Why AdSense rejected my application, and what should I do?

Updated: July 2020

Are you facing issues relating to Google AdSense sign up? Read on...

AdSense pays. It pays rather well to bloggers if things are done right. Of course there are many factors that impact the amount of money that you can make from AdSense. We have talked about that in a separate post.

Of late, AdSense requests seem to be getting rejected in higher numbers than before, mostly because of laziness on the part of the blogger or his greed to get rich overnight by earning from the blog.

We have seen comments on the web that new bloggers cannot get AdSense accounts approved, Google does not approve blogs on free platforms, etc etc. By our experience with blogging and through discussions with bloggers, we are sure that for an ethical and hard-working blogger, there is nothing to worry and AdSense remains one of the easiest and sure-shot methods to earn from blogging.

However, it is always better to take precautions so that the chances of success increase. Let's check such precautions and act upon them.

This article is organized into three parts from the reader's viewpoint:

What should I do to get AdSense account easily approved?
What I should NOT do, so that Google approves my application and does not penalize me later?
Fix disapproved AdSense account. Why is Google rejecting my AdSense account again and again?

What should I do so that Google does not reject my AdSense application?

Fill the form carefully. Give correct email ID that is connected with the blog. Place the approval code in the right place, i.e. within the <head> part of the webpage HTML.
Maintain your blog/ website well. Though poorly maintained websites too get approval, it helps if the website has good content and looks professional.
Place a page on yourself, e.g. an 'About Us' page. This, again, is not mandatory but serves to identify the author of the website / blog and adds to the overall authority of the blog.

What should I NOT do to avoid AdSense rejection and penalty?

Avoid the following actions during the process of approval and even after the AdSense account has been approved. Not following Google's policies on content, advertisement etc may lead to termination of the account later even if it is once approved.

Please also note that while your AdSense account is live, you can put ads from that account on more than one blog or website. However, even if one of these flouts Google's policies, the account is likely to be terminated, hurting all the associated blogs. Getting an AdSense account re-approved after it has been penalized may be difficult.

Do not submit website/ blog that is under construction or has not been fully developed.
Don't fill the blog with irrelevant stuff or stuff that is there only for promotional purposes.
Do not place ads in a way that they compromise navigation of the site.
Do not put elements that deceive the visitor into clicking on ads. Similarly, don't have links that take the visitor to wrong destinations.
Do not put content on your blog for which you do not have copyright or permission. Do not put content copy-pasted from others.
Do not drive traffic to the blog by spurious, wrong and illegal means including 'link farms' or PBN.
Do not solicit clicks on advertisements and do not go for paid clicks.
Don't click on your own ads.
Do not put ads in places not meant for that, e.g. popups, emails or software.
Don't have inappropriate content on the website/ blog. This includes pornographic and adult content; content that generates hatred or violence; promotion and sale of weapons; filling of forms etc that may hurt the privacy of children; promotion and sale of counterfeit goods, alcohol and drinks; and so on. Please visit the link given at the end of this post on content types that Google treats as prohibited content.

Why is my account being rejected again and again and how can I fix that?

If despite following do's and don'ts given above, Google rejects your application, take notice. Chances are that you have done something that looks improper to Google; of course, in rare cases Google too can go wrong.

Please note that you can put AdSense on a blog only when you have the right to change HTML code of the blog. Among major free blogging platforms, only Blogger allows that without any payment. You can, of course, put AdSense ads on self hosted blogs and websites.
If Google has given you the reason while rejecting the application, that is what you need to look at. Take corrective action and re-submit. Read every word of Google guidelines before submitting your next application (see the links below).
If it is a business account that you have applied for, Google will likely be more finicky about your payee name, company name etc. On the blog/ website, you MUST give such information that identifies your firm and its main activities.
If the reason is insufficient content, tank up the blog with good content over a period (not in one go) and re-submit after a few weeks. Have patience.
If Google found the content inappropriate, remove all such content. Give fresh content that is as per Google's content policy, and re-submit afte a week or so of removing that content.
Remove ads from other PPC networks (affiliate ads will generally not interfere with AdSense).
If you are from India or China, your blog must be at least 6 months old before Google approves it.
AdSense is available in many languages but not all. Check in the link below whether the language of your blog/ website is among them.
If your account is not approved despite taking corrective action, you need to apply afresh through a new email account. Remove all traces of old email account from your blog.
Please also note that at present Google does not allow more than one account for the same publisher. It means, you cannot put AdSense ads of two accounts on the same blog. If you want another account, apply separately.