The Best On-Click Ad Networks for Publishers

Anyone running a site with mixed or high-volume traffic knows the feeling: you’ve optimised display ads, tightened placements, experimented with native, but the RPM still plateaus. Modern traffic doesn’t behave like it did a decade ago—sessions are shorter, sources are noisier, and user journeys are fragmented. Yet the expectation to squeeze revenue from every visitor has only grown sharper.

This is where on-click ad formats - pop-unders, click triggers, smartlinks, and redirects have quietly become a powerful lever in the publisher stack. These formats monetise the entire surface area of your site, especially traffic categories that traditionally underperform: social clicks, entertainment, tools, download pages, and low-engagement visits that never scroll far enough to see a banner.

Over the past few years, these formats have grown from being “extra monetisation” to becoming a serious revenue layer for publishers who know how to deploy them responsibly.

The Benefits of On-Click Ad Formats

Publishers today are under pressure to find revenue streams that don’t depend entirely on display. Algorithms shift, attention spans shrink, and sessions get shorter. On-click formats step into that gap by capturing engagement at the exact moment a user interacts—the click—making it a powerful, intent-driven monetisation opportunity. Handled with control and balance, they can become one of the most quietly effective revenue streams in your stack.

For publishers, the value is straightforward: on-click formats unlock revenue from traffic that display simply can’t convert. They also align more with performance metrics (clicks, actions, intent) rather than impressions.

Here’s why more publishers are turning to them:

• They monetize traffic that would otherwise earn very little: Think social bursts, viral spikes, aggregator traffic, or occasional visitors who bounce quickly.
• They add incremental revenue “on top” of your existing ad stack: You don’t have to remove your display or native units—they complement them.
• They generate high EPCs in Tier-2/3 GEOs: This is especially valuable if your traffic mix isn’t heavily US/EU.
• They give control back to publishers: Frequency caps, triggers, and clean implementations mean you can tune the balance between UX and revenue.

Of course, they need to be handled responsibly. Poorly configured on-click ads can erode user trust or trigger compliance issues. The point is not to flood your visitors, but to create a smart, incremental monetisation layer.

Why We Selected these Networks

The networks below weren’t chosen randomly. We filtered them based on:

• Format quality & user experience: Are the ads clean? Are the redirects safe? Does the frequency stay in your control?
• GEO and vertical performance: Some networks shine in Tier-1, others perform better globally.
• Payout transparency: Clear thresholds, predictable payment cycles, and stable EPCs.
• Tech stack & optimisation: Real-time reporting, anti-fraud, clean integrations, and AI-based campaign matching.
• Publisher trust and long-term reputation: Networks that aren’t just high-paying, but consistent and safe.

How to Test On-Click Ads on your Website

• Start by segmenting your traffic: Know which GEOs, devices, sources (organic, social, app) produce the best engagement on your site.
• Test a lightweight integration of on-click/pop formats (e.g., one page or group of pages) to measure RPM/CPM or click value.
• Monitor key metrics: click-through, bounce, fill-rate, revenue per visitor, user feedback (UX).
• Optimise placements: avoid disrupting main user flow, ensure compliance with your ad policy (especially if your site is brand-sensitive).
• Use multiple formats/networks for diversification (e.g., standard display + on-click) but keep branding consistent.
• Monitor quality: low-quality traffic or too many accidental redirects may harm your brand, bounce rate or SEO performance.