How to Monetize a Game Portal: Ads, Rewarded Video and More
A practical guide to earning from an HTML5 game portal: display ads, ad breaks, rewarded video, revenue share and the mistakes that hurt retention.
By Fabbox Studios · · 3 min read
A game portal has one big advantage over most websites: people stay. Long sessions and repeat visits give you more chances to earn, as long as your ads don't drive players away. We run four portals ourselves, and this is how we think about monetization.
Start with the two places ads can go
Every portal has two kinds of ad inventory, and they behave differently.
- Around the game: display ads on the game page, category pages and home page. They are simple to set up and don't interrupt play.
- Inside the game: ad breaks between levels and rewarded ads that players choose to watch. They usually earn more per view, but a badly placed one can end the session.
Most portals need both. Start with display ads around the game, then add in-game ads once your traffic is steady.
Get approved before you build around an ad network
Google AdSense is where many portals start, and approval has requirements of its own. Before you apply, make sure your site has:
- Real content on game and category pages, not just thumbnails
- Clear About, Contact and Privacy Policy pages
- Easy navigation that works on mobile
- Games you have the right to publish
Check Google's current publisher policies before you apply, because they change. Google also offers an Ad Placement API for HTML5 games, which is worth reading about if you plan to run ads inside your games.
Place ads where players accept them
Good ad placement follows the natural rhythm of a game.
Do:
- Show interstitials at natural pauses, such as between levels or after a game ends
- Offer rewarded ads for something players actually want, like a hint or an extra item
- Load the game on a click, so ads and games don't compete on first load
Avoid:
- Ads during active play
- Placing display ads so close to game controls that players click them by accident
- Showing an ad before every single level. Accidental clicks and frustrated players hurt both revenue and your standing with ad networks
Rewarded ads are usually the safest win
A rewarded ad is an exchange: the player chooses to watch in return for something useful. Because it is a choice, it tends to do the least harm to retention.
If your games are built with rewarded placements in mind, add them first. They are a good way to test how your audience responds to in-game ads.
Choose your content model: license or revenue share
How you source games affects how you earn.
| Licensed games | Revenue share | |
|---|---|---|
| Upfront cost | One-time price per game | None |
| Who runs the ads | You | The game provider |
| What you earn | 100% of your ad revenue | A share of ad revenue |
| Best for | Established traffic | New or growing sites |
If you have steady traffic, licensing games means you keep all the revenue from them. If you are still growing, our revenue share program lets you publish games on an AdSense-approved domain at no upfront cost.
Many portals do both: they try games on revenue share, then license the ones that perform best.
Measure the right numbers
Revenue alone can hide problems. Alongside it, track:
- Revenue per thousand sessions, to compare pages and games fairly
- Session length and games per session, to catch ad fatigue early
- Returning visitors, because long-term growth depends on them
- Revenue by game and category, to decide what to add next
Change one thing at a time, and watch retention as well as revenue. A placement that lifts earnings this week but drives players away is a loss in the long run.
Keep your content fresh
Monetization works best on a portal that people return to. Add new games on a regular schedule, and plan seasonal themes ahead of time: Christmas, Halloween and Valentine's games bring predictable waves of search traffic.
Ready to add games? Browse the catalog, or ask us about bundle pricing.