Traffic & Channels
Ad Load
The quantity/density of ads shown on a single page or app screen.
Ad load is the quantity and density of ads shown on a single page or app screen — how many units the user faces at once relative to actual content. Publishers tune ad load to balance revenue per session against user experience, and the resulting density directly shapes how much attention any single ad unit receives.
For buyers, ad load is a hidden quality variable: an impression on a page with ten competing units is worth far less than the same impression on a clean layout, even at identical CPM. Heavy-load placements also correlate with misclicks and MFA (made-for-advertising) sites. When a placement shows great CTR but dead conversion, excessive ad load and accidental taps are prime suspects.
In buyer speech
“That app's ad load is brutal — three banners and an interstitial per screen — no wonder the clicks don't convert.”