Method: Literal Better Ads
The strictest reading of the Better Ads definition. Each unique ad placement is counted once, clipped to the content range. Siderail ads (branding skins) are included as separate placements because the spec says "Ads in the siderails of the main content are included in the calculation." Each skin is a distinct ad creative sold separately in GAM. Sticky ads counted once.
Content Area (Denominator)
| Content element | <main> |
| Content range | y = 330 – 7,612 |
| Content height | 7,282 px |
Ad Placements (Numerator)
Sum of each unique placement's clipped height. Skins counted as separate placements.
| Placement | Raw Position | Clipped Range | Height |
|---|
| Adaptive Interstitial | y=0 – 1,080 | [330, 1080] | 750 px (clipped) |
| Halfpage_1 | y=556 – 1,156 | [556, 1156] | 600 px |
| Rectangle_480_1 | y=1,461 – 1,761 | [1461, 1761] | 300 px |
| Halfpage_Repeater_1 | y=2,381 – 2,981 | [2381, 2981] | 600 px |
| Rectangle_Repeater | y=2,889 – 3,189 | [2889, 3189] | 300 px |
| Under_Article | y=3,906 – 4,156 | [3906, 4156] | 250 px |
| Halfpage_Repeater_2 | y=4,206 – 4,806 | [4206, 4806] | 600 px |
| Halfpage_Repeater_3 | y=6,031 – 6,631 | [6031, 6631] | 600 px |
| Billboard_Bottom | y=7,245 – 7,555 | [7245, 7555] | 310 px |
| Branding Skin Left (fixed) | screen y=0 | [330, 1080] | 750 px (clipped, once) |
| Branding Skin Right (fixed) | screen y=0 | [330, 1080] | 750 px (clipped, once) |
This is the safest interpretation for compliance reporting. Each ad placement is a separate commercial transaction and is counted once. The Coalition does not say you can exclude a siderail ad because another ad occupies the same vertical range elsewhere on the page. Overlap in Y-space is not the same as double-counting the same placement.
Result
"Ad density is determined by summing the heights of all ads within the main content portion of a page, then dividing by the total height of the main content portion of the page."
— Coalition for Better Ads
5,810 px7,282 px
× 100 =
79.8%
0%100%
Breakdown
| Contributor | Height | Share |
|---|
| 4 Halfpage slots (×600px) | 2,400 px | 41% |
| 2 Branding Skins (×750px, clipped) | 1,500 px | 26% |
| Interstitial (clipped) | 750 px | 13% |
| 2 Rectangles (×300px) | 600 px | 10% |
| Billboard + Under Article | 560 px | 10% |
| Total | 5,810 px | 100% |
All Three Methods Compared
| Method | Ad Height | Density | Result |
|---|
| Literal Better Ads | 5,810 px | 79.8% | FAIL |
| Conservative (de-overlapped) | 4,310 px | 59.2% | FAIL |
| Vertical Union (floor) | 3,694 px | 50.7% | FAIL |
All three methods agree: this page fails the 50% desktop threshold. The range is 50.7% – 79.8%. The Literal method is the safest for external reporting; the Union method is the absolute floor.