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Ads & monetization

This site supports Google AdSense on documentation pages to offset domain and hosting costs. Layout slots are reserved; no ads render in production until environment variables are set.

Ad placements​

PlacementVariableNotes
Above article bodyADSENSE_SLOT_ARTICLE_TOPBelow breadcrumbs
Below article bodyADSENSE_SLOT_ARTICLE_BOTTOMAbove footer prev/next
Right sidebarADSENSE_SLOT_SIDEBARDesktop only, when TOC is shown

Development builds show dashed placeholder boxes so you can preview layout without live ads.

Setup​

  1. Register at Google AdSense and pass site review.
  2. Obtain your publisher ID and slot IDs (see .env.example in the repo root).

Apex domain vs. doc. subdomain​

TopicGuidance
Live docs URLhttps://doc.abcreatoris.com (must match url in docusaurus.config.ts)
What to add in AdSense SitesUsually the apex abcreatoris.com only—you often cannot add doc.abcreatoris.com as a separate site
Serving on subdomainsAfter apex verification, subdomains such as doc. are typically covered under the same publisher account
ads.txt / scriptStill hosted on the doc subdomain (e.g. https://doc.abcreatoris.com/ads.txt) on this Vercel project

If the console shows apex Ready but doc. stays data-ad-status="unfilled" for days, it is often inventory or Auto ads conflicting with manual units—not necessarily a code bug.

Connect your site (AdSense onboarding)​

After AdSense approval, the console shows Connect your site to AdSense. This repo already ships the script and ads.txt; you only need the correct URL in the console and time for Google to crawl.

URL to enter in AdSense​

FieldCorrect valueCommon mistake
Site URLhttps://abcreatoris.com (apex) per console prompts; docs run on doc.abcreatoris.comWrong subdomain (docs.), adding an unsupported separate subdomain entry, paths like /docs/intro, or http://
Publisher IDca-pub-2085315988106926Same account as pub-2085315988106926 in ads.txt

Post-deploy verification​

After deploying to Vercel, confirm all three are publicly reachable:

  1. AdSense script (site-wide <head>)
    View source on the homepage and any doc page (e.g. /docs/intro). You should see:

    <script src="https://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/js/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-2085315988106926" async crossorigin="anonymous"></script>

    Injected via scripts in docusaurus.config.ts on every page including the homepage.

  2. ads.txt at domain root
    https://doc.abcreatoris.com/ads.txt should return:

    google.com, pub-2085315988106926, DIRECT, f08c47fec0942fa0

    Source file: static/ads.txt (copied to site root at build time).

  3. robots.txt
    This site does not block Google. If you add robots.txt later, do not Disallow / or /ads.txt.

Console steps​

  1. Sign in to AdSense → Sites.
  2. Add site or Connect site for the pending property.
  3. Enter https://abcreatoris.com (apex, no path) when the console only accepts the root domain.
  4. If asked to paste code: the script is already deployed—choose I've placed the code.
  5. Wait for Google to crawl (hours to 48 hours). Status Ready / connected means done.

Common connection failures​

SymptomLikely causeFix
AdSense code not foundScript missing or ADSENSE_CLIENT not set at buildSet Vercel env vars and Redeploy
Invalid / 404 ads.txtstatic/ads.txt not in deploymentDeploy latest commit; open /ads.txt
URL mismatchWrong subdomain or path in consoleUse https://doc.abcreatoris.com
Site unreachableDNS, HTTPS, or deploy issueConfirm homepage loads with no login wall
Stuck on PendingCrawl not finishedWait 24–48h, then Check status in AdSense

Production (Vercel)​

This site is deployed on Vercel. AdSense values are injected at build time—configure them in the Vercel dashboard:

  1. Open Vercel Dashboard → select this project → Settings → Environment Variables.
  2. Add these four variables (Production; optionally mirror them on Preview / Development for branch previews):
VariableDescription
ADSENSE_CLIENTAdSense publisher ID (ca-pub-…)
ADSENSE_SLOT_ARTICLE_TOPSlot for above-article placement
ADSENSE_SLOT_ARTICLE_BOTTOMSlot for below-article placement
ADSENSE_SLOT_SIDEBARSlot for sidebar placement
  1. Redeploy after saving (Deployments → latest deployment → Redeploy, or push a new commit). Changes do not apply until the next build.
warning

Do not commit .env to Git. It is listed in .gitignore.

Local development​

Copy .env.example to .env and fill in the variables above. docusaurus.config.ts loads .env at build time via dotenv.

npm run build

Compliance & UX​

  • If you use the manual ad units above, turn off Auto ads (Site → Auto ads → disable all formats). Auto ads inject extra <ins> elements that steal push({}) from manual units—often you only see the “Ad” label and the bottom slot never fills.
  • This site is a Docusaurus SPA: src/theme/Root.tsx and AdSlot re-request fills on client-side navigation. After deploy, hard-refresh and click between doc pages to verify all three slots.
  • Right after apex becomes Ready, doc. may stay unfilled for hours or days while inventory ramps up.
  • Disclose cookies and ad partners in your privacy policy or a dedicated page.
  • For investing and health content, avoid ad copy that could be mistaken for editorial advice; ad blocks are labeled “Ad”.
  • If AdSense review fails, alternatives such as Carbon or EthicalAds are possible—you would adapt src/components/AdSlot.

Disabling ads​

Remove ADSENSE_CLIENT or leave it empty, then redeploy; the build will not load the AdSense script site-wide.