Policy history
Ask for screenshots of the Policy center in the seller's account and ask about old warnings that were already resolved.
Use case · Buying and selling sites
Buy or sell a monetized site with no surprises
A site with ads carries a history: policy warnings, condemned formats, forgotten subdomains and traffic sources that do not always show up in the sale listing. This guide shows what to check before closing the deal, from both sides of the table.
- ✓Public scan, no need for the seller's password
- ✓Subdomains discovered and audited
- ✓Report to attach to the negotiation
365days is the period in which Google counts repeated failures in the Ad Experience Report
7 a 10days of ad requests that the Policy center considers when listing sites
1 monthis how long AdSense can take to read a new ads.txt on sites with few requests
0changes made to the site during the ConsentMode audit
Why check
The site changes owner, but the history stays with the domain
Whoever buys a monetized site buys content, traffic and a reputation with Google's systems. The Ad Experience Report, for example, is tied to the site in Search Console and counts repeated failures over the last 365 days.
On the other side, whoever sells gains trust by showing a site in order. An audit report with screenshots and completed tasks answers at once many of the questions the buyer would ask.
Remember that the publisher is always responsible for the traffic and content where their ad code appears. From the day the buyer's code goes on the site, whatever is there becomes their problem.
What to look at
Six points of good due diligence
Each one can change the price or the plan after the purchase.
Ad experience
Ask for access to Search Console and check the mobile and desktop status and the history of changes.
Subdomains
Look for old, test or abandoned subdomains. Some end up showing spam or another site's content.
Traffic sources
Check where the visits come from. Purchased traffic needs to be explained, with channels and landing pages.
Content quality
Read random posts, not just the most visited ones. Look for short, repeated or unreviewed translated texts.
ads.txt and tags
Check who is authorized to sell the inventory and which ad codes are on the site today.
Checklist
A 5-step due diligence checklist
- Audit what is publicBefore asking for any access, read the site as a visitor: all URLs, mobile and desktop, subdomains and setup.
- Ask for proof from the accountScreenshots of the Policy center, the Ad Experience Report and the traffic reports, with the date visible.
- Cross-check the informationIf the seller says the traffic is organic and the audit finds campaign landing pages, ask about it. A mismatch is a reason for a conversation.
- Plan the transitionDefine when the seller's code and ads.txt line come out and when the buyer's go in, so the inventory is never left without an owner.
- Audit again afterwardWith the site already in the buyer's name, a new audit confirms that nothing was left behind and serves as a starting point.
Common errors
What buyers tend to miss
All of these cases show up after the purchase, when it is too late to renegotiate.
Looking only at the ten most-read posts
The showcase posts are fine. The problem is usually in the hundreds of old pages nobody opens.
Ignoring subdomains
A forgotten subdomain can show sexual content, spam or serve another site, and it is still tied to the domain you bought.
Trusting only the revenue report
High revenue from low-quality purchased traffic may not last when the source changes or is paused.
Forgetting the old ads.txt
Lines for the seller's networks that stay in the file authorize other companies to sell the inventory.
Changing everything on the same day
Changing the theme, code and ads.txt all at once makes it hard to tell later what caused a drop.
Not keeping a record
Without a dated report of the site's state at purchase, it is hard to prove what already existed beforehand.
On both sides
What changes for buyers and for sellers
The same audit serves both, with different goals.
Buyer
Wants to know what they are getting and how much it costs to fix.
- A list of risks to negotiate the price
- A fix plan ready for the first month
- A dated record of the site's state
- Cannot see the seller's account without their help
Seller
Wants to show the site is in order and speed up the sale.
- Fixes before listing
- Shows completed tasks instead of promises
- Can publish a verifiable public profile
- Needs to resolve the critical findings before showing it
In ConsentMode
What the audit delivers in due diligence
- Discovers subdomains through public certificate records, passive DNS, site links and common names, and audits each one that is live
- Flags subdomains with spam, sexual content or that serve another site
- Reads every URL found, with no 1,000-URL limit, and points out low-value content and signs of scaled content
- Checks ads.txt, duplicate tags, site owner, domain email and paid-traffic landing pages
- Generates a report in 11 languages, useful when buyer and seller are in different countries
Frequently asked questions
Do I need the seller's password to audit?
No. The audit reads the site as a visitor, without logging in. For the account side, such as the Policy center, ask the seller for screenshots.
After the purchase, how long does the new ads.txt take to take effect?
AdSense says it can take a few days and, on sites with few ad requests, up to a month. There is a button to request a new check on the Sites page.
Does the Policy center show the site's whole history?
It lists sites with a violation that made ad requests in the last 7 to 10 days. Old warnings that were already resolved may not appear, so it is worth asking.
Can the seller prove the site is in order?
They can show the audit report and, if they want, publish a public profile for the domain, which anyone can check on the Check badge page. Audits stay private if they are not published.
Does the audit assess the price of the site?
No. It shows risks and fixes. The value of the deal is for the buyer and the seller to decide.
Library
Official sources
This guide was written from these official pages. Read them directly at the source:
- Ad experience reviewssupport.google.com/webtools/answer/7072706
- Policy center FAQsupport.google.com/adsense/answer/11071207
- AdSense ads.txt guidesupport.google.com/adsense/answer/12171612
- Buying traffic in AdSensesupport.google.com/adsense/answer/1348722
- Invalid traffic in AdSensesupport.google.com/adsense/answer/16737
Know what you are buying
The audit reads the whole site and its subdomains like a visitor and delivers a dated report for the negotiation.