What is ad load and how much is too much?
How to measure ad load, what too many ads cost you, and how to find the right balance.
Written by Samhub with the help of AI·Updated 13 Oct 2026·3 min readAd load is how many ads a page, app screen or video shows, often measured as ad units per page or the share of screen space used by ads.
How to measure it
Ad load = ad impressions ÷ page views
Example: 9,000,000 ÷ 3,000,000 = 3 ads per page
Illustrative numbers.
The trade-off
| More ads | Effect |
|---|---|
| More inventory | More impressions to sell |
| Lower viewability | Many ads are never seen |
| Lower prices | Buyers pay less for cluttered pages |
| Slower pages | Readers leave and use ad blockers |
16 pages for publishers, with a checklist for data, programmatic and direct sales.
Find the right balance
Test fewer, better placements and compare revenue per page view, not just impressions. Higher prices from data and viewability often make up for fewer ads.
CPM uplift at Stampen Media after activating first-party audiences with Samhub.
Frequently asked questions
It differs by site type and page length. Test against your own data.
Heavy ads can slow pages and hurt user experience signals.
The share of a page taken up by ads, often used on mobile.
More ads can raise RPM up to a point, then lower it.
Related terms
A space on a page where an ad can appear.
Whether an ad had a real chance to be seen.
What a publisher earns per 1,000 page views.
Loading a new ad in the same slot.
Sites built mainly to sell ads.
Loading ads only when they are about to be seen.
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