"Site Not Ready to Show Ads":
What It Means & How to Fix It
This status appears in your AdSense account when ad serving is blocked on a specific site. It can mean your site is under review, has a policy issue, or has a technical configuration problem. Here's how to diagnose and fix each case.
Six reasons your site shows "not ready"
The message is a catch-all that can indicate very different underlying issues. Identify which one applies before spending time on the wrong fix.
Still Under Initial Review
You recently added your site to AdSense and the review is ongoing. This is the most common cause and requires no action—just patience of 2–4 weeks.
Missing Privacy Policy
AdSense requires a GDPR/CCPA-compliant Privacy Policy linked from every page. Missing or inaccessible policy pages immediately block ad serving.
Incorrect ads.txt File
Your ads.txt may be missing, malformed, or contain the wrong publisher ID. Google surfaces this as a site readiness issue, not a separate warning.
Active Policy Violation
Content, traffic, or inventory on your site triggered a policy flag. Check your AdSense Policy Center for any active violations or manual actions.
Site URL Mismatch
The site URL in AdSense doesn't exactly match your live domain—e.g., www vs non-www, or HTTP vs HTTPS. This breaks domain ownership verification.
Ad Code Not Detected
If Google can't find your AdSense code on live pages, it may show this status. Verify auto-ads are enabled and the snippet is in your page's <head>.
How to resolve each cause, in order
Check your AdSense account status
Go to AdSense → Sites. If the site shows "Getting ready," the initial review is underway. If it shows "Requires attention," there's a specific issue to resolve. Note which status applies before proceeding.
Verify your ads.txt file
Visit yourdomain.com/ads.txt directly. It should contain your AdSense publisher line: google.com, pub-XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX, DIRECT, f08c47fec0942fa0. Fix typos, wrong IDs, or add the file if missing.
Audit your Privacy Policy
Ensure your Privacy Policy mentions third-party advertising (specifically Google/DoubleClick cookies), is accessible from every page via a visible footer link, and is not behind a login or redirect.
Check the AdSense Policy Center
Navigate to AdSense → Policy Center. Any active violations will be listed here with the affected URLs. Resolve each violation, then use the "Request Review" option.
Confirm your domain is correctly added
The domain in AdSense → Sites must exactly match your canonical URL. If your site redirects www to non-www, use the final destination URL and verify the redirect chain is clean.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does 'site not ready to show ads' mean in AdSense?
This message appears when your AdSense account is approved but your site hasn't yet passed Google's site review, or when ad serving has been paused due to a policy or technical issue. It's different from an account-level rejection—your account exists, but ads are blocked on the specific site.
How long does the AdSense site review take?
The initial site review after adding your site to AdSense typically takes 2–4 weeks. If your site was previously disapproved and you've made changes, a re-review can also take up to 4 weeks. During this period, 'site not ready to show ads' is normal and expected.
My AdSense account is approved but the site shows 'not ready.' Why?
An approved AdSense account doesn't automatically mean all sites are cleared. Each site you add must pass its own policy review. Additionally, if your site was active and then flagged for a policy violation, ad serving may be paused even on a previously approved site.
Can I speed up the AdSense site review?
You cannot directly accelerate the review queue. However, you can improve your chances of passing by ensuring your ads.txt file is correct, your Privacy Policy is accessible, your content meets quality standards, and there are no active policy violations. Fixing these before submitting saves a review cycle.
Do I need to reapply if my site shows 'not ready'?
If the status is due to an ongoing initial review, no action is needed. If it's due to a specific violation or issue, fix the problem and then click "Request Review" in the Policy Center—you typically don't need to start a new application from scratch.
Find exactly why your site isn't ready
AdSense Audit checks your ads.txt, Privacy Policy, policy violations, content quality, and technical setup—and tells you precisely what to fix.
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