Self-service guide
The Ad Manager readiness checklist
If you're monetizing with AdSense today, begin by setting up Ad Manager; the application needs a network code, not an AdSense publisher ID. Then work through your account, site and traffic before requesting an MCM invitation.
Account foundations
Move from AdSense to an Ad Manager network
If you only have AdSense, sign in at admanager.google.com with a Google account you control and follow Google's sign-up steps to create an Ad Manager network. Your AdSense publisher ID is not a network code.
Your network is fully set up
Network name, time zone and currency are final — time zone and currency can't be changed later, so confirm them before anything else.
You can sign in reliably
The Google account tied to Ad Manager is one you control long-term, with two-step verification enabled and recovery options set.
User roles are tidy
Remove people who no longer need access. A short, current user list is a small but real trust signal.
You know your network code
Find it under Admin → Global settings. You'll be asked for it in almost every partnership conversation.
Policy standing
No unresolved policy issues
Check the Policy Center in Ad Manager and resolve or appeal anything open. Outstanding violations are the most common blocker.
A clean account history
Past suspensions or terminations — on this account or related ones — matter. If something was resolved, be ready to explain it.
Content you can stand behind
Your sites should be original, clearly owned by you, and free of categories that advertisers routinely exclude.
Traffic quality
Traffic sources you can explain
Know where your visitors come from. Sudden spikes, purchased traffic or undisclosed referral schemes are red flags.
No self-clicking or encouragement to click
Never click your own ads, ask others to, or use layouts that engineer accidental clicks.
Reasonable ad density
Pages should be primarily content. If ads dominate the viewport, reduce units before anyone reviews the site.
Inventory declarations
ads.txt is published and current
Every domain serving ads should have an ads.txt file at its root listing your authorized sellers, including your own publisher ID.
sellers.json is consistent
Where a sellers.json file applies, your seller entry should match how your inventory is actually sold.
Domains match reality
The domains in your declarations should be the domains that actually serve the ads — no placeholders, no domains you don't control.
Inventory and ad setup
Ad units are organized
Sensible naming and structure make your inventory understandable to anyone reviewing it — including future partners.
Ads render correctly
Click through your own pages. Broken placements, console errors and layout shifts are easy to fix before a review and embarrassing during one.
A privacy policy and contact page exist
Both should be reachable from every page. They're baseline expectations for any site carrying programmatic ads.
Ready for AdX? Get access
Once your Ad Manager network is set up, apply with its network code. Eligible publishers may receive an invitation from our MCM partner network, subject to Google's policies.
Get AdX access