Here's a detailed, step-by-step guide to resolve the issue where your ads.txt file is not being recognized by Google AdSense, even though you have created and saved it in your Blogger settings:
1. Understanding ads.txt
The ads.txt file is a text file that publishers place on their websites to declare authorized digital sellers for their ad inventory. Its purpose is to improve transparency in the programmatic advertising ecosystem and help prevent unauthorized inventory sales .
2. Creating and Saving ads.txt in Blogger
- Log in to your Blogger account
- Go to Settings > Monetization
- Scroll down to the "ads.txt" section
- Copy the content provided by Google AdSense
- Paste the content into the text box
- Click "Save"
3. Why AdSense Might Not Recognize Your ads.txt
Even after saving the ads.txt file in your Blogger settings, AdSense may not recognize it due to several reasons:
- Crawling delay: It may take a few days for AdSense to crawl and verify your ads.txt file .
- Incorrect file location: The ads.txt file must be in the root directory of your website .
- Formatting issues: The content of the ads.txt file must be correctly formatted.
- Access issues: The file must be publicly accessible.
4. Troubleshooting Steps
Step 1: Verify the ads.txt Content
- Go to your blog's URL and add "/ads.txt" at the end (e.g., yourblog.blogspot.com/ads.txt)
- Ensure the content matches exactly what AdSense provided
Step 2: Check for Redirection Issues
- Test your blog URL with and without "www" (e.g., www.yourblog.blogspot.com and yourblog.blogspot.com)
- Ensure both URLs redirect to the same location and that the ads.txt file is accessible .
Step 3: Verify File Accessibility
- Open an incognito browser window
- Navigate to yourblog.blogspot.com/ads.txt
- Ensure the file loads without any errors
Step 4: Check Blogger Settings
- Go to Blogger settings
- Ensure that URL redirection is turned on .
- Verify that your custom domain (if applicable) is correctly set up
Step 5: Wait for AdSense to Crawl
- After making any changes, wait at least a few days for AdSense to crawl your site again
- For sites with low ad requests, it may take up to a month .
5. Best Practices and Tips
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Regular Checks: Periodically verify your ads.txt file to ensure it's up-to-date and accessible.
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Use the AdSense Troubleshooter: AdSense provides a troubleshooter tool to help identify and resolve ads.txt issues .
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Keep Your Publisher ID Updated: Ensure your publisher ID in the ads.txt file matches the one in your AdSense account .
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Monitor AdSense Notifications: Keep an eye on your AdSense account for any notifications about ads.txt issues.
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Avoid Common Mistakes: Don't include extra spaces, line breaks, or unnecessary characters in your ads.txt file.
By following these steps and best practices, you should be able to resolve most ads.txt issues with Google AdSense on your Blogger site. Remember, patience is key as changes may take some time to be reflected in AdSense.