Lazily load ads below the fold

  • "Below the fold" ads are those outside the initial view and require scrolling to be seen, impacting viewability and page performance if loaded excessively.

  • This audit ensures no more than three ads are initially loaded below the fold to enhance user experience.

  • Lazy loading is recommended for below-the-fold ads, delaying their request and rendering until they are nearly visible.

  • By implementing lazy loading techniques, publishers can improve viewability rates and optimize page performance, ensuring a better user experience.

Overview

This audit checks that no more than three ads are initially loaded below the fold. The area below the fold only becomes visible after a user scrolls down. Ads in this area are less likely to be seen by users, so loading an excessive number of them can lower viewability rates and decrease page performance.

Recommendations

Lazily load ads that are positioned below the fold. Lazy loading is a technique that prevents ads outside of the viewport from being requested and rendered until they are close to being scrolled into view. See the GPT lazy loading sample for an example implementation.

More information

GPT lazy loading API
Viewability best practices