Web game ads earn money when an ad request gets filled and shown at an eCPM: revenue = ad requests x fill rate x eCPM / 1000. Full-screen formats (interstitial, rewarded) pay more per impression than banners, and geo matters a lot.
At a glance
| Fact | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue formula for ad-funded games | requests x fill rate x eCPM/1000 | playgama.com |
| Full-screen format earnings vs banners | several times more | playgama.com |
| Google’s H5 Games Ads placement API | adBreak() | developers.google.com |
Ad revenue in a web game comes down to three things: how many ad opportunities the game creates, what share of those get filled with an ad, and the eCPM paid per impression. The formula is revenue = ad requests x fill rate x eCPM / 1000. Full-screen formats like interstitial and rewarded video pay several times more per impression than banners, and Tier-1 geos pay several times more than other geos – so format choice and audience matter more than raw traffic volume.
Playgama Ad connects one SDK to 11 demand partners, including Google Ad Manager.
What are the main ways to sell ad inventory in a web game?
- Google AdSense H5 Games Ads – apply for access, add the AdSense code, then call the Ad Placement API (
adBreak()) at natural pauses to show interstitial and rewarded ads; Google applies a frequency cap automatically. - Gaming-focused ad platforms – AdinPlay, Playwire and Venatus combine header bidding with direct demand for HTML5 publishers; AppLixir focuses on rewarded video.
- Publishing on a portal – Poki, CrazyGames, GameDistribution, itch.io and playgama.com all host or distribute finished web games, each with its own terms.
Whichever route you pick, place ads only at natural breaks, never right after another full-screen ad, and check fill rate and eCPM by geo before assuming a format underperforms.
Sources
- Playgama Ad
- Google AdSense: Get started with H5 Games Ads
- Google Ad Placement API: adBreak
- AdinPlay
- Venatus
- AppLixir
Related questions
Do banner ads or full-screen ads earn more in web games?
Full-screen formats like interstitial and rewarded video earn several times more per impression than banners, so games built around natural pause points tend to monetize better.
Can I run ads on a game hosted on itch.io?
Some ad setups require your own domain for ads.txt verification, so a game only hosted on itch.io without its own domain may not be connectable to every ad solution.
Last updated: 24 September 2026