Answers for developers, publishers and site owners on monetizing and distributing web games.
337 posts
ads.txt is read from the root domain of the site making the ad call, not from every subdomain. Embedded or iframed games typically rely on the host site's ads.txt, or on MCM-provided lines if the game is monetized through a partner network.
There is no published checklist of MCM eligibility rules. You get in by being invited by an approved MCM parent (an ad network or platform), then Google reviews your domain and ads.txt before ads go live. Google does not publish fixed traffic thresholds.
A direct AdSense account is yours alone, self-managed. MCM (Multiple Customer Management) is a Google Ad Manager structure where a parent manages a child's inventory or account under one of two modes: Manage Inventory or Manage Account.
AdSense rejects gaming sites mainly for account-level eligibility issues (policy violations, insufficient original content, site not fully functional) or H5 Games Ads-specific setup problems. Fix the underlying account and content issues first, then reapply; meanwhile other gaming-focused ad networks and publishing portals don't require AdSense approval.
Ad mediation is software that compares bids from several ad sources and shows the highest-paying one for each ad request. Web games usually don't need mobile app-style mediation SDKs; instead they use AdSense H5 Games Ads, header bidding through Ad Manager, or a gaming ad SDK that already combines multiple demand sources.
Header bidding is a setup where several ad demand sources bid on the same impression at the same time, before the ad server picks a winner, instead of being called one after another. It works for web games when the ad platform supports game-specific formats like interstitial and rewarded, not just display banners.
Yes. Prebid.js is a free, open-source header bidding library that works with Google Ad Manager and other ad servers, and nothing about it is specific to regular websites versus game portals. The main question is who sets it up and maintains it.
Running one network is simplest to manage, while introducing more demand sources allows bids to compete for each impression. Most web games do better with header bidding across two or more networks so higher bids compete for each impression - the trade-off is ads.txt setup and ongoing ad-ops work, which is worth weighing before you add networks.
Venatus is a gaming-focused ad platform offering header bidding and direct ad sales, which fits game websites well. Whether it's a good fit depends on your traffic volume, ad ops needs, and how it compares to alternatives like AdinPlay, Playwire, or AdSense H5 Games Ads.
No. Rewarded ads work because the player chooses to watch in exchange for a reward, and the reward is only granted after the ad finishes. Making them skippable mid-play breaks that exchange. The player's real 'skip' choice happens before the ad starts, not during it.