How to Register for Google AdMob

Ready to start making money from your mobile app? Google AdMob is the platform that makes it happen by connecting you with millions of advertisers. This article provides a clear, step-by-step walkthrough of the registration process and guides you through setting up your first app and ad units.

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What is Google AdMob?

Google AdMob is a mobile advertising platform created by Google that allows app developers to monetize their mobile apps. Think of it as the app version of Google AdSense, which serves ads on websites. By integrating the AdMob Software Development Kit (SDK) into your app, you create spaces where ads can be shown to your users. When users interact with these ads, you earn revenue.

It's platform-agnostic, working seamlessly with both Android and iOS. AdMob taps into Google’s vast network of advertisers, ensuring that the ads displayed are relevant to your users and provide competitive rates. This means you don't have to go out and find advertisers yourself, Google handles all the intermediation for you.

Common AdMob Ad Formats

AdMob offers several types of ad formats you can implement, each designed for different user experiences:

• Banner Ads: These are the classic ads that typically appear as a small strip at the top or bottom of the screen. They're great for constant presence without being too intrusive.
• Interstitial Ads: These are full-screen ads that pop up at natural transition points in your app, such as between game levels or after completing a task. They command full user attention for a moment.
• Rewarded Ads: Often used in mobile games, these ads offer users an in-app reward (like extra lives, game currency, or access to a premium feature) for watching a full video ad. They are an excellent way to monetize non-paying users.
• Native Ads: These ads are designed to match the look and feel of your app's content, creating a more seamless and less disruptive user experience. You can customize them to blend in with your app's UI elements.
• App Open Ads: These are shown when a user opens or switches back to your app. It's a great way to monetize the "loading screen" experience.

Prerequisites for Signing Up for AdMob

Before you jump into the registration process, it’s helpful to know what you’ll need. The good news is that the requirements are straightforward, and Google helps you create the necessary accounts along the way.

• A Google Account: The entire process is built around the Google ecosystem. You must have an active Google Account (like a Gmail address) to sign up for AdMob. If you don't have one, create one before starting.
• Google AdSense and Google Ads Accounts: AdMob needs an AdSense account to process your payments and a Google Ads account to help run promotion campaigns. If you already have these accounts associated with your Google Account, AdMob will link them. If you don’t, don’t worry - AdMob will create both for you automatically during the sign-up process.
• A Mobile App (Optional at Sign-Up): You can create and set up your AdMob account even before your app is finished or published on an app store. However, to serve live ads and start earning, your app will need to be published, and you'll need to link it to your AdMob account later.
• Valid Payee and Bank Account Information: To get paid, you'll need to provide accurate address information for verification and eventually link a bank account. Make sure you have this information handy.

Step-by-Step Guide to Register for Google AdMob

Follow these steps to create your AdMob account. The process is designed to be user-friendly and shouldn't take more than 10 to 15 minutes to complete.

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Step 1: Go to the AdMob Website and Sign In

First, navigate to the official Google AdMob website. On the homepage, click the “Sign Up” or “Get Started” button. You'll be prompted to sign in with your existing Google Account. Choose the account you wish to use for your app monetization business.

Remember, this Google Account will be the single point of access for AdMob, AdSense, and Google Ads, so choose an account that you use for professional or business purposes.

Step 2: Provide Your Account Information

After signing in, Google will guide you through the initial setup form. This is where you confirm key details for your account.

• Country or Territory: Select your country from the dropdown menu. This is a critical step, as it determines the currency you’ll be paid in and impacts the verification process. This setting cannot be changed later, so ensure it is correct.
• Time Zone: Choose your local time zone. This will affect how your reports and daily data are displayed within the AdMob dashboard.
• Billing Currency: This is tied to your country selection and also cannot be changed later.

Next, you must review and accept the AdMob Terms and Conditions as well as the AdSense Terms, since AdMob uses AdSense to pay you. Check the box to confirm you have read and agreed to the policies.

Once you’ve filled everything out, click the “Create AdMob Account” button.

Step 3: Confirm Your Email Preferences

Google will then show you a series of checkboxes about an email newsletter. These are optional but can be useful for receiving performance tips, platform updates, and special offers. Select the options that appeal to you and proceed.

Step 4: Verify Your Account

You’ll now be taken to the "Let's get you set up" page. To stop spam and ensure the security of your account, AdMob requires phone verification.

• Enter your phone number, including the country code.
• Choose whether you want to receive the verification code via a text message (SMS) or a voice call.
• Click "Continue." You should receive a 6-digit PIN almost immediately.
• Enter the PIN in the provided box and click "Verify."

Completing this step successfully officially creates your AdMob account. If your payment information from an existing AdSense account isn't already filled in, you will be prompted to enter your payment details next. You must enter your payee name and address exactly as it appears on your banking documents to avoid any issues later.

Setting Up Your First App in AdMob

Congratulations, your account is live! Now it's time to add the app you want to monetize. The AdMob dashboard will guide you to "Set up a new app."

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Step 1: Choose Your Platform and App Store Status

First, AdMob needs to know the basics about your app.

• Platform: Select either Android or iOS.
• Is the app listed on a supported app store?:

Step 2: Enter App Details

If you selected "No" for the app store status, you'll need to provide an app name. This name is for your reference within the AdMob dashboard. Choose something easily recognizable.

Next, you'll need to confirm that your app will be COPPA-compliant (Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act).

Click “Add App” to finalize the process. Upon completion, AdMob will generate a unique App ID. This ID is essential - your developer will need it to integrate the AdMob SDK into your app's code. Don't worry about losing it, you can always find it again in your app settings.

Creating Your First Ad Units

An app is just a container. To actually show ads, you need to create ad units, which are individual placements for ads within your app.

Step 1: Navigate to Ad Units

Once your app is set up, you will be prompted to create an ad unit. Otherwise, you can navigate to the “Apps” menu, select your app, and then go to the "Ad units" tab. Click the “Add ad unit” button.

Step 2: Choose an Ad Format

Now you’ll see the list of available ad formats we discussed earlier (Banner, Interstitial, Rewarded, etc.). Select the format that best fits the placement you have in mind.

For example, if you want a banner at the bottom of the home screen, select "Banner." If you want a full-screen ad between levels, select "Interstitial."

Step 3: Configure the Ad Unit Settings

The main setting here is the Ad unit name. Give it a descriptive name that helps you identify its location and format, such as "HomeScreen_Banner_Bottom" or "GameOver_Interstitial_Android." This organizational practice becomes incredibly helpful once you have multiple ad units across several apps.

Some ad units, like Rewarded ads, have advanced settings where you can define the reward users receive (e.g., amount: 10, item: coins).

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Step 4: Create the Ad Unit and Get the ID

Click “Create ad unit.” AdMob will generate an Ad Unit ID. Like the App ID, this long alphanumeric string is unique to this specific ad placement. Your developer will need this Ad Unit ID to call the specific ad from your app’s code.

You can now repeat this process to create all the ad placements you need for your app. Once you're done, send the App ID and all the Ad Unit IDs to your developer for implementation.

Next Steps After Setup

With your account, app, and ad units created, the AdMob side of the work is mostly done. The next crucial phase is technical:

• SDK Integration: Your developer needs to integrate the official Google Mobile Ads SDK into your app's source code. Google provides extensive and well-maintained documentation for both Android and iOS to guide developers through this process.
• Testing: Once the SDK is integrated, thorough testing is necessary using test ads to ensure all ad units display correctly without crashing the app. Actually clicking on your own live ads violates AdMob policy and may result in your account being suspended.
• Publish and Monitor: After testing, you can publish your app (or an update to a live app). Ads will begin serving, and you can monitor performance directly from your AdMob dashboard, tracking metrics like impressions, clicks, and estimated earnings.

Final Thoughts

Registering for Google AdMob is a direct path to monetizing your mobile application. The process involves signing up through your Google Account, verifying your details, adding your specific app, and creating ad units for each placement within your app. Following the steps laid out above sets you up for success, leaving only the technical SDK implementation.

Once your app is live and generating revenue, the challenge shifts to analysis. We built Graphed because we know that AdMob data doesn't exist in a silo, it's connected to your app store analytics, ad spend, and user behavior data. Instead of wasting hours exporting reports into spreadsheets, you can hook all your data sources into Graphed and get instant insights using simple, natural language. Just ask questions like, "Compare my AdMob revenue from rewarded ads vs. interstitial ads last month" or "Show me a chart of my Google Ads spend vs. my total app revenue this quarter" to unlock the bigger picture behind your performance.