Google AdX Requirements: What Is Actually Checked

"Google AdX requirements" is one of the most searched questions from AdSense publishers, and the answers online are all over the place. Some list a pageview number, some list a minimum age for the domain, some say you need a company. Most of those numbers belong to individual partners, not to Google. This guide sticks to what Google itself publishes for publishers reaching Ad Exchange through Multiple Customer Management (MCM), explains what each check means in practice, and shows where partners may add their own criteria on top.

Requirements Google publishes vs requirements partners add

It helps to separate two layers.

Google's layer is the same for everyone who becomes an MCM child. It is set out in the MCM policies within the Ad Manager Partner Guidelines, in the Google Publisher Policies, and in the Ad Manager help pages on site review and verification. These are the checks covered in the rest of this guide.

The partner's layer is whatever an MCM parent adds for its own business reasons. A parent might ask for a minimum amount of traffic, a certain share of visitors from particular countries, or a site that has been live for a while. Those are business choices, not Google rules. They can vary a lot between partners, and a site that one partner declines may suit another.

When you read a list of "AdX approval requirements", ask which layer each item belongs to. If a list presents a partner's preference as a Google rule, the rest of the list deserves a closer look too.

Account standing (active Ad Manager account in good standing)

Google's MCM policies say the parent and child must both have active accounts in good standing, and must have a direct contractual relationship that gives the parent the rights it needs.

In practice, this starts with AdSense. Google requires an AdSense account to sign up for Ad Manager, and Manage Inventory children also need their own Ad Manager network so Google can identify them and check their application against its policies. If your AdSense account is limited, has unresolved policy issues or was closed, that history comes with you. Google's MCM guidance also says Ad Manager allows only one account per publisher, so do not open a fresh account to start over; duplicate accounts can be disapproved.

Before you look for a partner, open your AdSense Policy center and resolve anything listed there. Our guide Not ready yet? covers what to do if your account is not in good shape.

Site ownership including the root domain

This is the requirement most shortcuts break. Google's MCM policies say the child "must own all Sites in the Child Inventory, including the root domain of all websites and all apps."

What that means for you:

• The site has to be yours, on a domain you control. A subdomain of a free hosting service, where someone else owns the root domain, does not meet the rule.
• You cannot add a friend's site, a client's site or a site you rent to your own child inventory.
• Each piece of child inventory can only be managed, represented or sold by one parent.
• Google or its agent may verify the relationship between child and parent.

Ownership also shows up in ads.txt. Ad Manager can flag a site as "Needs attention" when there are ads.txt ownership verification problems, and the file must be at the root of the domain and not blocked by a geofence. See ads.txt and sellers.json for setup details.

No previously disapproved inventory

Google's MCM policies also say child inventory "must not have been previously disapproved by Google." The policy text does not list every situation that counts, so take it seriously rather than looking for gaps.

The practical lesson is that moving platforms is not a way to clear a site's history. If a site was turned down for low-value content or policy reasons, the same issues will matter in Ad Manager, where site review can flag low-value content directly. Fix the cause, then be honest with any partner about what happened. Our guide on low-value content explains what that label usually points to.

Site review and the Sites statuses

Every site you want to monetize goes through review in Ad Manager. You add it under Inventory > Sites > New site, and it shows one of three statuses:

• Needs attention: there are issues to fix, such as policy violations, low-value content or ads.txt ownership verification problems.
• Getting ready: the site is under review. Google says this "usually takes just a few days but could take up to 2-4 weeks."
• Ready: the site has been approved and is eligible to serve ads.

For MCM children, site review is a separate process from MCM readiness and can start while you finish the other onboarding steps.

What makes a site ready? Google's AdSense guidance is the best published description: unique and original content, clear navigation and a good user experience. The AdSense eligibility page adds that you need to own unique, high-quality content, comply with the program policies, be 18 or over and have access to your site's HTML. Since Ad Manager lists low-value content and policy violations among the reasons for "Needs attention", it is sensible to hold your site to the same standard before review.

Identity checks, policy compliance and traffic quality

Identity verification. Ad Manager asks publishers to verify their identity. You have 45 days to submit documents, or ads stop serving. Individuals use a government-issued photo ID, and businesses also submit registration documents. Processing can take up to 2 days. Under Manage Account, the child completes identity verification with its own documents, and Manage Inventory children onboarded after April 3, 2024 must complete both identity and address verification.

Address verification. Google verifies your address by mailing you a PIN. PINs can take up to four weeks to arrive, so check that your address is correct before the letter is sent.

Policy compliance. The Google Publisher Policies apply to anyone monetizing with Google ad code. Among other things, Google-served ads must not appear on screens without publisher content or with low-value content, on pages under construction, or on screens used for alerts or navigation. If you serve personalized ads to visitors in the EEA, the UK or Switzerland, Google requires a Google-certified consent management platform integrated with the IAB TCF.

Traffic quality. Invalid traffic means clicks or impressions that artificially inflate advertiser costs or publisher earnings, whether intentional or accidental. The publisher is ultimately responsible, and consequences can include limited serving, deductions and suspension. Paid traffic sources deserve special care. Read our invalid traffic guide before you apply.

Is there a traffic minimum?

Google does not publish a traffic minimum for publishers who reach Ad Exchange as MCM children. None of the Google pages on MCM policies, child readiness, site review or verification sets a pageview, session or revenue threshold.

So where do the numbers online come from? Usually from partners. An MCM parent may decide it only works with sites above a certain size, because setup and support take time. That is a fair business choice, but it is the partner's rule, not Google's. A small site with original content, clean traffic and a verified owner meets Google's published checks, even if some partners prefer larger sites.

The flip side is also true: a large site with thin content or questionable traffic does not meet Google's checks, however many pageviews it has.

To find the right path, read How to Get Google AdX Access, which compares the routes, and use our checklist to test your site against the points above.

Next step

Google's published requirements come down to a few things: a sound account, a site you own with real content, clean traffic and a verified identity. Eligible publishers may receive an MCM invitation through our MCM partner network, subject to Google's policies and review. Go through the requirements checklist, and if your account and site meet these points, you can request a review: Get AdX access.