Feed approval

Nobody can simply switch on a search feed. The party granting access, whether the engine itself or a feed provider, first checks who the applicant is and how it plans to operate.

With Google the formal steps are visible in its help pages. A publisher needs permission for Custom Search Ads on its AdSense account, an AdSense for Search contract for related search on content, and a mock-up of the implementation submitted to an account manager for review. Feed providers add their own checks, typically covering company identity, the sites to be used, the traffic sources planned and sample ads. Approval of sources is a separate matter described under traffic source approval.

Approval is rarely all-or-nothing. A new partner often starts with a small feed cap, a limited set of countries or a trial period, and earns more room as its traffic proves itself.

It is not permanent either. Access continues only while the publisher stays within policy, and Google additionally removes AFS access from accounts that fall below its minimum activity level. Anyone offering guaranteed or instant approval for a fee should be treated with suspicion.

Think of it like this

Feed approval is like a bank's checks before opening a business account: who are you, what do you do, where does the money come from? Expect a low limit until you have a history.