Google AdSense
AdSense publishes no traffic minimum, which is why it is almost always the first network a publisher runs. Approval turns entirely on content quality, required pages and policy compliance. Payment arrives between the 21st and 26th of the month once you have accumulated $100.
Requirements last verified against the network’s own documentation.
At a glance
| Entry requirement | No published minimum |
|---|---|
| Typical RPM | $1.00 – $15.00 |
| Revenue share | 68% to the publisher |
| Payout threshold | $100.00 |
| Payment terms | Net 21 days |
| Tier-1 traffic expected | None stated |
| Setup fee | None |
| Review time | 1–14 days |
| Exclusive | No |
The detail behind those numbers
AdSense publishes no traffic minimum. Approval turns on content quality, required pages and policy compliance rather than volume. Revenue share is 68% when advertisers buy through Google Ads; since the 2024 restructure Google describes it as publishers receiving 80% of revenue after the buy-side platform takes its fee. Pricing moved from per-click to per-impression in early 2024. Payment is issued between the 21st and 26th of the month once the $100 threshold is met.
The only network with no door
AdSense is where essentially every publisher starts, for one reason: it does not
ask how big you are. There is no pageview minimum, no session minimum and no
revenue threshold.
What it asks instead is whether the site is worth showing ads on. That is a
judgement about content, required pages and policy compliance — which is why the
most common rejection is "low value content" rather than anything about traffic,
and why a site with fifty thin posts is declined while one with fifteen good
ones is approved.
What the revenue share actually means
Two figures circulate and both are correct, stated from different points in the
chain:
- 68% — what the publisher keeps when an advertiser buys through Google Ads
- 80% — what the publisher receives of the revenue remaining after the
buy-side platform takes its fee
The 2024 restructure split the buy-side and sell-side fees to make this explicit
rather than changing the economics. Search ads sit at 51%, which is a different
product.
At the same time pricing moved from per-click to per-impression. That is the
change publishers actually felt: earnings became less sensitive to click-through
rate and more sensitive to viewability and how much of the page an advertiser
can see.
The payout threshold is a real constraint at small scale
$100, rolled over until reached, paid between the 21st and 26th of the following
month.
For a site earning $15 a month that is a payment every seven months, and it is
worth planning around rather than being surprised by. It is also one of the few
places where a higher-RPM niche compounds twice: more revenue per visitor, and
the money actually arriving.
Not exclusive — which is the strategic point
AdSense runs alongside other demand. Every managed network on this list —
Mediavine, Journey, Raptive — is exclusive, so joining one means AdSense comes
off entirely.
That makes AdSense the base layer rather than a competitor: run it while the
site grows, and treat the move to a managed network as a decision to replace it
rather than supplement it. And note what the move involves — rewriting your
ads.txt, which is the moment things quietly break.
Frequently asked
- How much traffic does AdSense require?
- None is published, and that is genuinely the policy rather than an omission. Sites are assessed on content, required pages and policy compliance. This is why "low value content" rather than "not enough traffic" is the most common rejection.
- What is the AdSense revenue share?
- Publishers keep 68% when advertisers buy through Google Ads. Since the 2024 restructure Google describes it as publishers receiving 80% of what remains after the buy-side platform takes its fee, which is the same arrangement stated from a different point in the chain. Search ads are 51%.
- When does AdSense pay?
- Earnings are finalised early in the following month and paid between the 21st and 26th, provided the balance has reached $100. Below that it rolls over until it does — which for a small site can mean several months between payments.
- Can I run AdSense alongside other networks?
- Yes. AdSense is not exclusive, which is what makes it a sensible base layer. The managed networks — Mediavine, Journey, Raptive — are exclusive, so joining one means AdSense comes off.
Whichever network you run, ads.txt is the same risk
Every network on this list authorises its demand through your ads.txt. If a line disappears, that network stops bidding — and nothing in its dashboard will tell you. A network switch is the most common way it happens.
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