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Technology · Business & Marketing

Google AdSense

adsense.google.com

Google AdSense allows website publishers to earn revenue by displaying targeted advertisements on their digital content. AdSense pays publishers effective cost per mille rates based on advertiser bids.[1][2]

Google AdSense is a widely-used program run by Google that enables website publishers to monetize their online content by displaying targeted advertisements. By analyzing site content and visitor behavior, AdSense delivers relevant ads that are likely to engage the audience, thereby generating revenue for the publisher. This seamless integration not only enhances user experience but also offers detailed reporting and optimization tools to help maximize ad revenue.

Google AdSense belongs toAdvertisingcategory.

Payouts

Calculates payouts on effective cost per mille[2]

Eligibility

Requires applicants to be at least 18 years old[3]

Content

Demands original content attracting an audience[1]

Access

Requires access to website HTML source code[1]

101websites

use it — 4% of the 2,560 websites we scanned in the last 12 months

#9of 85

tools in its category seen in our scans (we recognize 234)

2public pages

on UptimeCard — open any of them to see how that site is doing

In short: Google AdSense delivers automated website monetization, though publishers must control their HTML source code and follow strict program policies.[1]

3.41% of all websites we track run Google AdSense▼ 0.01 points since 20 Sep

Should you use Google AdSense?

The 10-second version, from the vendor’s own pages and what we see in our scans

Google AdSense fits if…

  • Content creators producing original written articles and media seeking automated ad placement.[1]
  • Website operators with full access to modify HTML templates across their domain.[1]

Look elsewhere if…

  • Businesses looking to purchase advertising campaigns rather than sell ad placements.[4]
  • Publishers who already meet a managed network's revenue minimum and want hands-on ad management[5]
Publishers must monitor compliance as program rules can change over time.[1]

Google AdSense next to other ways to sell ad space

Publisher-side ad networks a site could join instead. Each cell quotes that company's own page.

Google AdSenseEzoicMediavineMedia.net
Joining and selling
Who can applyOwn original contentthe applicant must be an adult[1]Not stated on its publisher page$5,000 a yearminimum ad revenue to apply[5]Not stated on its publisher page
Where the demand comes fromGoogle and other buy-side platformspublisher share stated after their fee[2]Many ad networkscompete for every impression[6]Server-to-server biddingwith real-time analytics[8]Exclusive budgetsavailable only to its publishers[7]
What we see in our scans
Websites running it1014% of 2,560 scanned sites1too few to compare0too few to compare1too few to compare
  • Ezoic: Sells a site's ad space through an auction of many ad networks[6]
  • Mediavine: Ad management for publishers, with an entry program for growing sites[5]
  • Media.net: A sell-side platform that monetizes publishers' content[7]

Choose Google AdSense if…

  • Choose Google AdSense to generate revenue from website traffic and published content.[1]
  • You want to run other ad networks next to it[1]

Choose Ezoic if…

  • You want many ad networks competing for each impression[6]
  • You want rewarded ads that visitors opt into[6]
  • Your site is built with React, Vue or Angular[6]

Choose Mediavine if…

  • Your site already earns enough ad revenue to apply and you want managed ads[5]
  • You are still growing and want its self-supported Journey program[5]

Choose Media.net if…

  • You want demand budgets sold only to its publishers[9]
  • You want a managed Prebid header bidding setup[7]

Support and help for Google AdSense

How the vendor says you can reach it, and the public help community

Help Center

Google provides dedicated AdSense Help Center documentation and troubleshooting guides.[1]

How Google AdSense sites protect themselves

Share of the 101 sites we scanned that run each protection

HSTS43% · 43 sites

HTTP Strict Transport Security (HSTS) informs browsers that the site should only be accessed using HTTPS

reCAPTCHA17% · 17 sites

reCAPTCHA is a free service from Google that helps protect websites from spam and abuse

Protections add up, they do not replace each other: a site can run all of them.

How Google AdSense sites are built

Closest partners. The number says how many times more often the tool runs on Google AdSense sites than on an average website. Hover a partner for its share of sites.

Didomi12×Marfeel11×Funding Choices9×Facebook Login8×Preact6×Prebid5×Amazon Advertising4×Google Sign-in3×jQuery UI2×

Stacks we see most. Tools that tend to run together with Google AdSense on the same websites. The percentage is the share of all 101 Google AdSense sites that run the whole stack.

9 stacks · swipe, drag or use the arrows
#1

Google AdSense + Google Tag Manager + Funding Choices + Prebid + Amazon Advertising

9.9%10 of 101 sites
#2

Google AdSense + Google Analytics + Funding Choices + Cloudflare Browser Insights

11.9%12 of 101 sites
#3

Google AdSense + Google Tag Manager + Prebid + Didomi + Marfeel

8.9%9 of 101 sites
#4

Google AdSense + Google Analytics + Prebid + Amazon Advertising + Didomi

5%5 of 101 sites
#5

Google AdSense + Funding Choices + Amazon Advertising + Didomi + Marfeel

4%4 of 101 sites
#6

Google AdSense + Google Tag Manager + Funding Choices + Google Sign-in + Microsoft Clarity

4%4 of 101 sites
#7

Google AdSense + Google Analytics + Prebid + Marfeel + YouTube

4%4 of 101 sites
#8

Google AdSense + Google Tag Manager + Amazon Advertising + Didomi + AppNexus

4%4 of 101 sites
#9

Google AdSense + Google Analytics + Marfeel + Facebook Login + Criteo

4%4 of 101 sites

Usually installed alongside

The bigger the bubble, the more of the 101 Google AdSense sites also run the tool. Colour shows what the tool does. Hover or tap a bubble for details.

Google Tag Manager77%Google Analytics76%Marfeel14%Microsoft Clarity14%Funding Choices55%Didomi17%Prebid26%Amazon Advertising17%Cart Functionality17%Yoast SEO14%
Tag managerAnalyticsCookie consentAdvertisingOnline storeSearch visibility

Similar tools in its category

Advertising: 234 tools known, 85 seen in our scans

Microsoft Advertising337 sitesAlternativeDoubleClick Floodlight244 sitesAlternativeLinkedin Ads175 sitesAlternativeGoogle Ads141 sitesAlternativeReddit Ads140 sitesAlternativeTwitter Ads127 sitesAlternativetheTradeDesk70 sitesAlternativeAdRoll43 sitesAlternativePrebid125 sitesUsed togetherAmazon Advertising108 sitesUsed togetherCriteo60 sitesUsed togetherTaboola58 sitesUsed together

Who is behind Google AdSense

From its own pages and public records, with sources

Operated by

Google LLC[10]

Mountain View, California. · since 2003[10][11]

Its story

  1. 2003

    Google launched AdSense on June 18, 2003, enabling web publishers of all sizes to monetize their content with targeted contextual advertisements.[11]

  2. 2017

    Google introduced Ad balance in May 2017 to allow publishers to reduce the volume of ads displayed while observing earnings impact.[12]

  3. 2017

    Google introduced AdSense Native ads in July 2017, offering in-feed, in-article, and matched content formats matched to site layout.[13]

  4. 2018

    Google released AdSense Auto ads in February 2018, using machine learning to place and optimize ad units automatically from a single script snippet.[14]

  5. 2021

    AdSense transitioned from second-price to first-price auctions in October 2021, aligning bidding mechanics across Google Ad Manager and AdMob.[15]

  6. 2023

    Google announced updates to the AdSense revenue share structure in November 2023, splitting payments into separate buy-side and sell-side rates.[16]

Questions about Google AdSense

How many websites use Google AdSense?
We found Google AdSense on 101 of the 2,560 websites we scanned in the last 12 months (4%). 2 of them have a public status page.
What is Google AdSense often used with?
Among the websites we scan, Google AdSense is often found alongside Google Tag Manager (77.2% of its sites), Google Analytics (76.2% of its sites), Funding Choices (54.5% of its sites).
What are the alternatives to Google AdSense?
Other advertising tools we recognize include Microsoft Advertising, DoubleClick Floodlight, Linkedin Ads, Google Ads.

Is your website built with Google AdSense?

UptimeCard checks it around the clock, tells you the minute it stops answering, and gives your visitors a status page.

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