Google AdSense is the display advertising programme run by Google. It lets website owners, bloggers and game makers earn money by showing ads that Google matches to their content. It is the best-known way for a beginner to start earning from a website, and it costs nothing to join.
AdSense pays publishers about 68% of the ad revenue their pages generate. Earnings are counted per impression and per click, and they are finalised at the start of the following month. Google sends the payment between the 21st and the 26th of that month, but only once the balance reaches the payment threshold — $100 in US dollars, or the local equivalent such as €70 or £60. Smaller balances simply roll over to the next month. Publishers can be paid by bank transfer (EFT), SEPA transfer, wire transfer, cheque or PayPal Hyperwallet, depending on the country they live in.
Joining takes a Google Account, original content, a phone number and a postal address. Google mails a PIN to the address for verification, and the whole site is checked against the AdSense programme policies. This review usually takes a few days but can take two to four weeks, and identity verification may be needed before ads can show.
AdSense suits almost any content niche because the ads follow the page topic. The downsides are the high $100 threshold and the slow monthly payout. It is a solid first network for a new publisher, but small sites will wait a while for their first payment.
★★★★★2.3 / 5 — AZK rating · How we rate
Payout & Join Details
Payout threshold: $100 USD (payment threshold; €70 / £60 local equivalents).
Payment methods: Check, Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT), SEPA, Wire Transfer, PayPal Hyperwallet — availability depends on payment address/country.
Payment speed: Monthly — earnings finalised at the start of the following month; payment issued between the 21st and the 26th.
Approval: Needs a Google Account, original content created from scratch, a valid phone number and a postal address (a PIN is mailed). Google reviews the whole site; usually a few days, in some cases 2–4 weeks. Since June 2026 identity verification may be required b
Pros
Run by Google — the largest display ad buyer pool in the world, so fill rates are high.
No upfront cost and no minimum traffic requirement published — small sites can apply.
Publishers typically keep about 68% of ad revenue.
Several payment methods (EFT, SEPA, wire, cheque, PayPal Hyperwallet, depending on country).
Works on websites, games and content, with ads matched to the page.
Cons
$100 payout threshold is high for a small site — earnings below it roll over month after month.
Monthly payments only, issued between the 21st and the 26th — slow compared with weekly-paying networks.
Every site is reviewed and identity verification can be required before ads show; approval can take 2–4 weeks.
No human account manager for most publishers — support is largely automated.