Why Google AdSense Page Views Are Broken on SPAs (and What Actually Counts)

Adam C. | 4 weeks ago

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).

What AdSense Actually Counts

Why AdSense Page Views Are Misleading

AdSense defines a page view as:

A full page load where at least one ad is rendered.

In SPAs, navigating between pages does not reload the page, so AdSense doesn't increment the page view counter — even if new content is shown and new ads appear.

Meanwhile, each time an ad is rendered, it does count as an ad impression, whether or not the URL changed.

The Real Mistake: Calling adsbygoogle.push({}) After Route Change

Many developers try this:

router.events.on('routeChangeComplete', () => {
  (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});
});

But this doesn't work reliably. Why?

Because by the time that push runs, the <ins class="adsbygoogle"> tag might not yet be in the DOM. So nothing renders — no ad, no impression.

✅ The Correct Way: Push Inside the Ad Unit

You should call adsbygoogle.push({}) inside your ad component, once it's mounted in the DOM.

Here’s a React example:

import { useEffect, useRef } from "react";

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

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

  return (
    <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}
    />
  );
}

This ensures:

The container is in the DOM

AdSense can properly render the unit

An ad impression is counted

So What Should You Care About?

If you're using a SPA, ignore AdSense page views. They are nearly meaningless.

Focus on:

Ad impressions (what actually earns you money)

eCPM based on impressions

Making sure your ads are visible and filled

And yes — your AdSense page views will always be underreported unless the user refreshes the entire site.

Final Thoughts

SPAs broke the traditional pageview model years ago. Unfortunately, AdSense still hasn’t caught up. If you're relying on page view metrics to evaluate performance, you’re looking at a distorted picture.

Use the metrics that matter: impressions and revenue. Just make sure your ad units mount correctly, push cleanly, and fill reliably.