I'm an independent web developer who has spent more than a year building a website for children and young teens. Running the servers and AI moderation is expensive, so I need to begin generating revenue as soon as possible.
I researched several advertising networks and tried Google AdSense, Adsterra, and MGID. Google AdSense and MGID rejected the site because it does not have enough traffic, while Adsterra accepted it. Unfortunately, Adsterra has weak ad filtering, and adult-oriented ads have appeared even when content restrictions were enabled.
Are there other advertising providers that offer better school-appropriate filtering for a low-traffic, child-focused website? I'm also open to other practical funding options that could help cover operating costs.
3 Answers
The hard part is that low traffic usually means ad revenue will be extremely small. If the site is already too expensive to run with few users, ads probably won’t solve the problem. Look at reducing infrastructure and moderation costs first, if possible.
Even websites with fairly good traffic can earn very little from display ads, and some networks don’t pay until you reach a minimum balance. If you need immediate income, advertising is unlikely to be reliable enough on its own, so it may be worth reconsidering the funding model or launch scope.
You may have better results with alternatives such as donations, memberships, a paid tier, merchandise, or direct sponsorships. Those can be more predictable than an ad network and give you more control over what users are exposed to.

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