Technical Troubleshooting

AdSense Technical Issues:
The Complete Fix Guide

AdSense technical problems—broken ad code, missing ads.txt, HTTPS errors, or ads not showing—can silently cost you revenue. This guide diagnoses each issue and walks you through the exact fix.

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Most Common Issues

8 AdSense technical issues and how to fix them

1

ads.txt Missing or Incorrect

⚠ Causes significant revenue loss and approval issues
The Problem

ads.txt (Authorized Digital Sellers) authorizes Google to sell ads on your inventory. A missing or wrong file lets programmatic buyers skip your site, reducing fill rate and CPM dramatically.

The Fix

Create a plain text file at yourdomain.com/ads.txt with exactly:

google.com, pub-XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX, DIRECT, f08c47fec0942fa0

Replace pub-XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX with your publisher ID from AdSense → Account → Account information.

2

Ad Code Not Detected on Pages

⚠ Ads won't serve if Google can't find your snippet
The Problem

If the AdSense auto-ads snippet or individual ad unit code isn't present in your page's <head>, Google cannot serve ads—and may flag your site as improperly configured.

The Fix
  1. Log into AdSense → Ads → By site and copy your auto-ads code
  2. Paste it inside your <head> tag on every page template
  3. For WordPress: use a plugin like Insert Headers and Footers, or add to header.php
  4. Verify with AdSense's "Check your site" tool in the Sites section
3

Site Not Using HTTPS

! Blocks approval and reduces ad fill rate
The Problem

HTTP sites can't serve secure ads reliably, and browsers mark them as "Not Secure." Google strongly prefers HTTPS sites—and some ad buyers won't bid on HTTP inventory at all.

The Fix
  1. Install a free SSL certificate via Let's Encrypt or your host's dashboard
  2. Force HTTPS with a 301 redirect from HTTP → HTTPS in .htaccess or Nginx config
  3. Fix mixed content (HTTP images/scripts on HTTPS pages) using browser DevTools
  4. Update your canonical URLs and sitemap to use HTTPS
4

Slow Page Speed (Poor Core Web Vitals)

! Reduces ad viewability and CPM
The Problem

Slow pages mean ads load below the fold or after users leave, tanking your viewability score. A viewability below 50% dramatically reduces your effective CPM from premium advertisers.

The Fix
  1. Run PageSpeed Insights on your top 10 pages—target LCP under 2.5s
  2. Enable lazy loading for images and off-screen content
  3. Use a CDN for static assets (Cloudflare is free)
  4. Minimize JavaScript—large JS bundles delay ad rendering significantly
5

Ad Serving Limited or Disabled

→ Check Policy Center for specific reason
The Problem

Google can limit ad serving on specific URLs or your entire site due to policy violations, invalid traffic patterns, or site review holds. The generic "serving limited" message requires investigation in the Policy Center.

The Fix
  1. Go to AdSense → Policy Center and check for listed violations
  2. Review the AdSense Performance report for unusual CTR spikes (over 5–10%)
  3. Check for bot traffic in Google Analytics (bounce rate over 90% on direct traffic)
  4. After fixing, click "Request Review" in Policy Center
FAQ

AdSense Technical Issue Questions

Why are my AdSense ads not showing?

The most common reasons ads aren't showing include: incorrect or missing ad code implementation, ads.txt file errors, the site is still under initial review, an active policy violation pausing ad serving, or the page doesn't have sufficient content for Google to match relevant ads.

What is the AdSense ads.txt error and how do I fix it?

The ads.txt error appears when your ads.txt file is missing, inaccessible, or contains the wrong publisher ID. Fix it by creating a file at yourdomain.com/ads.txt containing: google.com, pub-XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX, DIRECT, f08c47fec0942fa0 — with your actual publisher ID from your AdSense account.

Why is AdSense showing blank ads?

Blank ads typically mean Google couldn't find a relevant, paying advertiser for your page at that moment. This is especially common on new sites, pages with very specific niche topics, or pages with thin content. Increasing content quality and traffic usually resolves this over time.

Does page speed affect AdSense earnings?

Yes. Slow pages reduce ad viewability scores, which directly affects CPM (cost per thousand impressions). Pages that load slowly mean ads load below the fold or after users bounce. Google also uses Core Web Vitals as a ranking signal, indirectly affecting AdSense traffic.

Why does AdSense say 'no ads to show' on some pages?

AdSense shows this message when Google's contextual targeting system can't identify enough relevant advertisers for your page's topic, or when the page has too little content for contextual matching to work. Improving content length and specificity usually resolves this.

Technical Audit

Catch every technical AdSense issue in one scan

AdSense Audit checks your ads.txt, HTTPS, ad code placement, page speed, and policy status—and prioritizes what to fix first.

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