Ad Refresh Done Right: Declarations, Intervals and Tests for Gaming Sites

Gaming sites have an unusual traffic shape. A walkthrough, a patch-notes breakdown or a wiki page can hold a reader for many minutes, often with the page open beside the game. Browser game portals hold users longer still. Long sessions on a single page mean the first set of ads covers a small share of the time the page is open. Ad refresh, loading a new ad into an existing slot, is the obvious answer. Done carelessly, it is also an easy way to lower CPMs, frustrate buyers and break policy.

Know the rules first

Google Ad Manager requires publishers to declare inventory that refreshes. Declarations are set in Inventory rules and tell buyers, through the bid request, that the inventory refreshes, what triggers the refresh and the minimum interval between refreshes. Google states that failing to declare refreshing inventory, or declaring it incorrectly, for example with the wrong trigger type or interval, is a policy violation. Declarations apply to Open Auction, Private Auctions, First Look and Open Bidding.

Google also requires refresh triggers to be defined both in the UI and on the page, so the declaration has to match what your code actually does. If you declare a time-based refresh at one interval and your script refreshes faster, you are out of compliance.

Other demand partners and buyers have their own expectations. Check SSP agreements and deal terms, since some private deals exclude refreshed impressions.

Pick triggers that reflect attention

Ad Manager recognizes three kinds of refresh trigger: time-based, event-based (a content change on the page) and user action. For gaming content:

• Time-based, viewability-gated refresh suits long-read guides. Refresh a slot only after it has been in view for the interval, and only while the tab is visible. A slot below the fold or in a background tab should not refresh.
• Event-based refresh fits browser games and interactive tools where content changes between levels, rounds or search results. Tie refresh to meaningful state changes, not every click.
• User action fits tabbed guides and lists where a click or navigation loads new content.

Whatever you choose, cap refreshes per slot per pageview. Endless refresh on a page left open overnight inflates impressions nobody sees.

Choose an interval with data

Shorter intervals produce more impressions, but refreshed impressions usually earn less than the first one, and very short intervals can hurt viewability and buyer trust. Start conservative and test. Compare arms on:

• revenue per session, the metric that matters,
• CPM for first and refreshed impressions separately,
• viewability of refreshed impressions, and
• session length and pages per session, to confirm refresh is not driving readers away.

Pass a key-value such as a refresh count to your ad server so you can report on first versus refreshed impressions and, if needed, apply different floors or line item rules to each.

Handle header bidding correctly

Each refresh should run a fresh Prebid auction for that slot before requesting a new ad from GPT. Do not reuse bids from the previous auction; they may have expired or already won. Clear old targeting before setting new values. If you run many client-side bidders, consider a leaner set for refresh auctions, since the page is already busy and the user is mid-task.

Gaming-specific considerations

• Audience age. Some gaming content draws younger readers. Review how that inventory is labeled and targeted, and make sure privacy and child-directed treatment settings are applied where they belong.
• Buyer perception. Some buyers treat gaming inventory cautiously. Clean refresh practices and accurate declarations help your inventory read as the engaged attention it is.
• Performance. Browser games and interactive maps are heavy. Refresh that competes with the game for the main thread will be noticed by players. Measure responsiveness on pages with refresh on and off.
• Sticky units. Sticky footers are common on mobile gaming pages and make good refresh candidates because they stay in view. Ad Manager has a separate declaration for sticky ads, so declare those as well.

A rollout plan

1. Start with one template. Pick the page type with the longest time on page, often long guides or a game page, and implement viewability-gated refresh on one or two slots that stay in view.
2. Declare before you deploy. Create the Ad Manager declaration with the trigger and minimum interval your code uses, and have someone other than the developer confirm they match.
3. Label refreshed impressions. Add a refresh-count key-value so reporting can separate first and refreshed impressions from day one.
4. Run a holdout. Keep a share of traffic with refresh off so you have a clean comparison. Run for at least two weeks to cover weekday and weekend play patterns, which differ sharply on gaming sites.
5. Review, then expand. If revenue per session rises and first-impression CPMs hold, extend to more slots or templates one at a time. If CPMs on first impressions fall, lengthen the interval or narrow the slots before expanding.

Document the final setup, including the declared trigger, interval, cap and the slots involved, so the next person to change the page knows what the declaration promises.

The takeaway

Refresh can lift revenue per session on long-session gaming pages, but only when it is declared correctly, tied to real attention and tested against first-impression value. Declare it, gate it on viewability and tab visibility, cap it, and judge it on revenue per session rather than impression counts. Buyers pay for attention, and refresh that follows attention earns its place.