Ad refresh

What is ad refresh?

In simple terms, ad refresh is the process of refreshing ads on an inventory to display new ads when a user is on the page. Doing this helps publishers improve the number of ad impressions in a single session. Also, auto-refreshing ads helps them maximize the ad revenue per session, and it is up to the publisher to choose the factors that trigger auto-refreshing for a web page.

How does auto-refreshing work?

Ads can be auto-refreshed on the basis of user actions, time, and events.

• User action-based: Ads are refreshed automatically based on a user’s actions, such as scrolling, searching, or clicking. This type of auto-refresh results in better ad views than time and event-based refreshes because it depends on the user’s actions.
• Time-based: Ads are refreshed automatically every 30, 60, or 90 seconds. Google allows a minimum refresh rate of 30 seconds, while the recommended practice is 60 seconds. However, this refresh system is less effective than the others because it reduces ad viewability. Even though it may increase impressions, advertisers would not wish to spend on ad inventory with poor viewability.
• Event-based: Ads are refreshed based on the change in the content. This type of auto-refresh is primarily used in news websites where the content is regularly updated.
• Smart or in-view ad refresh: Ads are refreshed only when they are 100% viewable to the user. This ensures higher CPMs, therefore, increased revenue.