AdSense Program Policies Compliance Checklist 2026

Google AdSense rejects thousands of sites monthly for policy violations. Many publishers don't understand why—they just get a vague message about "low-value content" or "insufficient content."

This checklist clarifies exactly what AdSense reviewers are evaluating and how to fix it before requesting approval.

Content Quality Requirements

Depth and Originality (Critical)

AdSense policy states: "Your site must have unique, high-quality content that provides genuine value to users."

What this means:

• No copy-pasted content from other sites
• Not just aggregating news or links
• Not using AI-generated content without human review and editing
• Adding original research, case studies, or personal experience
• Explaining concepts in your unique voice, not paraphrasing competitors

Red flags that trigger rejections:

• All posts under 800 words (appears thin)
• Multiple posts on exact same topic (cannibalization)
• Content heavily relies on outbound links without original analysis
• High similarity to top-ranking competitors (checked with plagiarism tools)
• Posts showing "written by AI" patterns (repetitive structure, generic advice)

How to fix it: ✓ Expand key posts to 1,500-3,000 words minimum ✓ Add original research: surveys, data, experiments, case studies ✓ Include personal experience: "I tried this and here's what happened..." ✓ Add screenshots and custom graphics from your own work ✓ Cite sources and link to authoritative references ✓ Explain the "why" behind recommendations, not just the "what"

Content Volume and Maturity

Minimum requirements:

• At least 10-15 quality articles (some sources say 15-30 for faster approval)
• Posts should be comprehensive, not just "quick tips"
• At least 2-3 months of publication history (shows consistency)
• Regular publishing pattern (at least 1-2 posts per month)
• No more than 50% of content about a single narrow topic

Why it matters: Sites with 2-3 posts look abandoned or like experiments. Reviewers want to see a stable, maintained publication. If you only have 3 posts, expand to at least 10 before applying.

How to fix it: ✓ Create an editorial calendar with 15+ topics planned ✓ Publish 2-3 quality posts before requesting review ✓ Focus on a clear niche (not random topics) ✓ Maintain consistent publishing (weekly or biweekly) ✓ Update old posts to show ongoing maintenance

Topic Authority and Expertise

AdSense wants sites that are authoritative in a specific area, not generalist blogs covering everything.

What reviewers look for:

• Clear niche or topic focus (e.g., "WordPress for beginners" not "tips for life")
• Depth in that topic across multiple posts
• Evidence of expertise or personal experience
• Consistent voice and perspective
• Internal linking between related posts (showing topical authority)

Red flags:

• Completely random topics across posts
• Niche changes every month (shows no direction)
• Generic advice that could be written by anyone
• No author bio or credentials shown
• Content looks like it was written by different people

How to fix it: ✓ Choose a specific, defensible niche ✓ Build 3-4 "pillars" (main topic clusters) ✓ Write 4-6 supporting posts for each pillar ✓ Add author bio with relevant credentials ✓ Link between related posts consistently

Technical Quality and Performance

Page Speed and Core Web Vitals

Google's 2024 ranking factors include Core Web Vitals—and AdSense reviewers check these too.

Requirements:

• Largest Contentful Paint (LCP): < 2.5 seconds
• Interaction to Next Paint (INP): < 200 ms
• Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS): < 0.1
• Mobile load time: < 3 seconds

Red flags:

• Ads causing layout shift on page load
• Dozens of tracking scripts slowing the site
• Uncompressed or oversized images
• Heavy JavaScript blocking render
• Different experience on mobile vs. desktop

How to fix it: ✓ Optimize images (compress, use WebP, lazy load) ✓ Minify CSS and JavaScript ✓ Defer non-critical scripts ✓ Use a CDN or fast hosting ✓ Remove unnecessary plugins or scripts ✓ Test with Google PageSpeed Insights ✓ Implement lazy loading for images and ads

Mobile Responsiveness

AdSense reviewers use mobile devices. Your site must be perfect on phones.

Requirements:

• All content readable on phones (no horizontal scrolling needed)
• Touch targets (buttons, links) are at least 48x48 pixels
• Text is readable without zooming
• Ads don't cover content on mobile
• Navigation works on mobile (menu is accessible)

How to verify: ✓ Test on actual mobile devices (not just browser emulation) ✓ Use Chrome Mobile-Friendly Test tool ✓ Check Google PageSpeed Insights mobile score ✓ Ensure ads don't push content off-screen ✓ Verify all interactive elements work on touch

Trust and Safety Requirements

Proper Disclosures and Legal Pages

AdSense requires transparency about who owns the site and how it makes money.

Required pages:

• Privacy Policy: Explain what data you collect (required by law if using Google Analytics or ads)
• Terms of Service: What are the rules for using your site?
• Disclaimer: For financial, health, or legal advice topics
• Affiliate Disclosure: Required by law if you link to products for commission (FTC requirement)
• Contact: Contact form or email so readers can reach you

What to include in each:

• Privacy Policy: Cookie usage, Analytics tracking, Email list handling, Third-party data sharing
• Terms: Copyright ownership, User conduct rules, Disclaimer about liability
• Affiliate Disclosure: Clear statement like "We earn a commission from products linked on this site"
• Disclaimer: "This site is not a substitute for professional medical/legal/financial advice"

Red flags:

• Missing privacy policy or disclaimer
• Vague legal pages (boilerplate that doesn't match your site)
• No affiliate disclosure despite linking to Amazon or other programs
• Contact information that doesn't work
• No author/owner information

How to fix it: ✓ Add legally compliant privacy policy (use a generator if needed) ✓ Create clear terms of service ✓ Add disclaimer if you cover sensitive topics (health, finance, law) ✓ Add affiliate disclosure if applicable ✓ Create "About" page with real information about you ✓ Add working contact form or email

Authorship and Authority

AdSense values sites where you can tell who's behind the content.

Show authorship by:

• Adding author name and photo to your About page
• Including brief author bio on posts
• Showing relevant credentials or experience
• Being consistent (same author or clearly identified team)

Red flags:

• Anonymous blog with no "About" page
• Author name changed on different posts
• No credentials or background shown
• Site feels like a content farm

How to fix it: ✓ Create an About page with real information about yourself ✓ Add author bio blocks on posts ✓ Include relevant credentials or experience ✓ Add professional photo of yourself ✓ Explain your perspective/why you're qualified to write on this topic

Content Policy Violations

What Can Get You Rejected

AdSense has strict content policies. Review these before applying:

Prohibited content:

• Hate speech or discrimination
• Violence or dangerous content
• Adult or NSFW content (nudity, sexual content)
• Illegal activities
• Plagiarized or fraudulent content
• Deceptive practices (false claims, clickbait titles)
• Hacking or cracking content
• Copyright infringement

Content requiring extra care:

• Political or religious content (allowed but must be high-quality and balanced)
• Content about health, finance, or law (must disclaimer and be accurate)
• Content about tragedy or current events (must be respectful)
• Advertiser-sensitive topics (alcohol, gambling, weapons, tobacco)

Red flags that trigger manual review:

• Multiple pages with identical content
• Automated content or keyword stuffing
• Pages that rank for keywords but don't match the page content
• Cloaking (showing different content to bots vs. users)
• Thin pages with little to no added value

Plagiarism and Duplicate Content

Google has sophisticated plagiarism detection. Your content must be original.

What counts as plagiarism:

• Copying paragraphs from other sites without attribution
• Paraphrasing heavily without adding new insights
• Using AI to generate content without human review/editing
• Publishing the same article on multiple sites (syndication without permission)
• Copying competitor content and just changing words

How to verify originality: ✓ Use Copyscape or Grammarly to check for plagiarism ✓ Search key phrases from your posts in Google (see if exact matches appear) ✓ Manually compare your posts to top competitors ✓ Have someone unfamiliar with the topic read your work (is it original?)

How to fix it: ✓ Rewrite content entirely in your voice ✓ Add original research, data, or examples ✓ Include screenshots from your own experience ✓ Cite and link to sources you reference ✓ Add your unique perspective or framework

Ad Policy Requirements

Appropriate Ad Placement

AdSense has specific rules about where you can place ads.

Requirements:

• Ads must be above the fold (visible on page load) on at least some posts
• Ads must not dominate the page (content should be primary focus)
• Ad placement must follow AdSense guidelines (spacing, density)
• No ads in the header or footer alone
• Multiple ads allowed but not cramped together

Red flags:

• Entire homepage is ads, minimal content
• Ads placed in headers/footers with no content between
• Ads completely cover the main content area
• No clear distinction between content and ads
• Ads load slower than content

How to verify: ✓ Check your site on mobile—content should be primary focus ✓ Ensure posts have 500+ words of content before first ad ✓ Limit ads to 3 per page (1 above fold, 1-2 below) ✓ Use responsive ads that adapt to screen size ✓ Space ads evenly throughout long content

Pre-Approval Ad Requirements

Until approved by AdSense, you should NOT:

• Use competing ad networks (no competitor ads while waiting for AdSense review)
• Place temporary ad code or placeholder ads
• Use unauthorized ad networks

What you should do: ✓ Remove all ads before requesting review ✓ Wait for approval before adding any monetization ✓ Use Google AdSense code only after approval ✓ Follow AdSense placement guidelines after approval

Pre-Approval Verification Checklist

Before requesting AdSense review, verify you've completed all of these:

Content Quality:

• [ ] At least 15 quality posts (1,500+ words each, ideally 2,000+)
• [ ] All posts are original, not plagiarized or heavily paraphrased
• [ ] Each post includes at least one original image, screenshot, or graphic
• [ ] Posts cover a specific niche (not random topics)
• [ ] At least 2-3 months of consistent publishing history
• [ ] No thin, auto-generated, or low-value pages
• [ ] Internal linking between related posts established
• [ ] Author credentials/experience visible on key posts

Technical Quality:

• [ ] Site loads in under 3 seconds on mobile and desktop
• [ ] Core Web Vitals are passing (PageSpeed score 70+)
• [ ] Mobile responsive (tested on actual devices)
• [ ] No layout shift from ads or embeds
• [ ] No broken links or 404 errors on main pages
• [ ] Sitemap.xml exists and is valid
• [ ] Robots.txt is not blocking important pages
• [ ] Canonical URLs are correct

Trust and Transparency:

• [ ] Privacy Policy page exists and is comprehensive
• [ ] Terms of Service page exists
• [ ] Disclaimer page exists (if applicable)
• [ ] Affiliate Disclosure clearly visible (if applicable)
• [ ] About page includes real author information
• [ ] Contact form or working email address
• [ ] Consistent branding and design throughout
• [ ] No suspicious or deceptive content

Security and Safety:

• [ ] Site uses HTTPS/SSL certificate
• [ ] No malware or security warnings
• [ ] No hacked content or backdoors
• [ ] Valid XML sitemap
• [ ] No spam content or spam comments
• [ ] No plagiarized content
• [ ] No copyright violations

AdSense Policy Compliance:

• [ ] All content complies with AdSense policies
• [ ] No prohibited content (hate speech, violence, adult content)
• [ ] No deceptive practices or false claims
• [ ] No hacking, cracking, or illegal content
• [ ] Comments are moderated (no spam, hate speech)
• [ ] No existing ads from other networks
• [ ] Social media links active and updated
• [ ] Site is not just a "doorway" to other sites

After Approval: Maintaining Compliance

Getting approved is one thing—staying approved is another. AdSense regularly reviews sites for ongoing compliance.

Monthly Maintenance

• Review comments for spam or violations
• Check analytics for unusual traffic patterns
• Verify no hacked content or unwanted redirects
• Audit recent posts for policy compliance
• Update old posts that have become outdated
• Check that affiliate disclosures are still visible

When to Be Extra Careful

Your account is at risk if you:

• Make major content changes (topic shifts, sudden volume increase)
• Add new monetization methods (affiliate links, sponsored content)
• See suspicious traffic or bot activity
• Publish content about sensitive topics
• Link to low-quality or spammy sites

Content Updates Keep You Safe

Regularly updating old content shows that:

• You maintain and monitor the site
• Information is current and accurate
• You're actively engaged with your audience
• The site is not abandoned

Update posts every 3-6 months with:

• Current statistics and data
• New case studies or examples
• Updated links (remove broken ones)
• Clarifications based on reader questions
• New screenshots or images

Common Rejection Messages and Fixes

"Low-value content"

What it means: Your content doesn't provide enough unique value or depth.

Typical causes:

• Posts are under 1,000 words
• Content is mostly copied/paraphrased from other sites
• No original research, data, or examples
• Generic advice that could be found anywhere

How to fix: ✓ Expand all posts to 1,500-3,000 words minimum ✓ Add original case studies or research ✓ Include personal experience and examples ✓ Add screenshots or custom graphics ✓ Explain the "why" behind recommendations ✓ Reapply after 5-10 posts are improved

"Insufficient content"

What it means: You don't have enough established, quality content yet.

Typical causes:

• Fewer than 10 posts
• Posts appear recently published (less than 2 weeks old)
• Site is brand new
• Content varies widely in quality

How to fix: ✓ Publish 15+ quality posts ✓ Wait at least 2-3 months before applying ✓ Maintain consistent publishing schedule ✓ Ensure all posts meet quality standards ✓ Build topical authority (posts cluster around themes)

"Unnatural links or link scheme"

What it means: Your backlinks look suspicious or like you're trying to game SEO.

Typical causes:

• Bought links from link farms
• Low-quality links from unrelated sites
• Links with exact match keywords (old black-hat SEO technique)
• Thousands of links from new domains

How to fix: ✓ Audit backlinks in Google Search Console ✓ Disavow low-quality or spammy links ✓ Focus on earning natural links from relevant sites ✓ Create content worth linking to ✓ Reach out to relevant sites for legitimate partnerships

"Insufficient original content"

What it means: Most of your content is too similar to existing pages on the web.

Typical causes:

• Heavy paraphrasing of competitors
• Relying entirely on data from one source
• Not adding your unique perspective
• Using AI without significant human editing

How to fix: ✓ Run content through plagiarism checker ✓ Rewrite from scratch in your own voice ✓ Add original data, research, or case studies ✓ Include your unique perspective and examples ✓ Heavily edit AI-generated content to add originality

"Site does not comply with AdSense policies"

What it means: Something violates AdSense terms of service.

Common causes:

• Prohibited content (hate speech, violence, adult content)
• Deceptive practices (clickbait, false claims)
• Copied content or plagiarism
• Hacked or malicious content
• Improper disclosures (especially for health/finance claims)

How to fix: ✓ Review AdSense policies thoroughly ✓ Audit all content for violations ✓ Add proper disclaimers if needed ✓ Remove any prohibited content ✓ Ensure affiliate disclosures are clear ✓ Check for hacked content or malware

Timeline Expectations

Realistic approval timeline:

• Month 1: Build foundational content (10-15 posts)
• Month 2: Refine quality, optimize technical performance, add disclosures
• Month 3: Ready to request AdSense review
• Week 1-2: AdSense initial review period
• Week 2-4: Possible rejection, need to address issues
• Month 4-5: Reapply after fixing issues

Total: 3-5 months is realistic for a well-planned blog

Faster timeline if you:

• Start with 20+ polished posts
• Already have some traffic (500+ monthly visitors)
• Have strong topical authority
• Follow all policies perfectly

Slower if you:

• Rush publishing to meet volume requirements
• Have policy violations that need fixing
• Receive rejections and need multiple reapplication attempts
• Change topics or content significantly after applying

Summary: The Core Truth

AdSense approves sites that:

1. ✓ Have genuinely useful, original content at scale (15+ quality posts)
2. ✓ Demonstrate expertise and trust in a specific niche
3. ✓ Load fast, work on mobile, and look professional
4. ✓ Include proper legal pages and author information
5. ✓ Comply with all policies (no plagiarism, prohibited content, etc.)

The "low-value content" rejection almost always comes down to one or more of these five areas being weak.

Focus on excellence in all five, and approval becomes much faster and more likely.