AdMob — what it is, features and app monetization

What is AdMob?

AdMob is an advertising platform by Google designed for monetizing mobile applications. Launched in 2006 and acquired by Google in 2009, AdMob has become the de facto standard for mobile advertising, providing developers with access to advertisers on Google Display Network (GDN) and AdWords.

The platform supports all major mobile OS — Android, iOS, as well as web applications through Google Mobile Ads SDK. The key advantage of AdMob is its built-in mediation platform, which allows developers to connect additional ad networks (Unity Ads, AppLovin, ironSource, Facebook) and automatically select the highest-bidding ad for each impression.

According to Statista (2025), AdMob holds over 35% of the global mobile ad mediation market, serving over 1 million active applications. The monthly audience covers over 1 billion unique devices worldwide.

History of AdMob

AdMob was founded by Omar Hamoui in 2006 as a platform for advertising on mobile websites. After being acquired by Google in 2009 for $750 million, the platform was completely reoriented toward mobile applications. In 2019, Google combined AdMob with Google Ad Manager and Firebase, creating a unified ecosystem of monetization and analytics integrated with developer tools.

How does AdMob work?

AdMob architecture is built on a real-time auction model (RTB). When a user opens an app and an ad impression occurs, AdMob sends a request to Google Display Network, where advertisers bid for that impression. The ad with the highest bid wins and is displayed to the user.

The display process takes milliseconds and includes several stages: the app sends a request via Google Mobile Ads SDK → AdMob processes the request and runs the auction → advertisers submit bids → the winner is determined and the creative is delivered to the device → the SDK displays the ad. Creative load time is 100-300 ms, which does not affect user experience.

AdMob Pricing Models

AdMob supports several payment models. CPC (Cost Per Click) — the advertiser pays for each click on the ad. CPM (Cost Per Mille) — payment per thousand impressions, used for brand campaigns. CPV (Cost Per View) — payment per video view, applied for Rewarded Video. CPA (Cost Per Action) — payment for a target action (install, registration, purchase). Integrating multiple models in a single auction guarantees maximum eCPM for the developer.

class AdMobInitializer(private val context: Context) {

    fun initializeAdMob() {
        MobileAds.initialize(context) { initializationStatus ->
            val statusMap = initializationStatus.adapterStatusMap
            for (adapter in statusMap.keys) {
                val status = statusMap[adapter]
                Log.d("AdMob", "Adapter: $adapter status: ${status?.name}")
            }
        }
    }

    fun getAdRequest(): AdRequest {
        return AdRequest.Builder()
            .setMaxAdContentRating(MaxAdContentRating.T)
            .tagForChildDirectedTreatment(true)
            .build()
    }
}

AdMob Ad Formats

AdMob supports all major mobile advertising formats, allowing developers to combine them for maximum revenue. Each format has its own integration specifics, eCPM, and impact on user experience.

AdMob Banner Ads

Standard banners and adaptive banners (smart banners) that occupy a fixed screen area — usually at the top or bottom. AdMob Adaptive Banners automatically adjust their size to the device screen width, ensuring correct display on all devices. Banner eCPM — $0.5-2, CTR — 0.05-0.1%. Banners are the simplest format to start monetization with.

AdMob Interstitial Ad

Full-screen ads displayed during natural pauses. AdMob Interstitial Ad supports static images and video. Interstitial eCPM — $8-15, CTR — 1-5%. AdMob recommends preloading Interstitial Ads before display and not showing more than once every 60 seconds.

AdMob Rewarded Video

Rewarded video ads — the highest-earning format in AdMob. Rewarded AdMob supports SSV (Server-Side Verification) for fraud protection. eCPM — $12-25. The user receives a reward only after watching the full video, confirmed by the onUserEarnedReward callback.

AdMob Native Ads

Customizable native ads that blend into the content feed. AdMob Native Advanced gives developers full control over appearance: headline, description, image, CTA button. eCPM — $8-20. Requires creating an XML or SwiftUI template.

AdMob Mediation

AdMob Mediation is a built-in mechanism that allows connecting additional ad networks to AdMob and managing them through a single interface. This is a key feature that sets AdMob apart from simple ad SDKs.

How mediation works: when an ad is requested, AdMob sends a request to all connected networks simultaneously (waterfall) or uses in-app bidding to select the best bid. Waterfall mediation polls networks in priority order: if the first network cannot fill the request (no fill), the request goes to the second and so on. In-app bidding replaces waterfall — all networks submit bids simultaneously, and the best one wins.

In-app Bidding in AdMob

A modern approach to mediation where all connected ad networks participate in a real-time auction. In-app bidding eliminates the waterfall problem — networks do not wait in line but compete for each impression. AdMob supports bidding for AdMob Network, Ad Exchange, Google Ads, as well as third-party networks: AppLovin, Meta Audience Network, Unity Ads, InMobi.

Setting up Mediation Groups

In the AdMob dashboard you can create mediation groups — groups of ad networks organized by format, country, or platform. For example, you can create a separate group for Rewarded Video in the US with AdMob + AppLovin + Unity Ads, and another for banners in Europe. Flexibility in configuration allows optimizing eCPM for each traffic segment.

import GoogleMobileAds

class MediationManager: NSObject {
    func configureMediation() {
        GADMobileAds.sharedInstance().start { status in
            let adapters = status.adapterStatusesByClassName
            for (name, adapterStatus) in adapters {
                switch adapterStatus.state {
                case .ready:
                    print("\(name) is ready")
                case .notReady:
                    print("\(name) not ready")
                }
            }
        }
    }
}

Setting up AdMob in your app

Step-by-step setup of AdMob includes app registration, obtaining Ad Unit ID, integrating Google Mobile Ads SDK, and configuring mediation. The process takes from a few hours to several days depending on integration complexity.

Registering your app in AdMob

The first step is creating an AdMob account (or signing in with Google) and registering your app. For Android, you need to provide the package name, for iOS — the Bundle ID. After registration, AdMob generates an App ID that must be added to AndroidManifest.xml or Info.plist. Test Ad Unit IDs are provided by Google for development and debugging.

Integrating Google Mobile Ads SDK

SDK integration is done via Gradle (Android) or CocoaPods (iOS). After adding the dependency, you need to initialize the SDK in the Application.onCreate() method or AppDelegate.applicationDidFinishLaunching. Initialization loads the mediation configuration and prepares ad network adapters.

Creating and testing Ad Unit

In the AdMob dashboard, create an Ad Unit for each ad format. Assign a descriptive name like “Android_Banner_MainScreen”, “iOS_Rewarded_GameLevel”. Testing must be done with test Ad Unit IDs — using real IDs during development may result in account suspension.

// AndroidManifest.xml
@MetaData(
    name = "com.google.android.gms.ads.APPLICATION_ID",
    value = "ca-app-pub-3940256099942544~3347511713"
)

// MainApplication.kt
class MainApplication : Application() {
    override fun onCreate() {
        super.onCreate()
        MobileAds.initialize(this)
    }
}

AdMob Analytics and Reports

AdMob provides a built-in analytics system with detailed reports on revenue, impressions, eCPM, and requests. Data is available in the AdMob web dashboard and through the API for integration with external systems.

Main AdMob Reports

The AdMob dashboard includes several types of reports: Revenue Overview — revenue by day, format, and country; Mediation Report — statistics for each connected ad network; Ad Unit Report — details for each Ad Unit; Network Performance — eCPM and fill rate comparison between ad networks. Reports can be exported to CSV for further analysis.

Firebase Analytics Integration

AdMob integrates with Firebase Analytics, allowing you to track behavioral metrics alongside advertising revenue. Firebase provides end-to-end analytics: which user viewed how many ads, what actions they took after viewing, and what total revenue they generated (LTV). Integration is activated through Firebase Console with one click.

AdMob API

For report automation, the AdMob API (REST) is used, allowing you to programmatically obtain data on revenue, impressions, and eCPM. The API supports filtering by date, format, country, and Ad Unit. Rate limit — 10,000 requests per day per project. Authentication via OAuth 2.0 with a service account.

AdMob Limitations

Despite all the advantages, AdMob has a number of limitations that need to be considered when choosing a monetization platform. Understanding these limitations helps avoid problems during integration and operation.

Geographic limitations

Fill rate and eCPM vary significantly by region. In Tier-1 countries (USA, UK, Canada, Australia, Japan), the fill rate is 95-99% with high eCPM. In Tier-2 and Tier-3 countries, the fill rate can drop to 40-60%, and eCPM can be 3-5 times lower. For regions with low fill rate, it is recommended to connect local ad networks through mediation.

Content policy and suspensions

AdMob has strict rules regarding app content. Prohibited content includes: adult content, violence, illegal goods, misleading content. Policy violation can lead to account suspension without the possibility of reinstatement. Before starting monetization, you must verify that the app complies with AdMob policies.

• Minimum payout — the withdrawal threshold is $100 for bank transfer.
• Fee deduction — Google deducts a 15% commission from revenue for publishers (Ad Exchange — up to 20%).
• Payment time — payments are made monthly with a 45-60 day delay after revenue generation.
• Country restrictions — AdMob is not available to residents of some countries (Crimea, Cuba, Iran, North Korea).