What counts as an ad view?
Served is not seen. Here's the line the industry draws between them.
Facts checked 3 Oct 2026 · by the AdSworn team
An impression counts every time an ad is served, even if it loads below the fold and nobody scrolls to it. A viewable impression counts only when the ad had a real chance to be seen: under the Media Rating Council standard that Google follows, at least 50% of a display ad on screen for at least one second, or 50% of a video ad while it plays for at least two seconds.
The viewability standard
| Ad type | Counts as viewable when |
|---|---|
| Display ad | At least 50% of its area is on screen for at least one second |
| Large display ad (242,500 pixels or more) | At least 30% of its area is on screen for at least one second |
| Video ad | At least 50% of its area is on screen while playing, for at least two seconds |
These are the Media Rating Council guidelines, as published in Google Ads Help, which uses them for its Active View measurement.
Why it matters when you pay
If you pay per thousand impressions, impressions nobody could see still cost you. That's why Google moved its Display Network CPM bids to viewable CPM (vCPM): you pay only when ads can be seen. When comparing offers, ask whether the numbers are impressions or viewable impressions.
How views are measured
- The ad loadsA script on the page notes the ad was served: an impression.
- The browser reports positionModern browsers tell the script how much of the ad is on screen.
- The timer runsWhen enough of the ad is visible for long enough, a view is counted.
- Duplicates and bots are removedGood measurement doesn't count the same reader a hundred times, or software pretending to be one.
How AdSworn counts a view
- At least half the ad on screen for one second, the same line as the display standard.
- Once per reader per day, so one reader refreshing a page doesn't inflate the count.
- Known bots excluded, and a view only counts from the publisher's own site with a token our server issued.
- Counted by AdSworn, not the publisher, and shown in the advertiser's delivery report.
Prices are based on something different: the page's own traffic, read from Google Search Console or Google Analytics. Views prove the ad ran; page views set the price.
- Publisher connects GoogleRead-only sign-in to Search Console (and Analytics if they use it). No passwords shared.
- AdSworn reads the numbersClicks from Google, the searches behind each page and page views. For this page: 21 clicks from Google in the last 4 weeks.
- Buyers see the proofEvery figure shows its source and the day it was read (3 Oct 2026 for this site).
What to ask a seller
- Are these impressions or viewable impressions?
- Who counts them: you, or an independent tool?
- Are bots and repeat views removed?
- What happens if the ad doesn't run as agreed?
Straight answers
What is a viewable impression?
An ad impression that had a real chance to be seen. For display ads, at least half of the ad on screen for at least one continuous second.
What is the difference between an impression and a view?
An impression is counted when an ad is served. A view (viewable impression) is counted only when enough of it is on screen for long enough.
What is a good viewability rate?
It varies by site and placement. Ads near the top of a page tend to be seen more than ads far down it; ask the seller for the measured rate on the exact placement.
Does a page view mean someone saw the ad?
No. A page view means the page loaded; whether the ad on it was seen depends on where it sits and how far the reader scrolls.