What is an ad network?
A middleman that turns thousands of small websites into one big ad buy.
Facts checked 3 Oct 2026 · by the AdSworn team
An ad network collects ad space from many websites and sells it to advertisers as a package, usually priced per thousand impressions or per click. The advertiser gets reach without dealing with each site; the publisher gets ads without selling them. The network decides placement and keeps a share: Google AdSense, for example, pays publishers 80% of revenue after the advertiser platform's fee.
How an ad network works
- Publishers joinThey add the network's code to their pages.
- Advertisers buyThey pay for impressions or clicks, set by audience, topic or budget.
- The network places adsAcross its sites, by its own rules or an auction.
- Everyone gets paidThe network keeps its share and pays publishers the rest.
Examples, by what they publish
| Network | What it says it does | Publisher share or price (its own page) |
|---|---|---|
| Google AdSense | Fills sites with ads through Google's auction | 80% of revenue after the advertiser platform's fee |
| Carbon Ads | Ads across developer and creator sites | Advertisers pay $5–6 CPM; 1M impressions a month recommended |
Longer comparisons, sourced and dated: AdSworn vs Google AdSense and AdSworn vs EthicalAds.
What you give up, and what you get
| Through a network | Buying the page directly | |
|---|---|---|
| Reach | Many sites at once | One page at a time |
| Choosing the page | The network chooses | You choose |
| Price | Per impression or click, often by auction | Agreed up front |
| Seeing the audience first | Network-level data | That page's own traffic and searches |
| Setup | One account | One booking per page |
How a marketplace is different
A marketplace lists pages instead of pooling them. On AdSworn each page has its own price and its own traffic, read from the publisher's Google Search Console or Google Analytics. The advertiser picks the page, the publisher approves the ad, and AdSworn keeps 8% of the sale from the publisher's share; the advertiser pays the listed price and nothing on top.
- Advertiser booksPicks a page and format, writes the ad. Nothing is charged yet.
- Publisher approves, advertiser paysThe listed price, nothing on top. AdSworn holds it.
- Verified live, publisher paidOnce the snippet confirms the ad is live, the publisher gets 92%.
- Never ran? Full refundDeclined or not live: the advertiser gets every cent back.
The 12 Best Online Video Editors of 2026 (Free and Paid)
- Banner ad$25 / 4 weeks
- Featured post$2,000 / year
Straight answers
What is an ad network in simple terms?
A company that sells ad space on many websites as one product, places the ads, and shares the revenue with the sites.
What is the difference between an ad network and an ad exchange?
A network buys and packages space from its own group of sites. An exchange is an open auction where many buyers and sellers trade impressions automatically.
Can I choose which websites my ads appear on in a network?
Usually only in part: you can set topics, audiences or exclusions, but the network places the ad. Buying directly is how you choose the exact page.