Skip to content
OpenPWA

Ad networks

In one line: Most web ad networks render fine inside a PWA, but whether a network officially supports and pays out on PWA inventory — and how it treats the installed standalone context versus a normal browser tab — is a policy question, not a technical one.

The two questions that matter

Section titled “The two questions that matter”
  1. Does the network’s tag/SDK run in a PWA? Almost always yes — a PWA is a web page, so standard JavaScript ad tags load and render.
  2. Does the network’s policy support PWA inventory, and count installed standalone sessions? This varies by network and changes over time. Some treat a standalone PWA identically to web; others have caveats around the display mode, referrer, or app-like surfaces.

The first question is capability; the second is ecosystem policy. OpenPWA tracks the second as sourced rows in the policy dimension so the verdicts stay dated and never drift.

What affects payout and eligibility

Section titled “What affects payout and eligibility”
  • Display mode. An installed PWA runs in standalone/fullscreen; some networks’ policies and measurement assume a browser tab. Confirm the network counts standalone sessions.
  • Referrer and origin. Installed apps may send a different or empty referrer; verify the network keys eligibility on origin, not referrer.
  • Invalid-traffic and viewability. Service-worker caching and offline replays can skew impression timing — follow the network’s IVT guidance.
  • Sponsored vs. editorial. In the policy data, a Sponsored flag is always visible and is kept independent of the editorial support status.

Reading the policy data

Section titled “Reading the policy data”

The authoritative, per-network position — supported / partial / unsupported, with a source link, verification date, and sponsorship flag — lives in the policy dimension of the compatibility explorer. This page explains how to interpret those rows; it deliberately does not duplicate the verdicts, so there is a single source of truth.

Practical checklist

Section titled “Practical checklist”
  • Confirm the network’s published policy explicitly allows PWA / installed-app inventory.
  • Test ad rendering in the installed standalone mode, not just a browser tab.
  • Verify impressions and clicks are attributed when the referrer is empty.
  • Check the policy data for the current, sourced verdict and any sponsorship flag.

← Back to the Ecosystem overview.