This warning means your site is missing or has an incorrect ads.txt file, and advertisers can stop bidding on your inventory. If you ignore it, earnings will drop. Fixing it is straightforward.
What ads.txt is (briefly)
ads.txt is a public file on your domain that tells advertisers you are authorized to sell ads via Google AdSense. If it’s wrong or missing, Google limits demand.
How to fix it (do this exactly)
Step 1: Get the correct ads.txt line from AdSense
Log in to Google AdSense
Go to Sites
Select your affected site
Click Fix now
Copy the entire ads.txt code Google provides
It usually looks like:
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google.com, pub-XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX, DIRECT, f08c47fec0942fa0
Do not edit this line.
Step 2: Upload ads.txt to your site root
The file must be accessible at:
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https://yourdomain.com/ads.txt
If you use WordPress
Option A (recommended):
Install WPCode, Ad Inserter, or Rank Math → Ads.txt section → paste the line → save.
Option B:
Use File Manager in cPanel → public_html → create ads.txt → paste the line → save.
If you use Blogger
Settings → Monetization → Custom ads.txt → enable → paste the line → save.
If you use another CMS or custom site
Create a plain text file named ads.txt
Paste the line
Upload it to the root directory, not a subfolder.
Step 3: Verify it works
Open a browser
Visit:
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https://yourdomain.com/ads.txt
You must see the Google line plain text, no HTML, no redirects.
If it redirects or shows 404 → it’s wrong.
Step 4: Wait for Google to clear the warning
Go back to AdSense → Sites
The warning usually clears in 24–72 hours
Sometimes up to a week
No action needed after this.
Common mistakes (that keep the warning active)
1. Uploading ads.txt to /wp-content/ or /files/
2. Using multiple ads.txt files
3. Extra spaces, quotes, or comments
4. Using the wrong pub- ID
5. CDN or cache blocking /ads.txt
Bottom line
This is not optional. Fixing ads.txt is required to protect revenue.
If you want, tell me:
your platform (WordPress, Blogger, custom)
whether you use Cloudflare or another CDN
I can tell how to fix yours
