Set up an AdSense account to get paid on YouTube

If you are earning money on YouTube or trying to claim a Shorts bonus, you need to associate an approved AdSense account to earn money and get paid.

Important: You can only have one AdSense account under the same payee name per AdSense's Terms and Conditions. Duplicate AdSense accounts created through YouTube will not be approved and monetization will be turned off for the associated YouTube channel. When starting a new AdSense account, only create one through YouTube Studio. Doing so on another site (such as the AdSense homepage) will not work.

Create and link an AdSense account

Creating an AdSense account and linking it to your channel is a crucial step towards getting paid on YouTube. Note that if you're already in the YouTube Partner Program, you can change your linked AdSense account if you need to. You can also monetize more than one YouTube channel using the same AdSense account.

You can follow these steps to create a new AdSense account and link it to your channel:

  1. Sign in to YouTube Studio.
  2. Select the Monetization tab on the left menu.
  3. Click START on the Sign up for Google AdSense card.
  4. When prompted, enter your YouTube account password and re-authenticate if required.
  5. Choose which Google account you would like to use for AdSense.
    1. Note: if you already use AdSense for other reasons outside of YouTube, sign into the Google account used with your existing AdSense account.
  6. You're now in AdSense. Once here, verify that the email address is correct at the top of the page. If it's the wrong one, click Use a different account to switch accounts.
  7. Continue setting up your account. Provide your contact info and submit your AdSense account application.

After following the above steps, you'll be taken back to YouTube Studio, where you'll see a message verifying receipt of your AdSense account application. AdSense will inform you via email once your account has been approved, which can take up to several days. Once approved, you'll see confirmation within YouTube Studio in the Sign up for Google AdSense card that your AdSense account is approved and active.

I don't know if I have an AdSense account

Please search your inboxes for emails from "AdSense" or "adsense-noreply@gmail.com".

You can only have one AdSense account under the same payee name per AdSense's Terms and Conditions. If you're found to have a duplicate, your AdSense account will be disapproved and you'll be asked to close other related accounts.

I already have an approved AdSense account

  1. Sign in to your YouTube account and go to https://studio.youtube.com/channel/UC/monetization
  2. Click Start on the "Sign up for Google AdSense" card.
  3. You'll need to enter your YouTube account password and re-authenticate.Learn how to re-authenticate your YouTube account.
  4. Choose the Google account you want to use to sign in to AdSense. If you're already an AdSense publisher, you must sign in with the Google account that you use to access your existing AdSense account. This may be different than the log-in credentials you use to log in to YouTube.
  5. You'll be directed to an AdSense sign-up page. Verify that the correct email is at the top of the page. If the account that's showing is the wrong one, click "Use a different account" to change accounts.
  6. Click Accept Association.
  7. You'll be redirected back to the Monetization page in YouTube Studio.
  8. Once you've connected your AdSense, we'll mark this step with a green "Done" sign on the "Sign up for Google AdSense" card.

Set up AdSense using a Content Manager account

If you've been granted rights to administer a Content Manager account, you can associate an AdSense account with it.

  1. Sign into your Content Manager account.
  2. Go to Settings.
  3. Under the Overview section, you'll see AdSense (you may need to scroll to see it).
  4. Click Edit.
  5. Click Continue to AdSense.
  6. You'll need to enter your YouTube account password and re-authenticate.Learn how to re-authenticate your YouTube account.
  7. Choose the Google Account you want to use to sign in to AdSense. If you're already an AdSense publisher, you must sign in with the Google Account that you use to access your existing AdSense account.
  8. When asked, enter the password for your AdSense account. This may be different than the credentials you use to sign in to YouTube.
  9. Confirm the YouTube channel you're associating the AdSense account with, and choose the primary language for the channel. Although you select one YouTube channel to complete the AdSense association, YouTube will serve ads on all channels linked to your Content Manager.
  10. Click Accept Association and provide your billing information, if asked.

Common issues

Use the below info to troubleshoot common issues when trying to link an AdSense account to your channel.

I created a new AdSense account, but it's disapproved because I have an existing account

You can only have one AdSense account under the same payee name per AdSense's Terms and Conditions. If you're found to have a duplicate account, your newly created AdSense account will be disapproved.

Search your email inboxes for an email from "AdSense" with the subject "You already have an AdSense account". This message will contain info about your existing AdSense account. With this info, you have two choices to fix the issue:

Use the existing (older) account

  1. Sign in to YouTube Studio and click Change Association.
  2. In the account selection menu, select the Google Account that uses your existing (older) AdSense account.
  3. Click Accept Association.

You'll be redirected back to YouTube Studio, where you can see the AdSense account linked to your channel.

Use the new account you just created

First, you'll need to close the exiting (older) account

  1. Sign in to your existing AdSense account.
  2. Follow the steps here to close your account.

Once closed, sign in to your new AdSense account to confirm you've closed the older one.

Note: It can take a few days for your new AdSense account to be approved and linked to your YouTube channel.

Issues with Address (PIN) Verification

Completing address (PIN) verification in AdSense is required to maintain channel monetization and receive payments.

If you've linked a new AdSense account to your channel, a PIN verification card will be mailed to your physical address once you reach a $10 balance. This PIN verification card will include a PIN code for you to enter in AdSense to verify your address.

If you've linked to an existing AdSense account, you may need to wait at least 3 weeks for the PIN verification card to arrive in the mail. If you haven't got it after 3 weeks, you can request a replacement PIN verification card.

Make sure that the address on file in AdSense matches the address recognized by your local post office (so they can deliver it). If they are different, you need to change the payment address in your AdSense account so they are the same.

If you need help with address (PIN) verification, refer to these Help resources:

  • Problems with PIN
  • PIN troubleshooter

What happens if I don't verify my address?

If you don't verify your address within 4 months,

monetization will be paused for your channel

. This includes access to features like channel memberships, Super Chat, and more. Monetization will resume on your channel once you verify your address.

Other issues

"Oops, something went wrong" is shown to me in YouTube Studio

This error message may appear when trying to make changes with emails that aren't recognized by YouTube Studio. To solve these issues, try the following:

  • When linking an AdSense account, YouTube Studio will ask you to Verify It's You. Make sure you do this using the email address you use to sign in to YouTube.

    You'll then be asked to select a Google Account to continue to AdSense with. In this instance, you may select a different email address than the one you use to sign in to YouTube Studio.

  • If your channel is linked to a Brand Account, you should sign in using the email address that originally created your channel. If you can't sign in using that email address, recover your account by following our tips to complete account recovery steps.

AdSense is asking me for a website URL to sign up

When linking a new AdSense account to your YouTube channel, don't go and create one on google.com/adsense or adsense.com for this purpose. If you do, your account will be disapproved and monetization will be disabled for your channel. Instead, create the AdSense account from within YouTube Studio directly.

Other errors

If you're experiencing other technical errors not outlined on this page, try the following:

  • Close all browser tabs.
  • Clear your browser cache and cookies.
  • Use a private or incognito window (to make sure no other Google accounts are signed in).

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