TL;DR
Optimize Ads is designed to speed up ad-heavy websites by improving how ad scripts are loaded. It reduces layout shifts, improves user experience, and helps you pass Core Web Vitals—even with multiple ad placements.
Monetizing content with ads is essential for any online business—but it comes at a cost.
Ad scripts are often large, third-party, and outside your control. They load unpredictably, shift layout content, and drag down your Core Web Vitals—especially metrics like Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS) and Largest Contentful Paint (LCP).
If you’re running multiple ad placements from networks like Google AdSense, this problem multiplies fast. Read on to learn how to leverage the Optimize Ads feature to tame third-party ad scripts, keeping your revenue intact and your WordPress site fast.
What Is Optimizing Ad Scripts?
Optimizing ad scripts refers to the process of improving how advertising code loads and behaves on your website—so your content loads quickly, user experience stays intact, and ad revenue isn’t affected.
Ad scripts—like those from Google AdSense, Amazon Ads, or programmatic ad networks—are third-party resources.
They often load slowly, block rendering, shift content around the page, and increase your Total Blocking Time and Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS)—two key performance metrics.
These scripts typically:
- Load in the <head> or top of the <body>, delaying meaningful content
- Insert elements dynamically after the page starts rendering
- Load additional tracking or bidding scripts in the background
Imagine you have a blog article with a leaderboard ad at the top and a few display ads in the sidebar. Without optimization, this is what happens:
- 1. The browser waits for the ad network to respond before rendering your headline
- 2. Ads push text and images around as they load, making the page feel “jumpy”
- 3. Google’s PageSpeed Insights reports “Avoid large layout shifts” and “Reduce unused JavaScript“
Optimizing ad scripts prevents these issues by:
- Deferring the loading of ads until after critical content is displayed
- Pre-allocating space so that the layout doesn’t shift when ads load
- Reducing script overhead, so they don’t delay user interaction.
Test NitroPack yourself
With vs Without Optimize Ads (Example)
Without ad handling, your page loads ad scripts in the critical rendering path. This can push content down the screen unexpectedly and delay what the user sees.
With Optimize Ads, the loading sequence is restructured for smoother, more stable rendering.
| Scenario | Without Optimize Ads | With Optimize Ads |
| Multiple ad placements | Layout shifts; unstable UI | Stable layout; reduced CLS |
| Ad scripts in head or body | Blocks rendering; slows LCP | Loaded intelligently after key content |
| Core Web Vitals performance | Fails PSI audits | Higher scores; less penalized |
Why Is Optimizing Ad Scripts Important?
Ad performance is closely tied to your site’s user experience—and by extension, your search performance.
When ad code loads inefficiently, you get:
- Higher bounce rates – Users leave before seeing your content
- Poor Core Web Vitals – Especially CLS and LCP failures
- Lower PageSpeed Insights scores – Which can impact SEO and user trust
Additonally, Optimize Ads helps by:
- Deferring unnecessary ad execution
- Keeping layout dimensions consistent
- Avoiding content shifts caused by late-loading ads
You get cleaner PageSpeed Insights reports, better Lighthouse scores, and fewer monetization trade-offs.
Optimize Ads by NitroPack Explained
Once enabled, Optimize Ads automatically detects ad-related scripts on your site and rewires their loading pattern.
This includes:
- Google AdSense
- Google Ad Manager
- Ad scripts loaded via iframes or <script> tags
NitroPack ensures these scripts don’t interfere with initial rendering or layout flow. Instead, they are scheduled to load after the main content is stable.
This feature is ideal for:
- Blogs and media sites with multiple ad units
- Publishers struggling with CLS or LCP scores
- Anyone monetizing content but still aiming for high performance
NitroPack vs No Ad Optimization
| Feature | Without Optimize Ads | NitroPack with Optimize Ads |
| Ad-related layout shifts | ✅ High | ❌ Minimized |
| Page rendering blocked by ads | ✅ Often | ❌ Deferred |
| Core Web Vitals scores | ❌ Frequently poor | ✅ Improved |
| Setup complexity | ✅ Manual tuning needed | ❌ Automatically handled |
How to Use Optimize Ads in NitroPack
Getting started is simple:
- Open your NitroPack dashboard
- Go to Cache Settings >> Cache
- Enable Optimize Ads
That’s it—NitroPack takes over from there, optimizing how ads are injected without affecting your ad revenue.
Need more help? Check out our Optimize Ads guide.
Run a faster, ad-supported website with NitroPack →
FAQs
Does this affect my ad earnings?
No. Optimize Ads doesn’t block or disable ads—it just improves how they load.
Will it work with Google AdSense?
Yes, NitroPack supports optimization for popular ad providers, including AdSense.
Can I still use lazy loading for ads?
Yes. NitroPack’s ad handling works alongside lazy loading strategies.
Will this fix layout shifts?
It significantly reduces them by preventing unexpected movements caused by ads.
