The Short Answer Is Yes
There is a myth floating around in almost every blogger community online. It goes something like this: "Blogspot blogs cannot get approved by Google AdSense. You need a self-hosted website with a custom domain." People repeat it in Facebook groups, YouTube comment sections, and online forums like it is an established fact.
It is not a fact. It never was.
Google AdSense does approve Blogspot sites. Blogspot blogs with the free .blogspot.com subdomain have been approved for AdSense, and they continue to get approved today. The platform you build on is not the deciding factor. Your content is.
Now, that does not mean every Blogspot blog will automatically get approved. There are real requirements you need to meet, real mistakes that will get your application rejected, and real things you need to understand before you apply. This post will walk you through all of it so you know exactly what to expect.
Why People Think Blogspot Cannot Get AdSense Approved
This myth has been around for a long time, and it makes some sense when you think about where it comes from. In the early days of AdSense, the program was less structured and approval was handled differently. There were also periods when Google tightened its policies and many low-quality blogs, a huge number of which happened to be on Blogspot, got rejected or had their accounts disabled.
People drew the wrong conclusion. Instead of recognizing that those blogs were rejected because of poor content or policy violations, they blamed the platform. "It must be Blogspot," became the popular narrative.
Then there is the self-hosted WordPress crowd. A lot of blogging advice online comes from WordPress users and affiliate marketers who have a preference for self-hosted sites. When they say "you need a real website," they often mean a WordPress site with a custom domain. That framing made Blogspot seem like a lesser option, not a serious one.
But Google itself has never said Blogspot is ineligible for AdSense. If you check the official AdSense eligibility requirements, the platform your blog runs on is not listed as a barrier. What matters is that your site complies with AdSense program policies and provides real value to readers.
What Google Actually Looks at When Reviewing Your Application
When you submit your Blogspot blog for AdSense review, Google is not checking whether you are on Blogspot or WordPress. They are evaluating your site against a set of content and quality standards. Here is what actually matters.
Content Quality and Originality
This is the biggest one. Google wants to see original content that provides genuine value to readers. That means blog posts you wrote yourself, covering topics you actually understand, with enough depth and substance to be useful.
Thin content is a common rejection reason. If your posts are 200 to 300 words, mostly fluff, or obviously generated without real thought behind them, your application is likely to be declined. Google calls this low-value content, and it is one of the most frequent issues bloggers face. If you have already been rejected for this reason, there are specific steps you can take to fix it, which we cover in our guide on how to fix AdSense low value content.
A Sufficient Number of Posts
Google has not published a specific number of posts required for approval. But from experience and community observation, having at least 15 to 20 well-written posts before applying gives you a much stronger foundation. Some bloggers get approved with fewer. Others with more still get rejected because the posts themselves are weak.
The goal is not to hit a magic number. The goal is to build a blog that feels complete and purposeful, not a site that looks like it was thrown together last week.
Policy Compliance
Your blog must not contain content that violates AdSense program policies. This includes things like adult content, content promoting violence or illegal activity, copyrighted material used without permission, and deceptive content. Google has a full list of restricted and prohibited content that you should review before applying. We have also put together a detailed breakdown of AdSense policy violations you need to avoid.
Basic Site Navigation and Pages
Your blog should feel like a legitimate website, not an empty shell. That means having essential pages like About, Contact, and Privacy Policy. These pages signal that a real person is behind the blog and that readers can trust the information they find there.
On Blogspot, you can create these as static pages very easily. If you have not done this yet, do it before you apply.
Age of the Blog
In some countries, Google requires that your blog be at least six months old before you can apply for AdSense. This requirement does not apply everywhere, but if you are in one of the affected regions, you will need to wait regardless of how good your content is. You can check whether this applies to your country in the AdSense eligibility guide.
Does Not Having a Custom Domain Hurt Your Chances?
This is the part where a lot of people get confused. Let me be direct about it.
A custom domain is not required to get AdSense approved. Blogspot blogs with the free .blogspot.com subdomain have been and continue to be approved. Google has confirmed this. The idea that you must buy a domain first is advice, not a rule.
That said, having a custom domain does have some advantages worth knowing about. A custom domain looks more professional, which can influence how readers perceive your site. It also makes your blog easier to remember and brand over time. From a pure AdSense eligibility standpoint though, the domain type does not determine whether you get approved.
If you have a great blog on .blogspot.com, apply. Do not wait and spend money on a domain just because someone in a forum told you that you had to.
Common Mistakes Blogspot Bloggers Make Before Applying
Getting rejected by AdSense is frustrating, especially when you do not know exactly what went wrong. Based on what bloggers commonly experience, here are the mistakes that hurt applications the most.
Applying Too Early
Excitement is understandable. You set up your blog, wrote a few posts, and want to start earning. But applying before your blog has enough content and history is one of the fastest ways to get rejected. Worse, repeated rejections can signal to Google that you are not taking the process seriously.
Build the blog first. Get it to a place where you would be proud to show it to someone. Then apply.
Copied or Scraped Content
Some bloggers copy articles from other websites and republish them, sometimes with minor rewording. Google detects this. Duplicate content is a direct path to rejection, and in serious cases, it can result in your blog being penalized in search as well.
Everything on your blog should be your own original writing.
Missing Essential Pages
Applying without an About page, Contact page, or Privacy Policy is a common oversight. These are not optional extras. They are part of what makes your blog look trustworthy and legitimate to Google's reviewers.
A Blog That Looks Under Construction
If your blog has placeholder text, broken layouts, missing images, or sections that are clearly unfinished, reviewers will notice. Your blog should look complete and ready for visitors before you send it to AdSense for review. If your blog previously showed a "site under construction" page or similar message, make sure that issue is fully resolved. We wrote a detailed post on how to fix the site under construction issue if that applies to you.
Ignoring Policy Before Applying
A surprising number of bloggers apply without ever reading the AdSense program policies. Then they get rejected for something they could have easily avoided. Read the policies. Review your blog against them. Fix anything that does not align before you submit your application.
We have also covered the 10 mistakes that get your AdSense application rejected in more detail if you want a thorough checklist before you apply.
How to Prepare Your Blogspot Blog for AdSense Approval
Here is a practical approach to getting your Blogspot blog ready. This is not a complicated process, but it does require patience and attention to detail.
Step 1: Build Real Content First
Aim for at least 15 to 25 posts before applying. Each post should be long enough to cover its topic meaningfully, typically 800 words or more. Write about topics you have genuine knowledge of or have researched properly. Cover one topic per post and do it well.
Step 2: Create the Essential Pages
Using Blogger's Pages feature, create the following:
- About: Tell readers who you are and what your blog is about. Write in first person and make it personal.
- Contact: Provide a way for readers and brands to reach you. A simple contact form or email address works.
- Privacy Policy: This is especially important for AdSense compliance since displaying ads involves data. You can use a free privacy policy generator to create one tailored to your blog
Step 3: Review Your Design
Your blog does not need to look like a professionally designed magazine. But it should be clean, readable, and easy to navigate. Make sure your theme displays properly on mobile, that your navigation is clear, and that there are no broken elements on your pages.
Step 4: Check for Policy Issues
Go through your posts and remove or revise anything that could conflict with AdSense policies. This includes any affiliate links you need to disclose properly, any embedded third-party content that may have rights issues, and any topics that edge into restricted categories.
Step 5: Apply Through Your Blogger Dashboard
Once your blog is ready, you can apply directly through the Blogger dashboard. Go to Earnings in the left menu and follow the steps to connect your blog to AdSense. You will need a Google account and to agree to AdSense's terms of service. After submitting, Google typically reviews applications within a few days to a couple of weeks.
What Happens After You Apply
After you submit your application, Google will review your blog. During this period, you may see a message in your AdSense account saying your site is being reviewed. This is normal and does not mean anything is wrong.
If you are approved, you will receive an email confirmation and you can start placing ad units on your blog through the AdSense dashboard or directly in Blogger's Layout section.
If you are rejected, Google will usually tell you the primary reason. Take that feedback seriously. Do not immediately reapply. Instead, address the specific issue they flagged, improve your blog, and then resubmit once you are confident the problem is resolved.
Repeated applications without making changes will not produce different results. Google is looking for improvement, not persistence.
Real Talk: Is Blogspot Worth It for AdSense?
This is a fair question to ask. Blogspot is free, easy to set up, and backed by Google, which means your blog is hosted reliably without any monthly costs. For someone just starting out, that matters.
The tradeoff is that Blogspot gives you less flexibility than a self-hosted platform. You cannot install plugins, your customization options are more limited, and if Google ever decides to shut down Blogger (which is always a small possibility with free platforms), you would need to migrate.
But as a starting point, Blogspot is completely legitimate. Many bloggers have built real audiences and real income through AdSense on Blogspot. The platform is not your limitation. Your content and consistency are what will determine your results.
If you treat your Blogspot blog seriously, produce genuinely useful content, and build it with care, AdSense approval is absolutely within reach.
Finally
Google AdSense does approve Blogspot sites. The platform you use is not the barrier. The quality of your content, your compliance with AdSense policies, and how seriously you approach the process are what matter.
Stop letting the myth hold you back. If you have a Blogspot blog with solid content and a clean setup, you have a real shot at approval. Build it properly, review the requirements honestly, fix what needs fixing, and apply when you are genuinely ready.
That is the only strategy that works, whether you are on Blogspot, WordPress, or anything else.
See you in my next post ☺️
