AdMob in reader apps: three rules that keep your ad serving healthy

Ads pay for our free reader apps, so a restriction in AdMob hurts quickly. Looking at our AdMob Policy center this month, almost all of our traffic was served normally, but two apps were limited. Both cases come down to rules that are easy to follow once you know them.

1. Rewarded ads must be the user's choice

One older app showed a rewarded ad automatically when a screen opened. AdMob restricted it under "Rewards implementation: user choice". Rewarded formats are an exchange: the user decides to watch an ad in return for something.

• Show a clear button such as "Watch an ad to unlock" with the reward stated up front.
• Never start a rewarded ad on app launch, screen open or back navigation.
• Give the reward only after the SDK's reward callback, and let users decline without losing basic features.

If you want an ad at a natural break without a reward, use an interstitial and respect frequency limits.

2. Load first, show later, and never block content

Interstitials and app open ads should be loaded in the background and shown only at natural transition points, such as returning to the article list. Don't show one on the very first launch, and never let an ad cover content the user just tapped. For banners, one per screen, placed away from buttons, avoids accidental clicks, which AdMob treats as invalid traffic.

3. Get consent right with UMP

If you have users in the EEA, the UK or Switzerland, Google requires a certified consent management platform. Google's own User Messaging Platform (UMP) SDK is free:

• Request consent information on every app start, before loading ads.
• Show the form when required, and only request ads when CanRequestAds is true.
• Offer a "Privacy options" entry in settings so users can change their choice.

Housekeeping that helps

• Keep Play and AdMob in sync. When Google Play disables an app, AdMob restricts its ads. Unpublished or suspended apps will show up in the Policy center until their last installs fade out.
• Declare ads correctly in Play Console's Ads declaration and Data safety form. See our earlier post on Data safety for AdMob apps.
• Check the Policy center weekly. Most issues come with a clear "Fix" link and are quick to resolve while they're small.

Ads that respect the reader keep earning longer, and they keep the apps they fund on the store.