How Ad Blockers Are Affecting Your Programmatic Setup & How to Fix It
As ad blockers continue to grow in popularity, their impact on programmatic ad revenue is becoming harder to ignore. It’s not just about ads not showing it’s about auctions running without delivery, header bidding containers getting blocked, and eCPMs dropping as a result. And often, publishers don’t realize the full extent of this damage until revenue trends start to dip.
In this blog, we’ll break down advanced, actionable steps to help you reduce the impact of ad blockers and protect your monetization setup.
The Real Impact of Ad Blockers on Programmatic Ads
It’s no secret that ad blockers are reducing the volume of ad impressions served, but what most publishers don’t realize is just how much revenue leakage they’re experiencing in real-time. The real cost of ad blockers is not just in missing ads but in missed optimization opportunities.
1. Ad Blockers Lower Your CPMs
While ad blockers reduce the number of served impressions, they also affect your effective CPM (eCPM).
When fewer ads are served, the demand for available inventory increases. This can cause lower fill rates across demand sources, resulting in lower CPMs for impressions that are actually served.
Essentially, a 100% fill rate with lower CPMs is less valuable than a 50% fill rate with higher CPMs, making eCPM optimization critical.
2. You Win the Auction, But the Ad Gets Blocked
In a typical programmatic auction, multiple buyers compete for the same impression. Ad blockers disrupt this process by blocking the ads before they even enter the auction, leaving you with fewer and less valuable impressions. The auction still runs, but with fewer opportunities to generate high revenue.
3. Header Bidding Doesn’t Load with Ad Blockers
For publishers using header bidding to increase ad revenue, ad blockers can block header bidding containers, which are crucial for increasing competition and ad yield. Ad blockers often prevent these containers from loading, making header bidding setups less effective. To fix this, it’s important to understand how ad blockers interact with your header bidding setup and adjust accordingly.
Advanced Strategies to Combat the Impact of Ad Blockers
Now, let’s get into specific, actionable strategies to reduce the impact of ad blockers on your programmatic setup.
1. Leverage Server-to-Server Header Bidding
For publishers using header bidding, server-to-server (S2S) header bidding is a powerful tool to bypass ad blockers. Since ad blockers often target JavaScript calls made by the browser to load bids, S2S bypasses these restrictions by conducting the auction and delivering the ad request directly from the server.
By using S2S header bidding, you’re reducing the impact of ad blockers by executing the auction process on the backend where ad blockers don’t have access.
Key Action:
Implement an S2S header bidding solution to ensure that ad requests continue to go through even when the client-side setup is blocked.
- Integrate with multiple SSPs (Supply-Side Platforms) that support S2S bidding to diversify demand.
2. Maximize Revenue with First-Party Data
First-party data offers a tremendous opportunity to fight back against the loss of impressions. Ad blockers typically target third-party trackers, but they can’t block first-party data collection.
By increasing your reliance on first-party data, you can ensure that your ad setups retain the same level of relevance and targeting while bypassing the restrictions imposed by ad blockers.
Key Action:
- Use your first-party data (user behavior, interests, etc.) to inform your targeting and optimize ad placements, ensuring you can deliver relevant ads despite ad blockers.
- Consider integrating data clean rooms for even more powerful audience insights and secure data sharing across multiple demand sources.
3. Use Native Ads and Custom Ad Formats
While many publishers are familiar with native ads as a workaround, most don’t realize just how effective custom ad formats can be at bypassing ad blockers.
Unlike standard display ads, native ads blend into the content, making them far less likely to be flagged. Beyond native ads, custom ad formats such as rewarded video or offerwall ads can also be utilized.
These formats provide a non-intrusive ad experience that aligns with user behavior, making it more difficult for ad blockers to target them.
Key Action:
- Develop and test custom native ad placements tailored to your content.
- If using video ads, consider integrating rewarded video ads into your monetization strategy to maximize engagement without triggering blockers.
- Leverage offerwalls in-app or on-site, which are difficult for ad blockers to detect due to their interactive nature.
4. Implement Ad Blocker Detection Tools with Smart Monetization
Rather than simply blocking users who use ad blockers, implement ad blocker detection that allows you to adjust monetization based on the user’s behavior.
For example, a user with an ad blocker could be served less intrusive, non-blockable ads (native, in-text ads, etc.) while users without ad blockers continue to see your traditional programmatic ads.
Key Action:
- Use tools like Blockthrough to detect ad blockers and serve alternative ad formats to users who have them enabled.
- Optimize the monetization setup by automatically switching to ad-light experiences when ad blockers are detected.
5. Diversify Demand Sources
Relying on a single demand source (such as Google AdSense or an individual SSP) can expose your programmatic ads to greater risks from ad blockers. By diversifying your demand sources, you ensure that when one channel is blocked, others remain available.
More importantly, having multiple demand sources allows you to optimize fill rates and CPMs by comparing and selecting the highest-performing sources.
Key Action:
- Integrate multiple SSPs and ad networks with varying demand characteristics to reduce the risks of ad blockers affecting all demand channels simultaneously.
- Use an unified auction setup to ensure that every impression is served through the most lucrative demand source.
6. Monitor and Audit Ad Performance
As ad blockers evolve, so do their tactics. To keep up with the shifting landscape, it’s essential to continuously audit your ad performance and adjust your programmatic setup accordingly.
Monitoring fill rates, CPMs, and user engagement across various demand sources will help you identify any sudden changes caused by ad blockers.
Key Action:
- Use real-time analytics to monitor the performance of ads and track how ad blockers are impacting your programmatic setup.
- Set up custom alerts within your ad management platform to notify you when fill rates drop unexpectedly, so you can react quickly.
The Future of Ad Blockers and Programmatic Ads
As ad blockers continue to evolve, the future of programmatic ads depends on how quickly publishers can adapt. Leveraging advanced solutions like server-side bidding, first-party data, and non-intrusive ad formats will become increasingly essential in maintaining programmatic revenue.
Publishers who take a proactive, strategic approach to ad revenue optimization will be better positioned to thrive, even in the face of growing ad-blocking technology.
Looking Ahead
Ad blockers are affecting your programmatic ads setup, but with the right strategies in place, you can mitigate their impact. By adopting server-to-server header bidding, leveraging first-party data, and diversifying your demand sources, you can ensure that your programmatic ads continue to generate revenue despite the challenges posed by ad blockers.
Remember, the key to thriving in this environment is adaptability. Constantly refine your ad setup, test new ad formats, and monitor performance to stay ahead of the curve. As long as you’re taking a strategic, multi-faceted approach to monetization, you can continue to optimize your revenue and overcome the obstacles presented by ad blockers.
If you need help optimizing your programmatic setup, please reach out to us at support@magicbid.ai. We’re here to assist you every step of the way.
If you’re not making the most of your ad space, you’re leaving money on the table.
MagicBid helps web, app, and CTV publishers maximize revenue with smarter ad placement and optimization tools.
- Web Monetization: Get better ad visibility, higher engagement, and more revenue from every impression.
- In-App Monetization: Connect with premium advertisers to effortlessly boost fill rates and eCPMs.
- CTV Monetization: Deliver high-quality, tailored ad experiences that keep viewers engaged and advertisers paying more.
With MagicBid’s advanced ad tech and expert support, you can turn your traffic into higher earnings without the guesswork.
Connect with us now to get a free ad revenue evaluation.
