AdSense Domain Compliance Checker: Your 5000-Word Guide to Getting Approved & Staying Safe

You’ve poured your heart and soul into your website. Countless hours have been spent writing articles, designing layouts, and building an audience. Now, it’s time for the next logical step: monetization. For millions of publishers, that means one thing: Google AdSense. It’s the gold standard, the gateway to turning your passion into a potential revenue stream.

You meticulously fill out the application, connect your site, and hit “Submit.” Then, you wait. A few days, maybe a week or two later, the email arrives. Your heart pounds as you open it, only to be met with the soul-crushing message:

“Thank you for your interest in AdSense. After reviewing your application, our specialists have found that it does not meet our program criteria. Therefore, we are unable to accept you into our program at this time.”

Or worse, you’re already approved, and one day you wake up to an email titled “Ad Serving Has Been Limited” or the dreaded “Your AdSense Account Has Been Disabled.”

What went wrong? You thought you did everything right. The content is good, the site looks clean… where is the disconnect?

The answer lies in a concept that many publishers overlook until it’s too late: AdSense Compliance.

The hard truth is that Google AdSense is not a right; it’s a privilege. It’s a business partnership, and Google has an incredibly high set of standards designed to protect its advertisers, its users, and its own reputation. To succeed, you don’t just need a website; you need a compliant website.

Many new publishers search desperately for a magic “AdSense Domain Compliance Checker” tool—a single piece of software where you can enter your URL and get a green checkmark of approval.

Here’s the secret: That tool doesn’t exist. Not in the way you think.

The real AdSense Domain Compliance Checker isn’t a piece of software. It’s a methodology. It’s a mindset. It’s a comprehensive, multi-point audit that you must perform on your own domain.

This guide is that checker.

We are going to build, piece by piece, the most exhaustive AdSense compliance checklist you will ever find. We will dissect every critical aspect of your website, from the deep technical foundations to the nuanced quality of your content and the subtle ethics of your user experience. This is your 5000-word masterclass in thinking like an AdSense policy specialist.

Grab a coffee, open your website in another tab, and let’s begin your audit.

Part 1: The Foundation – Why Compliance is King in the AdSense Kingdom

Before we dive into the nitty-gritty of the checklist, it’s crucial to understand the “why.” Why is Google so strict? Understanding the logic behind the rules makes them infinitely easier to follow.

The AdSense ecosystem is a three-sided marketplace:

1. Advertisers: These are companies paying Google to show their ads. They want their ads to appear on high-quality, safe, and relevant websites. They are paying for results and brand safety. If their ads for “family-friendly toys” appear next to violent or adult content, their brand is damaged, and they will stop paying Google.
2. Users: These are your visitors. They come to your site for information or entertainment. Google wants them to have a positive experience. If they are bombarded with intrusive ads, tricked into clicking things, or land on low-quality, unhelpful pages, they lose trust in both your site and the Google search results that led them there.
3. Publishers (You): You provide the platform—the high-quality content that attracts users. In exchange for placing ads, you receive a share of the revenue.

Google’s role is the meticulous, and sometimes ruthless, gatekeeper that ensures the first two parties are happy. If advertisers and users are happy, they keep using the system, which means more potential revenue for high-quality publishers. The entire system collapses if low-quality or non-compliant sites are allowed to run rampant.

This is why the stakes are so high. A compliance failure can lead to:

• Application Rejection: The most common hurdle for new sites.
• Ad Serving Limits: Google’s system detects potential issues (like invalid traffic or content scrapes) and throttles your ads, killing your revenue while they “investigate.”
• Account Suspension: A temporary shutdown of your account for a serious policy violation.
• Account Disablement: The death sentence. A permanent, often non-appealable ban from the AdSense program.

Now that you understand the gravity of the situation, let’s build our checker. We will break it down into five core modules.

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Module 1: The Technical & Structural Integrity Audit

Before a human reviewer ever lays eyes on your site, automated bots will crawl it. If your site fails this initial technical scan, it’s an instant rejection. Your domain must appear professional, functional, and trustworthy from a structural standpoint.

1.1. Domain & Hosting Health Check

• Top-Level Domain (TLD): While you can get approved with TLDs like .info or .xyz, premium TLDs like .com, .net, .org, or country-specific TLDs (.co.uk, .ca) carry more inherent trust. If you’re serious about your site, invest in a premium TLD.
• Domain Age: Is your domain brand new? While not an automatic disqualifier, a domain that is at least 3-6 months old has had time to be indexed and build a small amount of history. A site that’s a week old and applying for AdSense is a red flag for a “get rich quick” scheme. Patience is a virtue.
• Domain History: Did you buy an expired domain? Use tools like the Wayback Machine (archive.org) to check its past. If it was previously used for spam, gambling, or adult content, you are inheriting a toxic history that can be nearly impossible to clean up in Google’s eyes.
• Professional Email: Are you using yourname@yourdomain.com for your contacts? It signals professionalism. A generic @gmail.com address is less convincing.

1.2. Site Architecture & User Navigation

Think like a first-time visitor. Can they easily understand what your site is about and find what they are looking for?

• Clear Navigation Menu: Your main menu should be simple and logical. “Home,” “About,” “Blog,” “Contact,” and key content categories should be immediately visible. Avoid confusing dropdowns with dozens of options.
• Logical Hierarchy: Content should be organized. A blog post about “Dog Training Tips” should logically fall under a “Pets” or “Dog Care” category, not be buried randomly.
• No Broken Links: Broken links (404 errors) create a terrible user experience and signal a neglected site. Use a tool like the free “Broken Link Checker” WordPress plugin or online tools like Dr. Link Check to find and fix them regularly.
• Functional Search Bar: If you have a significant amount of content, a working search bar is essential for usability.

1.3. The Non-Negotiable Mobile Experience

Over 60% of web traffic is mobile. If your site is not mobile-friendly, you are already failing a huge portion of your audience and Google’s reviewers.

• Responsive Design: Your website must automatically adapt to fit any screen size, from a large desktop monitor to a small smartphone. Text should be readable without pinching and zooming, and buttons should be easily tappable.
• Google’s Mobile-Friendly Test: Use Google’s own tool. Go to Google’s Mobile-Friendly Test, enter your URL, and get a definitive pass/fail grade. If you fail, this is your number one priority to fix.

1.4. Site Speed & Core Web Vitals

A slow website is a dead website. Users will leave, and Google will penalize you. Speed is a critical component of user experience.

• Core Web Vitals (CWV): This is a set of specific metrics Google uses to measure user experience:
  • Largest Contentful Paint (LCP): How long does it take for the main content of the page to load? (Aim for under 2.5 seconds).
  • First Input Delay (FID): How long does it take for your site to respond to a user’s first interaction (e.g., clicking a link)? (Aim for under 100 milliseconds).
  • Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS): Does the layout jump around as the page loads? (This is infuriating for users who try to click something that moves). Aim for a score under 0.1.
• Testing Your Speed: Use Google PageSpeed Insights. It will give you a score for both mobile and desktop and provide specific, actionable recommendations for improvement (e.g., “optimize images,” “reduce server response time,” “eliminate render-blocking resources”).

1.5. Security & Crawlability

• HTTPS/SSL: Your site must have an SSL certificate. The URL should start with https:// and show a padlock icon in the browser bar. This encrypts data between the user and your server. A non-secure (http://) site is an automatic red flag for untrustworthiness. Most modern web hosts offer free SSL certificates (like Let’s Encrypt).
• Robots.txt: This file in your root directory tells search engine bots which pages they can and cannot crawl. Ensure you are not accidentally blocking important content or the entire site. A standard WordPress setup handles this well, but it’s worth checking.
• XML Sitemap: This is a map of your website for search engines. It helps Google find and index all your important pages. Use a plugin like Yoast SEO or Rank Math to generate one automatically and submit it to Google Search Console.

Module 1 Verdict: If you have red flags in more than one or two of these areas, stop. Do not apply for AdSense. Fix these fundamental technical issues first. A beautiful house built on a crumbling foundation will not be approved.

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Module 2: The Content Quality & Uniqueness Check

This is, without a doubt, the most important module. AdSense is a contextual ad network. It serves ads based on the content of your pages. If your content is weak, thin, unoriginal, or unhelpful, you will be rejected. Period.

Google’s quality standards can be summed up by a powerful acronym: E-E-A-T.

• Experience: Do you have first-hand, life experience with the topic? (e.g., a review of a product you’ve actually used, a travel guide for a city you’ve visited).
• Expertise: Do you possess deep knowledge and skill in the subject? (e.g., a certified financial planner writing about retirement).
• Authoritativeness: Are you or your site recognized as a go-to source for this topic? (e.g., other experts link to your site).
• Trustworthiness: Is your site secure (HTTPS)? Is your information accurate? Do you have clear contact information?

You don’t need to be a PhD to get AdSense approval, but you must demonstrate E-E-A-T within your niche.

2.1. The “Sufficient Content” Test

There is no magic number of posts required for AdSense approval, but “thin content” is a top rejection reason.

• Quantity: Aim for a minimum of 30-50 high-quality, unique articles. A site with only 5 posts looks like a work in progress.
• Word Count: While quality trumps quantity, short posts of 300 words are unlikely to be seen as valuable. Aim for an average of 1,000+ words per article. This allows you to cover topics in sufficient depth.
• Substance Over Fluff: Is your 1,500-word article actually saying something, or is it just rephrasing the same point over and over? Your content must be detailed, insightful, and comprehensive. It should fully answer the question a user might have.

2.2. The Uniqueness & Originality Scan

This is a zero-tolerance area. Google despises copied content.

• Plagiarism: Have you copied and pasted text from other websites, even a single paragraph? Don’t do it. Use a tool like Copyscape or Quetext to check your pages for duplicate content.
• Spun Content: Using software to “spin” an existing article by replacing words with synonyms is easily detected by Google’s algorithms and is a fast track to rejection. The sentences are often grammatically awkward and lack human coherence.
• Aggregated Content: A site that is just a collection of news feeds, videos, or articles from other sources without adding any significant original value or commentary will be rejected.
• A Note on AI-Generated Content: This is the new frontier. Google’s official stance (as of now) is that they reward high-quality content, regardless of how it’s produced. However, low-quality, mass-produced AI content that is unedited, factually incorrect, or lacks E-E-A-T will be flagged as spammy. If you use AI as a tool, you (the human) are responsible for fact-checking, editing, adding personal experience, and ensuring it meets quality standards. You cannot simply publish raw AI output and expect approval.

2.3. The Value Proposition Litmus Test

Ask yourself this one simple, brutal question for every piece of content on your site:

“Does this page provide real value to a visitor?”

• Does it solve a problem?
• Does it answer a question?
• Does it teach a new skill?
• Does it provide a unique perspective or a well-researched opinion?
• Does it entertain in a meaningful way?

If your content is just a rehash of the top 10 search results for that keyword, it offers no unique value. Dig deeper. Add case studies, personal anecdotes, original images/videos, or expert quotes. Be the best resource on the internet for that specific topic.

Module 2 Verdict: Content is your currency with AdSense. If it’s thin, copied, or unhelpful, your account is worthless to them. Be relentlessly focused on creating unique, high-value, E-E-A-T-driven content.

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Module 3: The “Big Three” Policy Pages Audit

These three pages are not optional. They are a fundamental requirement for demonstrating transparency and trustworthiness to both users and Google. A missing or poorly written policy page is one of the easiest ways to get rejected.

3.1. The Privacy Policy

This is the most critical of the three. It’s a legal document that tells users what data you collect and how you use it. Since you plan to use AdSense, you will be using cookies to serve personalized ads, and you must disclose this.

Your Privacy Policy must include:

• A statement that you use third-party vendors, including Google, to serve ads.
• An explanation that Google uses cookies (specifically the DoubleClick DART cookie) to serve ads based on a user’s prior visits to your website or other websites.
• A clear statement that users may opt out of personalized advertising by visiting Google’s Ads Settings.
• A link to www.aboutads.info where users can opt out of some third-party vendor’s use of cookies for personalized advertising.
• Information on what other data you collect (e.g., names and emails from a contact form or newsletter) and what you do with it.
• Compliance with regulations like GDPR (for EU visitors) and CCPA (for California visitors), which have specific disclosure requirements.

How to create one: Do not write this yourself unless you are a lawyer. Use a reputable Privacy Policy generator tool (many offer free basic versions) that is specifically designed for websites that use AdSense and Google Analytics.

3.2. The About Us Page

This page humanizes your website. It’s your chance to build trust and demonstrate your E-E-A-T. A good About Us page isn’t just a bland paragraph; it tells a story.

• Who are you? Introduce the person or team behind the site. Use real names and, if you’re comfortable, a real photo.
• What is your experience/expertise? Why are you qualified to write about this topic? Share your background, your passion, and your journey. This directly addresses the E-E-A-T criteria.
• What is the site’s mission? What do you hope to achieve for your readers? What makes your site different?

A faceless, anonymous website is inherently less trustworthy.

3.3. The Contact Us Page

Users and Google need a clear and easy way to get in touch with you. This signals legitimacy and accountability.

• Minimum Requirement: A functional contact form that sends emails to an address you check regularly.
• Better: A contact form plus a professional email address (contact@yourdomain.com).
• Best: All of the above, plus links to active social media profiles. A physical address is not necessary for most blogs but adds significant trust for business-oriented sites.

Module 3 Verdict: Have these three pages. Make them detailed and easy to find (usually in your website’s footer). This is a simple, check-the-box requirement that far too many people ignore.

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Module 4: The Prohibited & Restricted Content Scan

This module requires you to be ruthlessly honest about your content. The AdSense Program Policies are extensive and strict. A single page violating these policies can get your entire site rejected or disabled. Scan your site for any content, including user-generated comments, that falls into these categories.

4.1. The Absolute “No-Go” Zones (Prohibited Content)

If your site features any of this, you will not be approved.

• Illegal Content: Promoting illegal acts or services (e.g., selling prescription drugs, hacking tutorials, copyright infringement like offering free movie downloads).
• Adult/Sexually Explicit Content: This includes pornography, nudity (with some exceptions for art/science, but it’s a very risky line to walk), and sexually suggestive content.
• Dangerous or Derogatory Content:
  • Hate speech (attacking groups based on race, religion, gender, etc.).
  • Harassment and bullying.
  • Threats or content that advocates harm to oneself or others.
  • Content that exploits or endangers children.
• Weapons & Explosives: Content related to the sale or promotion of firearms, ammunition, or instructions on how to make bombs or other harmful devices.
• Tobacco, Recreational Drugs & Related Paraphernalia: This includes e-cigarettes, vaping products, and any content promoting drug use.
• Misrepresentative Content:
  • Phishing or impersonating another person or company.
  • Promising unrealistic results (“Lose 50 lbs in 1 week!”).
  • Falsely implying an affiliation with a brand or entity.

4.2. The “Tread Carefully” Zones (Restricted Content)

You can have ads on sites with this content, but it will receive limited ad serving. Advertisers can choose not to run their ads on these categories, meaning your potential revenue will be lower. It’s often better to avoid these topics if your primary goal is AdSense monetization.

• Alcohol: Promoting the sale of alcohol.
• Gambling: Online casinos, sports betting, lotteries.
• Health & Medical: This is a huge one. This falls under Google’s “Your Money or Your Life” (YMYL) category. Unsubstantiated medical claims, advice that contradicts scientific consensus, and promoting dangerous “cures” are heavily scrutinized. You need extremely high E-E-A-T (e.g., being a licensed medical doctor) to safely navigate this niche.
• Financial Advice: Another YMYL category. Giving specific investment advice without being a certified professional is a major red flag.
• Shocking Content: Gruesome or graphic imagery, sensationalist headlines.
• Unverified Political Content & Conspiracy Theories.

4.3. User-Generated Content (UGC)

You are 100% responsible for the content in your comments section. If users post spammy links, hateful comments, or adult content, it is a violation on your site.

• Enable Comment Moderation: Set your comments to be manually approved before they go live.
• Use Anti-Spam Tools: A plugin like Akismet is essential.
• Regularly Prune: Go through your old posts and delete any spammy or policy-violating comments that may have slipped through.

Module 4 Verdict: Read the official AdSense Program Policies yourself. Don’t skim them. If your niche touches on any of these prohibited or restricted topics, you must either remove the offending content or reconsider if AdSense is the right monetization platform for you.

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Module 5: The User Experience (UX) & Ad Implementation Review

This final module applies both before approval (to show you understand the rules) and after approval (to keep your account safe). Google’s prime directive for ad placement is: Do not create a bad user experience or encourage accidental clicks.

5.1. The Pre-Approval Mindset

When applying, your site should have zero ads on it from other networks. You are applying for a partnership with AdSense; showing them a site cluttered with ads from their competitors is a bad look. Go in with a clean slate.

5.2. Prohibited Ad Implementations (The Cardinal Sins)

Violating these rules after approval is the fastest way to get your account suspended or disabled.

• Encouraging Clicks: Never, ever ask users to click your ads. This includes phrases like “Support our site by clicking the ads,” “Check out our sponsors,” or drawing attention to ads with arrows or graphics.
• Accidental Clicks: This is a huge area of focus. Your layout should not trick users into clicking an ad. Common mistakes include:
  • Placing ads too close to navigation links, buttons, or game controls.
  • Placing ads under misleading headings like “Resources” or “Helpful Links.”
  • Making ads mimic the content around them so they are indistinguishable. You must label your ad units with “Advertisement” or “Sponsored Links.”
  • Placing ads on “dead-end” pages like thank-you pages, login pages, or 404 error pages.
• Intrusive Ads:
  • Pop-up or pop-under ads.
  • Ads that cover content.
  • Sticky ads that take up a large portion of the screen, especially on mobile. (Google allows some sticky anchors, but they must be easily dismissible and not take up too much vertical space).
  • More ads than content on a page. The value for the user must be the content, not the ads.

5.3. Traffic Source Audit

How are users finding your site? Google monitors your traffic sources closely.

• Good Traffic: Organic search traffic (from Google, Bing, etc.), direct traffic, and referrals from legitimate social media pages or other reputable websites.
• Bad Traffic:
  • Paid Traffic: Sending low-quality, paid traffic (from sources like traffic exchanges or certain paid-to-click networks) to your pages with AdSense is a violation.
  • Social Media Spam: Spamming your links in Facebook groups or forums is a red flag.
  • Incentivized Traffic: Offering users a reward for visiting your site or clicking on ads.
  • Bot Traffic: Any non-human traffic is considered invalid.

If Google’s systems detect a significant amount of “invalid traffic,” they will limit your ad serving or disable your account to protect their advertisers. Focus on building a real, organic audience.

Module 5 Verdict: Your user comes first. Design your site and your ad layout for them, not for tricking them into generating revenue. A positive user experience leads to more time on site, more return visits, and ultimately, a healthier, more sustainable income from AdSense.

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Putting It All Together: Your Pre-Flight Checklist Before Applying

You’ve made it through the five modules. Now, let’s condense this into a final, actionable pre-flight checklist. Go through your site and tick these boxes with 100% confidence before you even think about hitting that “Submit” button.

[ ] Technical & Structural:

• Site is on a premium TLD and is at least 3-6 months old.
• Navigation is clear, user-friendly, and contains no broken links.
• Site passes Google’s Mobile-Friendly Test.
• Site loads quickly and has good Core Web Vitals scores.
• Site is secure with HTTPS/SSL.
• XML Sitemap is generated and submitted to Google Search Console.

[ ] Content Quality:

• I have at least 30-50 unique, in-depth articles (1000+ words average).
• My content demonstrates E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness).
• I have personally run my content through a plagiarism checker.
• Every page provides genuine value and is not just a rewrite of other sources.

[ ] Policy Pages:

• I have a detailed, compliant Privacy Policy page that mentions Google and cookies.
• I have a humanizing About Us page that builds trust.
• I have a functional Contact Us page.
• All three pages are clearly linked in my site’s footer.

[ ] Prohibited Content:

• My site contains absolutely no illegal, adult, dangerous, or hateful content.
• My niche does not fall into a heavily restricted category (or if it does, I understand the risks).
• I have checked all my user-generated content (comments) for violations.

[ ] User Experience & Traffic:

• My site has no other ads on it from competing networks.
• My traffic is primarily organic and from legitimate sources.
• My site design is clean and does not encourage accidental clicks.

Conclusion: The Compliance Checker is You

The journey to a successful, AdSense-monetized website isn’t about finding a shortcut or a magic tool. It’s about building a legitimate, high-quality, user-focused online property. It’s about understanding that you are entering into a professional partnership with Google, and that partnership is built on a foundation of trust and adherence to a shared set of rules.

The ultimate AdSense Domain Compliance Checker is not a program you can download; it’s the critical, objective eye you must cast upon your own creation. It’s the discipline to audit your work against the high standards of the AdSense program. It’s the commitment to creating something of genuine value for your visitors.

By following the modules in this guide, you have done more than just prepare an application. You have laid the foundation for a sustainable and profitable online business. You have shifted your mindset from “How can I get approved?” to “How can I build a site worthy of approval?”

And that, ultimately, is the only secret you need to know. Now, go and build something great.