modify AdSense code snippets; use only the code generated by AdSense.
    • Keep a visible Privacy Policy that mentions third-party advertising & cookies.
    • Monitor the AdSense Policy Center — fix any flagged issues quickly.
    • Use ad placements that don’t interfere with content, and avoid deceptive ad labeling.
  12. Monitor performance & optimize

    Use the AdSense reports and Google Analytics to track impressions, CTR, RPM and earnings. Test ad formats and placements, but keep user experience in mind — higher engagement and returning visitors usually lead to better long-term revenue.

Quick troubleshooting (common reasons for rejection)

  • Insufficient original content or very few pages.
  • Site still under development or with “coming soon” pages.
  • Policy-prohibited content (copyright infringement, adult, hate, illegal goods, malware, etc.).
  • Broken navigation or heavy use of auto-generated content with low value.
  • Incorrect code placement (not on the domain you signed up with).