<p>If you're running a modern web app like Next.js, React, or Vue, you've probably noticed something strange in your AdSense dashboard:</p><blockquote><p><strong>Page views are way lower than expected</strong>, but ad impressions seem fine.</p></blockquote><p>This isn’t a bug — it’s how AdSense works (or more accurately, how it doesn’t work with SPAs).</p><figure class="image"><img src="https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1451443700141-5ddb6d85a8fc?crop=entropy&amp;cs=tinysrgb&amp;fit=max&amp;fm=jpg&amp;ixid=M3wxNTQwMTB8MHwxfHNlYXJjaHw0N3x8U1BBfGVufDB8fHx8MTc0OTA4NzE1Mnww&amp;ixlib=rb-4.1.0&amp;q=80&amp;w=1080"><figcaption>Photo by <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://unsplash.com/@shawneewilborn?utm_source=DNX&amp;utm_medium=referral">shawnee wilborn</a> on <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://unsplash.com/?utm_source=DNX&amp;utm_medium=referral">Unsplash</a></figcaption></figure><h3>What AdSense Actually Counts</h3><figure class="table"><table class="ui table celled"><thead><tr><th>Event</th><th>Counts AdSense Page View?</th><th>Counts Ad Impression?</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>Full page reload (hard refresh)</td><td>✅ Yes</td><td>✅ Yes</td></tr><tr><td>SPA route change (no reload)</td><td>❌ No</td><td>✅ Yes (if ad is rendered with <code>push({})</code>)</td></tr></tbody></table></figure><h3>Why AdSense Page Views Are Misleading</h3><p>AdSense defines a <strong>page view</strong> as:</p><blockquote><p>A full page load where at least one ad is rendered.</p></blockquote><p>In SPAs, navigating between pages <strong>does not reload the page</strong>, so AdSense doesn't increment the page view counter — even if new content is shown and new ads appear.</p><p>Meanwhile, each time an ad is rendered, it <strong>does count as an ad impression</strong>, whether or not the URL changed.</p><h3>The Real Mistake: Calling <code>adsbygoogle.push({})</code> After Route Change</h3><p>Many developers try this:</p><pre><code class="language-plaintext">router.events.on('routeChangeComplete', () =&gt; {
  (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});
});
</code></pre><p>But this doesn't work reliably. Why?</p><p>Because by the time that push runs, the <code>&lt;ins class="adsbygoogle"&gt;</code> tag might <strong>not yet be in the DOM</strong>. So nothing renders — no ad, no impression.</p><h3>✅ The Correct Way: Push Inside the Ad Unit</h3><p>You should call <code>adsbygoogle.push({})</code> <strong>inside your ad component</strong>, once it's mounted in the DOM.</p><p>Here’s a React example:</p><pre><code class="language-plaintext">import { useEffect, useRef } from "react";

export default function AdUnit({ adClient, adSlot }) {
  const adRef = useRef(null);

  useEffect(() =&gt; {
    if (window.adsbygoogle &amp;&amp; adRef.current) {
      try {
        (window.adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});
      } catch (e) {
        console.error("AdSense push failed:", e);
      }
    }
  }, []);

  return (
    &lt;ins
      className="adsbygoogle"
      style={{ display: "block" }}
      data-ad-client={adClient}
      data-ad-slot={adSlot}
      data-ad-format="auto"
      data-full-width-responsive="true"
      ref={adRef}
    /&gt;
  );
}
</code></pre><p>This ensures:</p><p>The container is in the DOM</p><p>AdSense can properly render the unit</p><p>An <strong>ad impression is counted</strong></p><h3>So What Should You Care About?</h3><p>If you're using a SPA, <strong>ignore AdSense page views</strong>. They are nearly meaningless.</p><p>Focus on:</p><p><strong>Ad impressions</strong> (what actually earns you money)</p><p><strong>eCPM based on impressions</strong></p><p>Making sure your ads are visible and filled</p><p>And yes — your <strong>AdSense page views will always be underreported</strong> unless the user refreshes the entire site.</p><h3>Final Thoughts</h3><p>SPAs broke the traditional pageview model years ago. Unfortunately, <strong>AdSense still hasn’t caught up</strong>. If you're relying on page view metrics to evaluate performance, you’re looking at a distorted picture.</p><p>Use the metrics that matter: <strong>impressions and revenue</strong>. Just make sure your ad units mount correctly, push cleanly, and fill reliably.</p>

If you're running a modern web app like Next.js, React, or Vue, you've probably noticed something strange in your AdSense dashboard:
Page views are way lower than expected, but ad impressions seem fine.
This isn’t a bug — it’s how AdSense works (or more accurately, how it doesn’t work with SPAs).

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