Display ads remain the lowest-effort way to monetize a content site, and Google AdSense is still the default entry point. But approval is not automatic — a large share of first applications get rejected for reasons that take minutes to fix. Here's the complete pre-application checklist.
The requirements that actually matter#
Google doesn't publish numeric thresholds, but patterns from thousands of approvals are consistent:
- Enough original content. Practically, 20–30 substantial posts (800+ words) beat 100 thin ones. Quality per page matters more than page count.
- A real domain. A custom domain you've owned for a while, with clean URLs (
yoursite.com/post-name). - Essential pages. Privacy policy, about page, and contact method. Missing privacy policy alone causes many rejections.
- Clean design and navigation. Visitors (and reviewers) should find any post within two clicks.
- Traffic helps, but isn't required. Sites get approved with modest traffic; what matters is that content serves real user intent.
Pre-apply checklist#
- Custom domain connected with HTTPS
- 20+ original, helpful articles
- Privacy Policy page (mention cookies and third-party ad partners)
- About page with a real author identity
- Contact page or working contact form
- Navigation menu, categories or tags, and search
- Mobile-friendly layout (test on an actual phone)
- No copyrighted images — use your own, licensed stock, or free-license sources
- Site fully indexable (no
noindextags, sitemap submitted)
Common rejection reasons and fixes#
"Low value content"#
Usually means thin, duplicated, or auto-generated-feeling pages. Fix: expand your weakest ten posts with genuinely useful material, delete placeholder pages, and make sure every post has a clear purpose.
"Site down or unavailable"#
Your site must be reachable from all regions during review. If you're deploying on a platform with cold starts or region blocks, verify uptime from outside your own network.
"Policy violation"#
Adult content, scraped text, misleading claims, or excessive advertising before acceptance. If you run other ad networks, remove or reduce them during review.
"Under construction"#
Empty categories, "coming soon" sections, or broken links. Every menu item must lead somewhere finished.
After approval: set up for revenue#
Once accepted, resist the urge to plaster ads everywhere. Start with:
- One leaderboard below the header
- One in-article unit after the second or third paragraph section
- One sticky sidebar unit on desktop
This BloGrove template ships with exactly those slots built in — you only need to add your AdSense publisher ID to the environment and they activate.
Realistic expectations#
RPMs vary wildly by niche: personal finance can earn 2–8. With 50,000 monthly pageviews at a 500/month. Ads are a foundation — combine them with affiliate links, products, or sponsorships as traffic grows.
The takeaway#
Treat AdSense approval as a quality audit of your whole site, not a formality. Publish consistently, keep policies visible, structure your navigation logically, and apply once the site genuinely serves its readers.
