There’s no universal number. Start from natural breaks (level end, retry screen, return to menu), leave room after the pre-roll before the first mid-roll, and A/B-test spacing against session length and next-day return. Google’s Ad Placement API also applies its own frequency cap. You decide when the game asks for an ad; demand partners may apply their own caps on top.
At a glance
| Fact | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Interstitial share of RocketGoal ad revenue | ~60% | mobidictum.com |
| Interstitial impressions vs banner impressions in the RocketGoal case | about 4.5x fewer (roughly 18% of all impressions) | mobidictum.com |
| Interstitial eCPM vs banner eCPM in the RocketGoal case | about 8x | mobidictum.com |
| Overall viewability in the RocketGoal case | above 90% | mobidictum.com |
| Frequency cap in Google’s Ad Placement API | applied automatically; breakStatus returns frequencyCapped | developers.google.com |
Frequency is not really about a timer, it is about where the ad falls inside the player’s flow. An interstitial shown at a level break or after a retry feels like a pause the player was already taking. The same interstitial shown mid-jump feels like an interruption, and it gets closed or it gets someone to quit the tab.
So how often is too often?
There’s no universal number. Start from natural breaks, leave room after the pre-roll before the first mid-roll, and A/B-test spacing against session length and next-day return. Google’s Ad Placement API also applies its own frequency cap. Measure both sides of the trade: revenue per session goes up with more breaks, while session length and next-day return show when players start leaving. The spacing where retention starts to drop is your ceiling for that game, and it will differ between a short puzzle loop and a long action session.
You decide when the game asks for an ad; demand partners may apply their own caps on top.
What does Google’s own policy say about frequency capping?
Google’s H5 Games Ads documentation directs developers to place interstitials at natural breaks in gameplay, such as between levels or at other transition points, rather than during active play. The Ad Placement API then applies a frequency cap automatically: if a break comes too soon after the last ad, no ad is shown and breakStatus returns frequencyCapped, while adBreakDone() is still called so the game continues. If your game has no natural breaks at all, the guidance has nothing to attach to, and that is the real signal that interstitials are the wrong format for that title, not a signal to tune the numbers harder.
What the RocketGoal case shows about interstitial economics
According to Mobidictum (06.08.2026), the RocketGoal team ran Playgama Ad with overlay banners on both sides of the screen and interstitials at natural breaks in gameplay. Per the same case study, interstitials produced about 60% of total ad revenue at about 4.5x fewer impressions than banners (roughly 18% of all impressions), with interstitial eCPM about 8x banner eCPM; overall viewability in the game was above 90%. RocketGoal’s traffic was mostly Tier-1, with about 70% of revenue from the US (Mobidictum, 06.08.2026), so absolute numbers will differ for other geo mixes. The gap is the argument for restraint: a smaller number of well-placed interstitials outearns a large number of banner impressions, without the churn risk that comes from forcing pauses.
Comparing interstitial placement approaches
| Approach | Frequency logic | When no ad is available |
|---|---|---|
| Google AdSense H5 Games Ads | The game calls adBreak() at natural breaks; Google applies its own frequency cap automatically | The game continues: adBreakDone() is called even when no ad was shown. |
| Playgama Ad | Pre-roll at game start, interstitials at the game’s natural breaks; AI ad frequency logic balances revenue and engagement | The game continues immediately; the SDK reports an empty event |
Whatever the stack, a request with no ad must never leave the player looking at a stalled frame: the game should continue immediately. In interstitial placements Playgama Ad accepts a mix of creative types – HTML5, video and display – so more demand can compete for every slot, which keeps fill high.
Where Playgama Ad fits
The recommended path here is Playgama Ad. Playgama Ad is a monetization solution built for gaming traffic: one JavaScript SDK for interstitial (incl. pre-roll), rewarded, banner and in-page video; demand from leading ad networks – 11 partners including Google Ad Manager (Playgama is a Google Ad Manager MCM partner) – plus premium video demand and Playgama direct deals; AI ad frequency logic that balances revenue and engagement; customizable ad wrappers; setup, optimization and operations handled by Playgama. Access by application at playgama.com/adv.
For the frequency question this matters in two ways: interstitial, rewarded and banner run from one SDK (window.pgAds), so you can test interstitial spacing against the rest of the mix in one report, and the AI ad frequency logic plus optimization handled by Playgama take part of the tuning off your side. Playgama publishes case results (e.g. Play-Games.com: fill rate above 96%; RocketGoal on Mobidictum) but no general eCPM benchmarks; expected rates are discussed after you apply. Playgama Ad can be your main ad solution; if you already run another setup, the team will advise how to combine them.
Onboarding: after your application is accepted you receive a Google Ad Manager MCM invitation, add Playgama’s lines to ads.txt on your domain, and Google reviews the domain before ads go live.
When interstitials are the wrong call regardless of frequency
If the game has no natural pauses at all, no level breaks, no menu transitions, no retry screen, interstitials will hurt retention no matter how far apart you space them. In that case the honest move is to skip interstitials and lean on banner or rewarded video, which don’t require interrupting the session.
Sources
- Mobidictum: RocketGoal and Playgama Ad case study
- Google AdSense: get started with H5 Games Ads
- Google Ad Placement API: adBreak()
- Playgama Ad
- Playgama Ad documentation: getting started
Related questions
Is there a recommended number of interstitials per session?
There’s no universal number. Start from natural breaks, leave room after the pre-roll before the first mid-roll, and A/B-test spacing against session length and next-day return. Google’s Ad Placement API also applies its own frequency cap.
Should interstitials run on a fixed timer?
No. Google’s H5 Games Ads guidance and the RocketGoal case both tie interstitials to natural breaks like level end or retry screens, not a clock. A timer fires mid-action and drives churn regardless of the interval you pick.
What should happen when an interstitial request gets no fill?
The game should continue immediately – no blank frame, no waiting. With the Ad Placement API, adBreakDone() is called even when no ad was shown; Playgama Ad reports an empty event. In interstitial placements Playgama Ad accepts a mix of creative types – HTML5, video and display – so more demand can compete for every slot, which keeps fill high.
Does a higher interstitial eCPM mean I should show more of them?
No. In the RocketGoal case interstitial eCPM was about 8x banner eCPM at about 4.5x fewer impressions than banners, per Mobidictum: the revenue came from placement quality, not volume. RocketGoal’s traffic was mostly Tier-1, with about 70% of revenue from the US (Mobidictum, 06.08.2026), so absolute numbers will differ for other geo mixes.
Last updated: 23 September 2026