A beginner learning how to add AdSense to Blogger on a laptop at home

How to Add AdSense to Blogger: A Beginner’s Step-by-Step Guide

Posted on

I still remember the day my first Blogger blog crossed 100 visitors in a week. I had written 14 posts, shared them in two Facebook groups, and refreshed the stats page far too often. The blog was growing, but it was earning exactly zero. I searched for how to add AdSense to Blogger that same night and found twenty different answers, most of them contradicting each other. That is when I started learning how to add AdSense to Blogger properly, and honestly, the process was simpler than the dozens of confusing YouTube videos made it sound.

If you run a blog on Blogger and want it to start paying for itself, this guide is for you. I will walk you through how to add AdSense to Blogger from start to finish: getting your blog ready, applying from the Earnings tab, placing ads the right way, and fixing the errors that trip up most beginners. No jargon, no skipped steps.

What Is Google AdSense, and Why Do Bloggers Use It?

Google AdSense is Google’s advertising program. You put a small piece of code, or a gadget, on your blog, and Google shows ads from its advertisers to your readers. When a visitor views or clicks an ad, you earn a share of what the advertiser paid. You never have to find advertisers yourself, and you never have to chase anyone for payment. Google handles all of that, and pays you once your balance reaches the payment threshold, which is $100 in most countries.

For Blogger users, AdSense is the natural first choice, because Blogger and AdSense are both Google products. The two are built to work together. There is no plugin to install and no third-party code to wrestle with. That is exactly why so many new bloggers choose to learn how to add AdSense to Blogger before they try any other way of earning from a blog. If you have never earned from a blog before, how to add AdSense to Blogger is the easiest first monetization step, because there is no published minimum traffic requirement and no code you have to write by hand.

How much can a small blog actually earn? Be honest with yourself here. A blog with 1,000 page views a month might earn $1 to $5. A blog with 50,000 page views a month can earn $50 to $300, depending on the topic and where the readers live. Finance and technology readers usually earn more per click than entertainment readers. The money grows with traffic, so AdSense is a reason to keep publishing, not a shortcut to quick cash.

Before You Apply: Get Your Blog Ready for AdSense

Most AdSense rejections happen because the blog was not ready, not because the application was filled in wrong. Google wants to see a real blog with real content before it lets ads run on it. Many beginners rush into how to add AdSense to Blogger on the same day they create the blog, and that almost always ends in rejection. Here is the checklist I use before I tell anyone how to add AdSense to Blogger.

First, publish at least 15 to 20 original posts. Google’s reviewers open your blog and read it. If they find 3 short posts and nothing else, they will say no. Your posts should be useful, written in your own words, and at least 500 to 800 words each. Copying content from other sites is the fastest way to get rejected.

Second, make sure your blog has the basic pages every serious site needs: an About page, a Contact page, and a Privacy Policy page. These take 20 minutes to create in Blogger, and they make your blog look like a real publication instead of a test site.

Third, give your blog a clean look. Pick a simple, readable theme, remove broken widgets, and check that your blog loads properly on a phone. More than half of all blog traffic now comes from mobile, and reviewers check that too.

Fourth, use a custom domain if you can. You can apply for AdSense with a free blogspot.com address, and many people do, but a custom domain looks more professional and tends to get approved faster, which is one more reason to sort it out before you tackle how to add AdSense to Blogger. If you have not set one up yet, read our guide on adding a custom domain to your Blogger blog before you apply.

Finally, check that your blog follows AdSense policies. No copied text, no adult content, no misleading headlines, and no copyrighted images taken from Google Images. If you are not sure about a rule, the AdSense program policies page is the safest place to check.

How to Add AdSense to Blogger in 7 Steps

This is the core of the guide. Follow these steps in order, and do not skip the final one — many beginners forget to click Redirect, and their application never completes.

Step 1: Sign in to Blogger and Open Your Blog

Go to blogger.com and sign in with the Google account that owns your blog. On the dashboard, click the blog you want to monetize. If you run more than one blog, double-check you picked the right one, because how to add AdSense to Blogger links the account to the blog you select here, and picking the wrong blog creates a mess that takes weeks to untangle.

Step 2: Open the Earnings Tab

In the left-hand menu, click Earnings. This is the page where Blogger manages all money features. The Earnings tab is the only place where how to add AdSense to Blogger officially starts, so never apply through a random link someone sends you in a comment or a message. If your blog is not yet eligible, Blogger will tell you here and explain what is missing. If it is eligible, you will see a button that says “Sign up for AdSense” or “Create AdSense account”.

Step 3: Create or Connect Your AdSense Account

Click the sign-up button. Google will ask you to pick the Google email for your AdSense account — use the same one you use for Blogger, so everything stays under one identity. If you already have an AdSense account from YouTube or another site, choose “Accept association” to link it instead of creating a second one. Google allows only one AdSense account per person, so never create a duplicate.

Fill in the form carefully: your real name, your country, and your address. These details must match your identity document later, because Google verifies them before your first payment. A wrong name here causes delays that are painful to fix. When you finish how to add AdSense to Blogger, this same email will receive your payment notifications, so keep it safe and check it regularly.

Step 4: Verify Your Phone Number

Google will send a verification code to your phone. Enter it when asked. This step is part of how to add AdSense to Blogger for every new applicant, so expect it and keep your phone nearby. Use a number you can access for years, because it stays tied to your account.

Step 5: Submit and Click Redirect

Here is the step most beginners miss. After you submit the form, AdSense sends you back to Blogger to finish the link between the two products. You must click Redirect, or let the page redirect automatically, and wait until you land back in your Blogger dashboard. If you close the tab early, the connection may not complete, and you will have to start again. This is the part of how to add AdSense to Blogger that causes the most confusion, so take your time with it.

Step 6: Wait for the Review

Once your application is submitted, Google reviews your blog. This usually takes 2 to 7 days, but it can stretch to 2 weeks during busy periods. You will get an email when the review is done. While you wait, the smartest thing you can do after learning how to add AdSense to Blogger is to publish two or three more useful posts. A blog that keeps growing during review looks better than one that goes silent.

Do not apply again while a review is in progress, and do not change your blog’s address during the review. Either of those can restart the whole process.

Step 7: Turn On Ads

If your application is approved, go back to Blogger, open Earnings, and turn on AdSense. Blogger will ask where you want ads to appear — between posts, in the sidebar, or both. Start with ads between posts and one sidebar ad. You can adjust placements later once you see what your readers tolerate.

That is the full process. Congratulations — you now know how to add AdSense to Blogger, and your blog can start earning. Once you have done it once, you will wonder why it seemed so complicated.

How to Place AdSense Ads on Your Blogger Blog

Getting approved is only half the job. If you followed the steps above, you already know how to add AdSense to Blogger. Now the question is where the ads should go. Where you place your ads decides how much you earn and how your readers feel about your blog. Here are the placements that work best for beginners.

Ads between posts are the easiest win. In Blogger, go to Layout, find the Blog Posts gadget, click Edit, and tick “Show Ads Between Posts”. This puts an ad after every few posts on your homepage and archive pages. It earns well because readers naturally scroll past it.

Sidebar ads are the classic choice. Go to Layout, click Add a Gadget in the sidebar, choose the AdSense gadget, and save. One ad near the top of the sidebar is enough. Three stacked sidebar ads slow your blog down and annoy readers. A reader who is learning how to add AdSense to Blogger often asks whether more ads mean more money. They do not — too many ads push readers away, and fewer readers means fewer clicks.

In-post ads earn the most per view, but they need a little care. You can add them through the theme editor by placing an ad unit near the post body, or use an HTML/JavaScript gadget in the layout. If you are not comfortable editing theme code, stick with between-posts and sidebar ads for now. You can always come back to in-post ads after you have finished how to add AdSense to Blogger and your first ads are running.

One warning: never click your own ads, and never ask friends or family to click them. Google detects invalid clicks very quickly, and a few fake clicks can get your account suspended. Let real readers do the clicking.

Common AdSense Errors on Blogger and How to Fix Them

Even after you learn how to add AdSense to Blogger and get approved, small errors pop up. Here are the ones I see most often, with the fix for each.

ProblemWhat it meansHow to fix it
“Error parsing XML” when saving theme codeYour ad code breaks Blogger’s XML rulesChange bare async to async=’async’ in the script tag, or paste the code in an HTML/JavaScript gadget instead
Ads not showing after approvalThe ad code is missing or the account is still under reviewCheck Earnings to confirm AdSense is on, then wait up to 48 hours for ads to appear
“Your blog isn’t eligible”Blogger thinks the blog is too new or too thinPublish 10 to 15 more original posts, add About and Privacy pages, then try again in 2 weeks
AdSense account disapprovedThe review found a policy problemRead the rejection email carefully, fix the exact issue it names, and reapply after 2 weeks
Blank ad spaces on mobileThe ad size does not fit small screensUse responsive ad units, which resize automatically, instead of fixed-size units
ads.txt warning in AdSenseGoogle cannot find your ads.txt fileIn Blogger, open Settings, go to Monetization, enable Custom ads.txt, and paste the line AdSense gives you

If you see an error I have not listed here, search the exact error message on Google’s AdSense Help pages before changing anything. Random fixes usually make things worse.

How Much Money Can You Make with AdSense on Blogger?

Let me give you real numbers instead of promises. After you learn how to add AdSense to Blogger and the first ads appear, the next question is always the same: how much will I earn? AdSense pays per thousand views (RPM) and per click (CPC), and both vary wildly by topic and country.

A blog about personal finance or insurance might earn $5 to $20 per 1,000 views. A blog about general news or entertainment might earn $1 to $3 per 1,000 views. Readers from the United States, the United Kingdom, and Canada usually earn more per click than readers from other countries, because advertisers pay more to reach them.

Do the maths for your own blog. If your blog gets 10,000 page views a month and your RPM is $4, you earn about $40 a month. At 100,000 views, that becomes $400. That is why traffic matters more than ad tricks. The honest answer about how to add AdSense to Blogger is that the setup is the easy part — the traffic is the hard part. The best way to earn more from AdSense is to publish more useful posts and bring in more readers, not to cram more ads onto the page.

One more honest point: your first payment takes time. Google only pays once your balance reaches $100, and payments go out around the 21st of each month. For a new blog, the first $100 can take 3 to 6 months. That is normal. Keep writing, and the number grows.

7 Mistakes That Get Blogger Blogs Rejected by AdSense

I have seen each of these mistakes cost someone their approval. Knowing how to add AdSense to Blogger is only half the job — avoiding these mistakes is the other half. Avoid them and your chances go up a lot.

1. Applying with only 3 or 4 posts. Google needs enough content to judge your blog. Wait until you have at least 15 solid posts.

2. Copying content from other websites. Even one copied article can get you rejected. Write everything yourself, in your own words.

3. Using a blog full of AI-generated filler. Short, generic posts with no real information do not pass review. Google’s reviewers can spot thin content in seconds, and it is the most common reason people fail at how to add AdSense to Blogger. Write posts that actually answer a question.

4. No About, Contact, or Privacy pages. These three pages take minutes to make and their absence is a common rejection reason.

5. Applying with a second AdSense account. One person, one account. If you already have one, link it instead.

6. Ignoring the Redirect step. As I said in Step 5, if you do not complete the redirect back to Blogger, the application never finishes.

7. Reapplying the day after a rejection. Google needs to see real changes. Fix the problem, publish more content, wait at least 2 weeks, then reapply.

If you were already rejected, do not panic. Read the rejection email, fix exactly what it mentions, improve your blog for two weeks, and apply again. Many successful bloggers were rejected on their first try. That is normal. Learn from the rejection, fix the blog, and try how to add AdSense to Blogger again with a stronger site.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does it take to add AdSense to Blogger?

Most people finish how to add AdSense to Blogger in one sitting of about 20 to 30 minutes. The review that follows usually takes 2 to 7 days, though it can take up to 2 weeks. Once approved, ads can take up to 48 hours to start appearing on your blog.

Can I add AdSense to Blogger without a custom domain?

Yes. You can apply with a free blogspot.com address through the Earnings tab in Blogger. A custom domain is not required, but it can help your blog look more professional and may speed up approval. The process for how to add AdSense to Blogger is the same on a free blogspot address and on a custom domain.

Do I need a certain number of visitors before applying?

Google does not publish a visitor minimum, but your blog needs enough content for reviewers to judge it. In practice, blogs with 15 to 20 original posts and a few weeks of history get approved far more often than brand-new blogs with almost no posts.

Can I use AdSense on Blogger and YouTube with the same account?

Yes, and you should. Google allows only one AdSense account per person, so link your Blogger blog and your YouTube channel to the same account. If you created a hosted account through YouTube first, you will need to upgrade it for AdSense for Content before placing ads on your blog.

Why are my AdSense ads not showing after approval?

The most common reasons are that the ad code was not saved properly, that you have an ad blocker running in your own browser, or that less than 48 hours have passed since approval. Check the Earnings tab to confirm AdSense is switched on, disable your ad blocker, and wait a full day before worrying. If you just finished how to add AdSense to Blogger, give it a full 48 hours before changing anything.

Disclaimer

This article is general educational information about how to add AdSense to Blogger. It is not professional or financial advice. AdSense rules, eligibility requirements, payment thresholds, and Blogger features change over time, so please verify the current details from Google’s official AdSense and Blogger help pages before applying. Your approval and earnings depend on your own blog, content, and traffic.

To learn more about the site behind this guide, visit the About Us page.