diff --git a/app/(app)/ads/slots/page.tsx b/app/(app)/ads/slots/page.tsx
index fd0a50b1..b0fffe1d 100644
--- a/app/(app)/ads/slots/page.tsx
+++ b/app/(app)/ads/slots/page.tsx
@@ -95,7 +95,15 @@ export default async function SlotsPage() {
       <Link href="/ads" className="text-sm text-[var(--color-muted)]">
         ← Ad campaigns
       </Link>
-      <h1 className="mt-4 text-3xl font-bold">Monetize your site</h1>
+      <div className="mt-4 flex items-center justify-between gap-4">
+        <h1 className="text-3xl font-bold">Monetize your site</h1>
+        {/* Always-visible way to add a site to monetize — a site is a project,
+            so this starts the project-creation flow. Previously the only link
+            to it was hidden inside the empty state. */}
+        <Link href="/projects/new?next=/ads/slots" className="btn btn-primary whitespace-nowrap">
+          Monetize a new site
+        </Link>
+      </div>
       <p className="mt-2 text-[var(--color-muted)]">
         Show CrawlProof network ads on your site and earn crypto for the clicks. Opt a
         project in, drop one tag on your page, and add a payout wallet.
@@ -104,7 +112,7 @@ export default async function SlotsPage() {
       {projects.length === 0 ? (
         <div className="card mt-6 p-8 text-center text-[var(--color-muted)]">
           You have no projects yet.{" "}
-          <Link href="/projects/new" className="text-[var(--color-accent)]">
+          <Link href="/projects/new?next=/ads/slots" className="text-[var(--color-accent)]">
             Create one
           </Link>{" "}
           to enable a slot.
diff --git a/app/(app)/projects/new/form.tsx b/app/(app)/projects/new/form.tsx
index 15759dec..016e543c 100644
--- a/app/(app)/projects/new/form.tsx
+++ b/app/(app)/projects/new/form.tsx
@@ -4,6 +4,11 @@ import { useState, useTransition } from "react";
 import { useRouter } from "next/navigation";
 import { createProject } from "@/app/actions/createProject";
 
+// Only honour same-site relative paths (guards against open redirects).
+function safeNext(next: string | null | undefined): string | null {
+  return next && next.startsWith("/") && !next.startsWith("//") ? next : null;
+}
+
 function deriveName(url: string): string {
   if (!url) return "";
   try {
@@ -14,8 +19,11 @@ function deriveName(url: string): string {
   }
 }
 
-export function NewProjectForm() {
+export function NewProjectForm({ next }: { next?: string | null }) {
   const router = useRouter();
+  // e.g. /projects/new?next=/ads/slots — return to Monetize after creating so
+  // the new site is right there to "Enable ads".
+  const nextPath = safeNext(next);
   const [pending, startTransition] = useTransition();
   const [name, setName] = useState("");
   const [nameTouched, setNameTouched] = useState(false);
@@ -41,7 +49,7 @@ export function NewProjectForm() {
         setError(res.error ?? "Could not create project.");
         return;
       }
-      router.push(`/projects/${res.id}`);
+      router.push(nextPath ?? `/projects/${res.id}`);
     });
   }
 
diff --git a/app/(app)/projects/new/page.tsx b/app/(app)/projects/new/page.tsx
index 306d4fb6..c7ba04a4 100644
--- a/app/(app)/projects/new/page.tsx
+++ b/app/(app)/projects/new/page.tsx
@@ -3,7 +3,12 @@ import { NewProjectForm } from "./form";
 
 export const metadata = { title: "New project" };
 
-export default function NewProjectPage() {
+export default async function NewProjectPage({
+  searchParams,
+}: {
+  searchParams: Promise<{ next?: string }>;
+}) {
+  const { next } = await searchParams;
   return (
     <div className="mx-auto max-w-xl">
       <Link href="/dashboard" className="text-sm text-[var(--color-muted)]">
@@ -13,7 +18,7 @@ export default function NewProjectPage() {
       <p className="mt-2 text-[var(--color-muted)]">
         Group audits under one project. You can also schedule weekly re-audits on Pro.
       </p>
-      <NewProjectForm />
+      <NewProjectForm next={next} />
     </div>
   );
 }