Network Readiness Levels

Ad Network Tiers Explained

AdGateScore organizes the 14 ad networks it evaluates into four tiers: Entry, Growth, Scale, and Premium. These tiers reflect the increasing requirements and earning potential as you move up the ladder. Understanding these tiers helps you set realistic goals and plan your monetization strategy.

Entry Tier

Entry-tier networks have the lowest barriers to approval and are designed for new and smaller publishers. These networks accept sites with modest traffic and basic content standards. While they generally offer lower RPMs (revenue per thousand impressions) compared to higher tiers, they provide a critical starting point for building your ad revenue.

Networks in this tier include Google AdSense and similar programs that accept a wide range of publishers. To qualify for entry-tier networks, your site typically needs original content across at least 10-15 pages, a privacy policy, HTTPS, clean navigation, and no policy violations. Traffic minimums are low or nonexistent.

If you're just starting out, getting approved by an entry-tier network should be your first goal. The revenue may be modest, but it proves your site can monetize and gives you experience with ad operations.

Growth Tier

Growth-tier networks offer better RPMs and more sophisticated ad optimization. They require more content, better site quality, and some minimum traffic thresholds. These networks are ideal for publishers who have outgrown entry-tier options and are ready for better earnings.

Networks like Ezoic and Monumetric fall into this tier. Requirements typically include 10,000 or more monthly sessions, 20+ quality content pages, strong technical performance, and all compliance basics in order. Growth-tier networks often provide their own ad optimization technology that can significantly boost revenue compared to manual ad placement.

The jump from entry to growth tier is where many publishers see their first meaningful ad revenue. RPMs can be two to four times higher than entry-tier networks, and the optimization tools these networks provide make a noticeable difference.

Scale Tier

Scale-tier networks are for established publishers with significant traffic and high-quality content. These networks offer premium RPMs and dedicated account management. Requirements are substantially higher, and approval processes involve manual review by the network's team.

Mediavine is the most well-known scale-tier network, requiring 50,000 sessions per month. Other networks in this tier have similar traffic requirements. Beyond traffic, they expect long-form original content, strong Core Web Vitals, professional site design, and a track record of growth. Content niches matter at this level too, as some niches command higher advertiser demand.

Reaching the scale tier represents a significant milestone for publishers. RPMs at this level are typically three to ten times higher than entry-tier networks, and the revenue becomes substantial enough to represent a serious income stream or business.

Premium Tier

Premium-tier networks sit at the top of the pyramid. They offer the highest RPMs in the industry, often exceeding $20-40 for US traffic. Approval requires the highest traffic volumes (100,000+ monthly pageviews), exceptional content quality, established brand recognition, and demonstrated audience engagement.

Raptive (formerly AdThrive) is the most prominent premium-tier network. At this level, publishers are treated as strategic partners. You get dedicated account managers, custom ad strategies, and access to premium advertising demand that isn't available through lower-tier networks.

Premium tier approval is the ultimate goal for most ad-supported publishers. The difference in revenue between entry and premium tiers can be ten to twenty times on the same traffic, making it worth the effort to improve your site to this standard.

How to Move Up Through the Tiers

• Focus on content first: Consistently publishing high-quality, long-form content is the single best thing you can do to move up through the tiers.
• Build organic traffic: Networks value sustainable, search-driven traffic over social media spikes or paid traffic.
• Optimize performance: Fast page loads improve both your AdGateScore and your actual ad revenue, making you more attractive to higher-tier networks.
• Be patient: Moving from entry to premium typically takes 12-24 months of consistent effort. Track your progress with AdGateScore and celebrate each tier advancement.