What This Checklist Solves

AdSense approval is usually framed as a simple account task: create an account, paste the code, and request review. For a new WordPress site, that is too late in the process. The real work is making the site look complete before the review starts.

This checklist turns the Eiway rebuild into a repeatable approval gate. It is written for a new publisher site that needs to remove demo content, prove original value, clean up navigation, publish trust pages, and make the site crawlable before asking Google to review it.

Google's AdSense guidance says a site needs unique content, clear navigation, a good user experience, policy compliance, and a reachable live site before it is ready. Google's Search Central guidance also matters because staging copies, duplicate URLs, robots.txt mistakes, and canonical confusion can make a new site look unfinished.

Use these official references while reviewing the checklist: make sure your site's pages are ready for AdSense, what to do when your site is not ready to show ads, connect your site to AdSense, robots.txt introduction, and canonicalization.

Disclosure: This is an informational checklist. Eiway may add affiliate links or product links later, but the checklist is based on official Google guidance, the live Eiway implementation, and the site's own proof requirements, not on commission.

Recommended Setup

Use a five-gate approval checklist before submitting a new WordPress site:

1. Public identity is clear.
2. Content has first-hand proof.
3. Navigation and trust pages are complete.
4. Crawl and index settings are clean.
5. AdSense submission setup is ready.

For Eiway, the operating threshold is stricter than Google's published requirements. Submit only after the site has no public demo pages, no indexable staging copy, no default WordPress content, six or more trust pages, a clean article library, and at least one proof-heavy article already published.

The 25-point checklist below is not an official Google checklist. It is the internal Eiway quality gate used to avoid the common "site not ready to show ads" problems before they reach AdSense review.

The 25-Point AdSense Approval Checklist

Gate 1: Public Identity

• The homepage explains one narrow topic within the first screen.
• The site name, logo, and navigation are consistent across homepage, pages, and posts.
• The default WordPress tagline, sample page, and "Hello world!" post are removed or drafted.
• The contact page has real site-owner context instead of a placeholder map or form.
• The About page explains who the site serves and how the content is produced.

Gate 2: Original Content

• The first article is final prose, not a generated outline.
• Each published guide has original proof, such as screenshots, settings, before-and-after notes, checklists, templates, or implementation observations.
• Thin archive pages, search pages, and empty category pages are not competing with real articles.
• Article intros explain the reader problem without promising guaranteed AdSense approval.
• Source links are used for Google policy and technical claims.

Gate 3: Navigation And Trust Pages

• Main navigation points to the article library, editorial standard, and contact page.
• Footer navigation includes Privacy Policy, Terms, and Affiliate Disclosure.
• Editorial Policy explains corrections, sourcing, affiliate independence, and proof requirements.
• Privacy Policy describes analytics, cookies, advertising signals, and contact handling.
• Affiliate Disclosure is visible before or near monetized recommendations when affiliate links are added.

Gate 4: Crawl And Index Setup

• Only the live domain should be indexable.
• Staging should be password-protected, redirected, or noindexed.
• Demo URLs such as /home/, /collection/, sample pages, and raw-shortcode pages should be redirected, removed, or drafted.
• Do not use robots.txt as the only method for keeping pages out of Google Search.
• The XML sitemap should include useful canonical URLs, and CSS, JavaScript, and images should remain crawlable so Google can render the page.

Gate 5: AdSense Submission Setup

• The site is published and reachable without a password on the live domain.
• HTTPS works and HTTP redirects to HTTPS.
• The AdSense code is placed on the same site submitted for review.
• The AdSense crawler is not blocked in robots.txt.
• The site owner can check the Sites card in AdSense and wait through the review cycle, which Google says usually takes a few days but can take 2 to 4 weeks.

Eiway Implementation Notes

Eiway now uses automation to keep this checklist enforceable instead of relying on memory. The automation stores final article prose in content/articles, generates WordPress drafts from that durable source, uploads original proof screenshots, and writes the proof URLs into data/article_proofs.json.

For article 02, the proof asset is a visual approval checklist built from the same five gates above. It is not a stock graphic. It was created specifically for the Eiway workflow so the draft shows the exact review standard being used before AdSense submission.

The second proof screenshot captures the live Eiway article library after article 01 was published and the default WordPress content was retired. That matters because AdSense readiness is not just what one post says. It is also whether the visible site footprint looks coherent.

How To Use This Checklist

1. Open the live homepage in a private browser window.
2. Walk through the five gates in order.
3. Mark any failed item as a blocker, not a nice-to-have.
4. Fix public cleanup issues before editing more articles.
5. Capture a screenshot or note for every important fix.
6. Regenerate WordPress drafts from the automation source.
7. Preview the draft on desktop and mobile.
8. Request AdSense review only after no blocker remains.

The sequence matters. If a staging copy is still indexable or a default post is still public, publishing more articles does not solve the trust problem. Clean the visible footprint first, then scale content.

What To Fix Before Submitting

• Fix any page that still looks like a theme demo.
• Remove raw shortcodes and builder placeholders.
• Replace generic AI prose with implementation details and proof.
• Draft or noindex empty archives and thin utility pages.
• Confirm the homepage, article library, and first article all look like the same publication.
• Make sure the submitted domain is the one that contains the AdSense code.
• Check that AdSense can reach the site without login protection.

Monetization Notes

Article 02 should not force affiliate links. The best monetization path is an email capture or low-priced downloadable checklist once the site has enough trust. For now, the checklist can be used as an editorial standard and later converted into a PDF or template.

When affiliate links are added to future tool recommendations, keep them away from the approval checklist itself unless they directly help the reader complete a task. Add the disclosure near the first monetized recommendation and keep the recommendation independent.

Common Mistakes

• Treating AdSense approval as a code-install task instead of a site-quality review.
• Applying before trust pages and navigation are complete.
• Leaving the default WordPress post public.
• Hiding staging with only robots.txt.
• Publishing checklist pages that contain no actual checklist.
• Using screenshots as decoration instead of evidence.
• Resubmitting after a rejection without fixing the specific blocker.

Sources Used

• Make sure your site's pages are ready for AdSense
• What to do when your site is not ready to show ads
• Connect your site to AdSense
• Check the status of your AdSense sites
• Robots.txt introduction
• Robots meta tag and X-Robots-Tag
• Canonicalization
• Canonical URL methods

FAQ

Is this an official Google checklist?

No. This is Eiway's operational checklist based on official AdSense and Google Search documentation plus the actual Eiway rebuild. Use Google's documentation as the source of policy truth.

How many posts do I need before applying?

Google does not publish a fixed post count. Eiway uses a stricter internal gate: enough useful pages to make the site feel like a finished publication, plus at least one proof-heavy article already published.

Should I submit if the site has a staging copy in Google?

No. Clean the staging issue first. A staging copy can create duplicate-content and quality-signaling problems before review.

Can I apply before every article is published?

Yes, if the visible site already has enough useful content and no public blockers. For Eiway, the safer path is to publish the first proof-heavy article, finish article 02 as a draft, then keep scaling toward the 30-article plan.

What is the next Eiway step?

Review this article 02 WordPress draft preview, confirm the proof screenshots are useful, then publish it after final approval.