This post was most recently updated on September 22nd, 2021
Good news to our publishers! Google now allows ad refresh via the Ad Exchange UI. This means publishers can run refreshing ad inventory (display, mobile web, and in-app) to compete on AdX. The only requirement is to declare this via the UI.
Just go to Rules > Publisher Declarations.
Note that publishers must declare the type of refresh and rate of refresh via the AdX UI. This is to make sure publishers are being transparent to buyers of refreshing ad inventory.
Google also approves working with Webspectator, or publishers doing it manually via Google’s Publisher Tag (GPT).
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What is an Ad Refresh?
An ad refresh is the ability to load new ads and/or content upon condition. The condition can be based on the type of refresh (i.e. user-based action) or the refresh rate (i.e. after 60 sec). An example of this is Elite Daily which loads five display ad impressions on its article pages and refreshes each of them every 60 seconds. Source: http://digiday.com/platforms/auto-refreshed-ads/
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Why and How is it used?
Refreshing ads is one way to boost monetization of your impressions. This is particularly effective for pages with engaged users – those who spend longer time on a page. It’s also recommended for pages with high viewability levels. Sites with content that changes regularly (such as scores in sporting events, weather, etc) can also take advantage of the ad refresh function.
Ad Refresh Best Practices
To get you started on ad refresh, here are some best practices:
1) Declare the type and rate of ad refresh in Ad Exchange
Publishers can make use of the following ad refresh types. These can be found in the AdX UI:
- User action-based: Where publishers can refresh ads based on user-guided navigation, such as scrolling.
- Event-based: Where publisher can refresh content (and corresponding ads) based on events changing, such as sports score updates, weather updates, etc.
- Time-based: Where publishers can refresh ads at predetermined time intervals.
In order to be in compliance with IAB policy, there is a minimum interval of time (refresh rate) that must take place between ad refreshes. The following chart lists the minimum amount of time for each refresh trigger by platform:
| Refresh Type | Desktop and mobile web | Mobile app |
| User Action-based | No Minimum | No Minimum |
| Event-triggered | 30s minimum | 30s minimum (60s recommended) |
| Time-based | 30s minimum | 30s minimum (60s recommended) |
For more details on ad refresh rate, see: https://support.google.com/dfp_premium/answer/6022044?hl=en
2) Generally, longer time intervals work best
The longer the interval between refreshes, the more desirable your inventory is to buyers. There are several buyers who will choose to buy refresh inventory at greater time intervals. It is beneficial to users, as well. Ads that persist for 60 seconds or longer allows users to have more time engaging with your ads. For time-based refreshes, 240 seconds or above is optimal. Take note though, that it may vary per type of website and inventory. Experimentation is still key (see advice #3).
3) Run A/B Testing
Each publisher will have different optimal refresh types and refresh intervals. It’s best to run experimentation (A/B testing) in order to optimize revenue. Varying and testing the effect of refresh rates on different inventory segments is a must! From your experiments, you can deduce the refresh rate that works best for your type of inventory. This is important to check early on because some advertisers will tend to opt out of serving on refreshed ads and/or bid less if they see that the refresh mechanism does not work to their advantage. This is to avoid CPM decreases.
4) Action-based refreshes
These are also effective and have little to no effect on user experience.
What’s next?
Not sure how to set up ad refreshes for your website? We can help you navigate the setup process for ad refreshes so your ad networks stay happy and you see the daily revenue lift you’re looking for. Sign up for a Professional account at MonetizeMore today!
Kean Graham is the CEO and founder of MonetizeMore & a pioneer in the Adtech Industry. He is the resident expert in Ad Optimization, covering areas like Adsense Optimization,GAM Management, and third-party ad network partnerships. Kean believes in the supremacy of direct publisher deals and holistic optimization as keys to effective and consistent ad revenue increases.