Placements are pre-defined placeholders in your theme, posts, or pages into which Advanced Ads can automatically inject ads or ad groups. They act as a bridge between your ads and your website, enabling you to manage and display your ad inventory efficiently without manually modifying your templates or content.
On this page, you’ll learn everything you need about Advanced Ads placements—from basic usage and unique features to placement tests and best practices.
Table of Contents
Why use placements?
Placements are the backbone of the efficient and fluid ad management Advanced Ads is known for. They provide a centralized and flexible way to display ads across your website, eliminating the need for manual edits to templates or content. Working with placements saves significant time and effort while maintaining full control over where and how your ads appear.
While placements are optional, we highly recommend them to streamline ad management, enhance user experience, and equip yourself with advanced advertising capabilities.
There are several key advantages of using placements:
- Auto-injection: Placements act as rules for automatic insertion of ads into your content, making them ideal for websites with many articles or rapidly growing content. Apply or withdraw these rules across your whole site as you like and save yourself significant time compared to manual ad insertion.
- Centralized control: You can manage all ad placements from a single, intuitive interface in the Advanced Ads backend, giving you a clear overview and quick control over where and how ads appear.
- Advanced features: Placements come with powerful features like Lazy Loading, AdBlocker Fallbacks, Click Fraud Protection, and Parallax Ads, which you can’t use without them.
- Flexibility: You can easily switch ads or ad groups in the same placement without touching your code, making testing and optimizing ad performance simple.
Placement Types
Advanced Ads offers 7 core placements, with additional add-ons significantly expanding this selection. The free version already includes essential placements like Content (for injecting ads into posts), Header Code (for code in the <head> section), Sidebar Widget, Manual Placement, and After Content, providing a solid foundation for most ad management needs.
With Advanced Ads Pro, you gain access to even more elaborate options, such as placements for Membership and Forum plugins (e.g., BuddyPress, bbPress), Background Ads, and sophisticated content integrations like Random Paragraph or Content Middle. Additionally, the Sticky Ads and the PopUp and Layer Ads add-ons enhance your toolkit by offering sticky bars and popup ads.
 | Manual Placement The Manual Placement is not automatically visible in your content. To use it, you need to add it manually via a WordPress block, widget, shortcode, or PHP function. |
 | Header Code The Header Code placement allows you to insert any code snippet before the closing |
 | Footer Code The Footer Code placement injects code before the closing |
 | Before Content This placement injects the ad before the main content of a post or page. It’s great for capturing the user’s attention right at the beginning of the content. |
 | Content This placement injects the ad into the content of posts and other public pages. You can precisely control where the ads appear—before or after paragraphs, headlines, images, or even based on custom XPath rules. Additional features include repeating injections, parallax ads, and setting a minimum word count between ads. This placement is the most-used for content monetization. Content placement manual |
 | After Content This placement injects an ad after the main content of a post or page. It’s perfect for displaying ads, author boxes, related content ads, or calls-to-action elements that you want users to see once they’ve finished reading. |
 | Sidebar Widget This placement creates a custom widget that you can use to display ads in widget-ready areas of your theme, such as the sidebar, footer, or even header. Sidebar Widget placement manual |
 | Above Headline (Advanced Ads Pro) This placement injects an ad before the main headline (H1) on singular pages and posts. Thanks to its prominent position at the very top of the content, it grants high visibility to leaderboard banners, for example. |
 | Content Middle (Advanced Ads Pro) This placement injects an ad in the middle of the content, automatically calculated based on the number of paragraphs. It helps keeping your ad integration balanced, ensuring that ads are evenly distributed. |
 | Random Paragraph (Advanced Ads Pro) This placement injects an ad after a random paragraph within the main content. By varying the ad position, it effectively combats ad blindness, keeping your ads fresh and engaging for returning visitors. |
 | Custom Position (Advanced Ads Pro) This placement allows you to attach an ad to any element on your frontend. The built-in frontend picker will enable you to easily select specific containers or elements without touching any code. It’s the perfect choice for targeting unusual or highly specific positions. Custom Position placement manual | Video |
 | Post Lists (Advanced Ads Pro) This placement displays ads between items in post lists that often appear on the homepage, category pages, blog pages, or search results. It’s ideal for native ads. Post Lists placement manual | Video |
 | Background Ads (Advanced Ads Pro) This placement displays an ad in the background of your website, making it ideal for large-format skin ads. Background Ads placement manual |
 | Ad Server (Advanced Ads Pro) This placement allows you to set up a small ad server to deliver ads to other websites, even if they don’t use Advanced Ads or WordPress. Ad Server placement manual |
 | BuddyBoss (Advanced Ads Pro) This placement allows you to inject ads into BuddyBoss activity streams, making it a powerful tool for optimizing membership sites. BuddyBoss placement manual | Video |
 | BuddyPress Content (Advanced Ads Pro) This placement allows you to inject ads into BuddyPress pages based on the selected hook. BuddyPress Content placement manual |
 | bbPress Static Content (Advanced Ads Pro) This placement provides hooks to inject ads into multiple positions on bbPress-generated pages, such as /forums, /forums/name, or /forums/topic/name. bbPress integration manual |
 | bbPress Reply Content (Advanced Ads Pro) This placement provides hooks to inject ads at specific reply positions (e.g., after the nth reply) on /forums/topic/name pages. bbPress integration manual |
 | Header Bar (Sticky Ads) The Header Bar placement is fixed at the top of the page and remains visible even as users scroll down. It’s fantastic for countdown ads, navigations, internal promotions, or any content you want to keep in constant view. This placement ensures maximum visibility and engagement, as it’s always accessible to users. Sticky Ads add-on manual |
 | Footer Bar (Sticky Ads) The Footer Bar placement is fixed at the bottom of the page and remains visible as users scroll. Like the Header Bar, it’s a popular choice for the Sticky Ads add-on and is known for delivering high click-through rates. |
 | Left Sidebar (Sticky Ads) This placement allows you to attach an ad to the left side of your content box. You can choose whether the ad remains fixed while users scroll or moves with the page. It’s particularly well-suited for big skyscraper ad formats, offering high visibility without disrupting the user experience. |
 | Right Sidebar (Sticky Ads) This placement works exactly like the Left Sidebar, but positions the ad on the right side of your main content container. |
 | Left Bar (Sticky Ads) The Left Bar is similar to sticky sidebar ads, but instead of being attached to the main content container, it is fixed to the edge of the browser window. You can choose whether the ad stays in place while users scroll or moves with the page. |
 | Right Bar (Sticky Ads) The Right Bar works just like the Left Bar, attaching the ad to the edge of the browser window instead of the main content container. This placement is best-suited for ads that need to remain highly visible at all times, such as vertical banners or skyscrapers. |
 | PopUp and Layer ads (PopUp and Layer Ads) This placement allows you to create PopUps or Layers with ads or any other type of content. You can display them in various positions, including full-size popups, and use multiple triggers (e.g., after scrolling, on exit intent) and effects to enhance engagement. Additional features include a close button and customizable timeouts. PopUp and Layer Ads add-on manual | Video |
 | AdSense In-feed (AdSense In-feed plugin) This placement is exclusively designed for AdSense ads that are displayed between items on post lists on homepages, category pages, and archive pages. It’s a lightweight version of the Post Lists placement. AdSense In-feed placement manual |
 | Genesis Ads (Genesis Ads) This placement is exclusively designed for themes based on the Genesis Framework. It provides access to 51 unique positions across 7 logical groups (e.g., header, wrapper, sidebar, loop, content, comments & pings, footer). Genesis Ads download page |
 | PeepSo Activity Stream This placement becomes available after installing the PeepSo plugin and its Advanced Ads integration. It can be used to inject ads between entries on members’ activity streams. More information on the PeepSo integration |
Let’s take a closer look at some of the most important placements and how you can use them effectively.
Above Headline
This placement injects an ad above the main headline (H1) on singular pages and posts. Thanks to its prominent position at the very top of the content, it offers exceptional visibility, making it a great fit for high-impact ads or important announcements.
In the Placement positioning settings (Advanced Ads > Settings > Pro), you can choose between two injection methods:
- After page load using JavaScript: The ad only injects on singular pages (not in excerpts) and respects the “Content placement in post lists” option, ensuring seamless integration with your content.
- Before page load using PHP: The ad appears above any H1 on all pages.
Before and After Content
These placements inject ads before or after the main content of posts or pages. They are exclusive to singular pages (e.g., individual posts or pages) and do not work on category pages, archives, or a front page displaying the latest posts.
- Before Content: This placement is ideal for capturing the user’s attention right at the beginning of the content, making it perfect for promoting high-priority messages, offers, or announcements.
- After Content: This placement is great for displaying ads, author boxes, related content, or calls-to-action that users see after finishing the main content, ensuring a non-intrusive yet effective user experience.
If you use plugins that add content before or after posts (e.g., related posts), the ad’s exact position relative to that content may vary. Developers can adjust the hook priority for finer control.
Custom Position Placement
The Custom Position placement lets you place ads anywhere on your website, even in positions without pre-defined placements. Its frontend picker allows you to select any element visually, without coding, and choose where the ad should appear (before, after, or inside the picked element).
You can also use custom HTML elements for more control. Ideal for unique layouts or specific positions, this placement supports both JavaScript (dynamic) and PHP (AMP-compatible) positioning, offering maximum flexibility for advanced ad management.
Header Code
The Header Code placement injects code or scripts before the closing </head> tag of your theme. While browsers can technically display content here, this placement is not intended for visible ads. Instead, it’s commonly used for adding header tags from ad networks (e.g., Google Ad Manager), verification codes, custom styles, or external scripts that need to load early in the page loading cycle.
To work, your theme must include the wp_head() function in its header.php file, which is standard in most WordPress themes. This placement is essential for technical integrations like tracking codes, ad network requirements, or site-wide functionality that must run before the page content loads.
Footer Code
The Footer Code placement injects code or scripts before the closing </body> tag of your website. While it could be used to display visible ads in the footer, this placement is not primarily intended for that purpose. Instead, it’s ideal for running scripts, adding custom styles, or integrating third-party tools that need to load at the end of the page, ensuring they don’t interfere with the initial page load.
To function, your theme must include the wp_footer() function in its footer.php file, which is standard in most WordPress themes. This placement is perfect for technical integrations that require late loading, such as analytics scripts, chat widgets, or performance optimizations.
Manual Placement
The Manual Placement allows you to manually insert ads into specific areas of your website using shortcodes or PHP functions. Unlike automatic placements, this option gives you full control over where and how ads appear, making it ideal for unique or highly customized positions.
- Shortcode: Add
directly into your post content, widgets, or theme templates. - PHP function: Use
<?php if ( function_exists( 'the_ad_placement' ) ) { the_ad_placement( 'your-placement-id' ); } ?>in your theme files to display the ad.
You can reuse the same placement multiple times across your site, which is particularly useful for consistent ad positioning in the middle of posts or other recurring areas. To quickly access the shortcode or PHP function, click “Show Usage” in the placement’s Quick Edit menu on the overview page.
This placement is perfect for users who want to manage ads manually without relying on automatic injections.
Post Content Injection
The Content placement in Advanced Ads allows you to automatically inject ads within the content of your posts and pages. You can target specific elements such as paragraphs, headlines, images, quotes, tables, or any custom HTML element.
Advanced options include repeating the position, setting minimum content length, defining words between ads, and enabling parallax effects for more dynamic displays. Custom injection rules allow detailed targeting using XPath expressions, enhancing flexibility. You can also prevent injection into specific elements or entirely disable content injection for individual pages.
Post Lists
The Post Lists placement displays ads between items on post lists such as the homepage, category pages, blog pages, or search results. It’s perfect for native ads that blend seamlessly into your content flow, ensuring a natural and non-disruptive user experience.
This placement relies on the the_post() function, which is used by most themes to list posts. However, if your theme doesn’t use this function, you’ll need to manually insert ads using a Manual Placement or adjust your theme’s code. For more details, check out our tutorial on troubleshooting Post List placements.
Creating a placement
Placements are the key to displaying ads in specific areas of your website. Follow these simple steps to create and configure a new placement:
- Go to Advanced Ads > Placements in your WordPress dashboard.
- Click “New Placement”. A modal window will open.
- Choose a Placement type and select the type of placement you want to create (e.g., Content, Header Code, Sidebar Widget).
- Name your placement wisely and find a descriptive name (e.g., “Below Post Headline”). This name is only visible to you.
- Assign an ad or ad group that you want to display. You can leave this empty and assign an ad later.
- Check the advanced placement options from the Quick Edit menu for further placement configurations.
- Save the placement settings. Your new placement will now appear in the placement list.
The placement overview page
The placement overview page is your central hub for managing your ad setup. It allows you to view, edit, and create placements.
Key features:
- View and edit placements: Access and modify existing placements using a dedicated edit modal. You can rename placements, assign ads or ad groups, set conditions, and adjust settings like ad labels, positioning, and cache busting.
- Create new placements: Easily set up new placements to display ads in specific website areas, integrating them with your existing ad setup.
- Bulk edit functionality: Draft or publish multiple placements at once
- Filter and search: Sort placements by type or search by name for quick access.
Adding Display and Visitor Conditions to placements
With Advanced Ads Pro, you can apply Display and Visitor Conditions directly to placements, giving you more control over where and when ads appear. This is particularly useful for targeting specific devices, user groups, or page types.
Placement-level conditions are checked before ad-level conditions. If the placement conditions aren’t met, the ad won’t display, regardless of its own conditions. Ad-level conditions, on the other hand, refine the placement conditions. Both the placement and ad conditions must be met for an ad to appear.
For example, you can use placement-level conditions to display sticky anchor ads only on mobile devices or prevent background ads from loading on small screens. However, if the placement is set to show only on mobile devices, but the ad is set to show only on desktops, the ad won’t appear because the conditions conflict.
Use placement-level conditions for broad targeting (e.g., device type, page category) and ad-level conditions for specific refinements (e.g., user roles, geolocation). This combination allows you to create highly targeted ad campaigns while maintaining flexibility and control.
Applying inline CSS to placements
In the advanced options of each placement, you’ll find a field for inline CSS. This allows you to apply custom CSS rules directly to the placement, giving you greater control over its appearance and behavior.
The most common use case is setting a minimum height for ads to prevent Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS), which can negatively impact your site’s performance and user experience. By defining a fixed height, you ensure that the space for the ad is reserved before it loads, avoiding sudden layout shifts.
For detailed examples and best practices, check out our tutorial about Cumulative Layout Shift and ads.
Container ID
Each placement is assigned a unique CSS class based on its name and the ID prefix set under Advanced Ads > Settings > General. For example, if your prefix is “prefix” and the placement is named “post-content”, the class will be “prefix-post-content”. You can use this class to style your ads with custom CSS or target them with JavaScript for advanced functionality.
Placement tests
With Advanced Ads Pro, you can run A/B tests for ad placements, allowing you to compare the performance of different positions and optimize your ad strategy. This feature is perfect for split-testing ads in position A against position B or rotating ads to combat ad blindness.
Placement tests help you make data-driven decisions by determining which placements generate the most clicks, impressions, or revenue. You can also rotate ads across multiple positions to keep them fresh and engaging for returning visitors. By assigning test weights, you control how often each placement appears—for example, placement B can show twice as often as placement A.
To set up a test, go to Advanced Ads > Placements, select the placements you want to compare, and assign test weights. You can monitor the results using tools like AdSense reports or the Tracking add-on for in-house ads.
For a step-by-step guide, check out our tutorial on How to split-test different ad positions.
General Settings
Content placement in post lists
By default, Advanced Ads limits ad injections to singular pages (e.g., individual posts or pages) to prevent ads from appearing in unintended places, such as archive pages or outside the main content loop. However, some themes or plugins might require ads to be injected more broadly.
To adjust this behavior:
- Go to Advanced Ads > Settings > General > Content Injection.
- Enable the option.
Tip: Use this setting if ads don’t appear where expected or if you want to display ads on archive pages. However, test carefully to avoid unintended ad placements.
Priority of content injection
This setting is particularly useful if ads appear in the wrong position or if other content modifications interfere with ad placement.
By default, Advanced Ads injects ads into your content as late as possible to ensure they appear in the intended location. However, the injection order might need to be adjusted if other plugins or theme functions also modify the content.
To change the priority of ad injections:
- Go to Advanced Ads > Settings > General > Content injection.
- Adjust the “Priority of content injection filter” field’s value.
Tip: Most injections use a priority between 1 and 20. Start with a value like 10 or 20 and test to find the optimal setting for your site.
What else do you need to know
If your placement isn’t showing up, there could be several reasons, such as incorrect conditions, conflicts with other plugins, or missing theme hooks. For a detailed guide on diagnosing and fixing these issues, check out our tutorial on Ads not showing up.