Maximising ad revenue takes more than running extra ads. It depends on knowing how well your ads move from request to impression. In Google AdMob, three main metrics show if your inventory is performing at its best: Match Rate, Show Rate, and Win Rate (for bidding).
Let’s understand the meaning of each metric, how to calculate them, and how they work together to affect your ad delivery and revenue. Let’s get started.
Key AdMob Metrics App Publisher Must Know About
To maximise ad revenue, you need to understand how effectively your ad requests are matched, shown, and winning auctions. Below, we have discussed 3 Admob metrics that are essential to monitor.
1. Match Rate
Match rate is the percentage of ad requests that receive at least one suitable ad response. A high match rate typically means advertisers find your inventory relevant and your targeting attracts demand. Similarly, a low match rate may indicate poor targeting and limited advertiser interest. It might also mean restrictions in your ad setup.
Example: If you send 1,000 ad requests and 800 are matched with ads, your match rate is 80%.
- Formula: Match Rate = ( Matched Requests ÷ Total Ad Requests ) x 100
2. Show Rate
Show rate is the percentage of matched ads that are actually displayed to users (counted as impressions). Remember, even if ads are matched, they may not always be shown. For example, if the user leaves the page early or if there is a rendering issue. A high show rate means more matched ads convert into impressions, which is critical for revenue.
Example: If 800 matched ads result in 400 impressions, your show rate is 50%.
- Formula: Show Rate = ( Impressions ÷ Matched Requests ) x 100
3. Win Rate (Bidding Networks Only)
Win rate is the percentage of times a bidding network wins the auction to serve an ad. A higher win rate means your inventory is competitive and attractive to advertisers in real-time bidding. Likewise, a low win rate may need improving ad quality.
Example: If a network participates in 500 auctions and wins 200, the win rate is 40%.
- Formula: Win Rate = ( Winning Bids ÷ Total Bids in Auction ) x 100
Tracking these 3 metrics together is important. A high match rate without a high show rate still limits impressions. A good win rate means you get the most value from bidding auctions.
How Are the Three Metrics Connected?
For every ad request, these metrics follow a logical sequence:
- Ad Request → Match Rate
- First, AdMob checks if there’s at least one eligible ad for the request.
- If no ad is matched, the process stops here. This means no auction and no impression.
Matched Request → Win Rate(Bidding Only)
- If multiple advertisers bid for the impression, the win rate shows how often a bidder wins the auction.
Winning Ad → Show Rate
- Finally, the winning ad is displayed to the user. The show rate measures how often matched ads are actually seen as impressions.
A strong match rate ensures demand exists while a good win rate means you’re competitive in auctions. If you have a high show rate, it means the ad actually reaches the user and has the potential to generate revenue.
5 Common AdMob Metric Scenarios and What They Mean for Publishers
Tracking Match Rate, Win Rate (for bidding-enabled apps), and Show Rate together helps pinpoint where your ad delivery process is breaking down. Let’s walk through the most common situations and how to fix them.
1. Low Match Rate
When only a few of your ad requests find a suitable ad, you lose revenue opportunities right at the start.
Why it happens:
- Low advertiser demand for your geo, category, or audience.
- Overly strict ad category blocks or targeting settings.
- Unsupported ad formats or broken ad placements.
- Ad serving limits from Google due to invalid traffic.
Quick fixes:
- Open up more formats (rewarded, native, interstitial).
- Relax blocking controls to allow more categories.
- Grow Tier 1 traffic and add more mediation partners.
- Double-check ad unit setup and check the Policy Center for limits.
2. High Match Rate but Low Win Rate (Bidding Only)
This means you have demand but your bidders lose too many auctions. This means higher-paying ads go to other publishers.
Why it happens:
- Bidders submitting low CPMs compared to competitors.
- Slow ad source response times.
- Weak user data, so advertisers don’t see value.
Quick fixes:
- Add more premium bidding partners.
- Work with networks to boost bid competitiveness.
- Pass accurate consent, device, and audience data.
- Use high-value placements like rewarded ads or interstitials.
- Consider adding waterfall fallback for critical placements to not lose impression entirely
3. High Match Rate & Win Rate, but Low Show Rate
You win auctions, but ads do not reach users. This is often caused by implementation or timing issues.
Why it happens:
- Technical rendering problems.
- Users leave before ads load (common with interstitials).
- Preloaded ads expire before being shown.
- You’re requesting ads but not displaying them – improper app flow.
Quick fixes:
- Review your load; show flow to ensure ads display promptly.
- Avoid loading too early; show ads soon after fetching.
- Implement error callbacks and test with Firebase/debug tools.
4. Low Match Rate & Low Show Rate
Here, ads are not being matched, and those that do match rarely get shown. This is often due to integration or policy problems or inactive ad units.
Why it happens:
- Few ad responses combined with short user sessions.
- Ad units not implemented or triggered correctly
- Google-imposed serving limits.
Quick fixes:
- Use AdMob Test Ads to verify integration.
- Add more networks via mediation.
- Check the app’s traffic sources – watch for sudden spikes in installs from unknown referrers.
- Improve retention so users stay longer.
- Check Policy Center for restrictions.
5. All Metrics Good, but Revenue Low
Everything looks healthy, but earnings are still low. Usually, the problem is value, not delivery.
Why it happens:
- Low eCPM bids.
- High fill but low-value geos or formats.
- Weak ad placement engagement.
Quick fixes:
- Add high-value ad formats such as interstitials or rewarded ads
- Focus on top-performing countries and formats.
- Optimise placements for visibility without hurting UX.
- Improve retention to show more ads per user.
Final Thoughts
Understanding Match Rate, Show Rate, and Win Rate gives you clear visibility into how effectively your ad inventory is performing. By tracking these metrics together and addressing any drops, you ensure more ads are served, more impressions are counted, and more revenue flows in.
At YieldMonk, our goal is simple: to help publishers like you get the most value from every ad opportunity. We guarantee premium brands fill your ad spaces. This means your traffic leads to higher yield and steady growth. When your ads work better, your earnings grow faster. Contact us today.
