Ensure equitable ad distribution with algorithmic fair rotation. When multiple advertisers compete for the same ad placement, Fair Rotation guarantees everyone gets their fair share of impressions — eliminating “my ad isn’t showing” complaints and building advertiser trust.
Why Fair Rotation Matters
Without Fair Rotation:
- Ads are served randomly or by weight — some advertisers get far more impressions than others
- New advertisers joining an active zone get very little visibility
- Advertisers complain about uneven distribution
- No transparent way to explain the imbalance
With Fair Rotation:
- Impressions are distributed predictably and fairly
- New advertisers get visibility immediately
- You can show advertisers exactly what share they received
- Fewer support complaints about “my ad isn’t showing”
Rotation Models
Equal Share
Every advertiser gets the same share of impressions, regardless of spend.
Example with 3 advertisers over 3,000 impressions:
| Advertiser | Expected Share | Impressions Delivered |
|---|---|---|
| Advertiser A | 33.3% | ~1,000 |
| Advertiser B | 33.3% | ~1,000 |
| Advertiser C | 33.3% | ~1,000 |
Best for: Sites with equal-priced packages, flat-rate advertising.
Budget-Weighted
Advertisers who spend more get a proportionally larger share of impressions.
Example with 3 advertisers with different budgets:
| Advertiser | Budget | Share | Impressions (from 3,000) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Advertiser A | $100 | 50% | ~1,500 |
| Advertiser B | $60 | 30% | ~900 |
| Advertiser C | $40 | 20% | ~600 |
Best for: Sites with CPM pricing, tiered packages (Basic / Pro / Premium).
How the Algorithm Works
- When an ad needs to be served, the system gathers all eligible ads for that placement
- It checks the current impression counts for each advertiser in the current period
- It calculates who is most “underserved” relative to their expected share
- It selects an ad from the underserved advertiser
- It records the impression and updates the stats
The system continuously balances the distribution. Advertisers who fall behind their expected share are prioritized until they catch up.
Configuration
Enabling Fair Rotation
- Go to WB Ad Manager -> Pro Settings -> Rotation
- Enable Fair Rotation
- Choose your rotation model: Equal Share or Budget Weighted
- Click Save Settings
Settings Reference
| Setting | Description | Default |
|---|---|---|
| Enable Fair Rotation | Turn the system on or off | Off |
| Rotation Model | Equal Share or Budget Weighted | Equal Share |
| Minimum Ads for Rotation | Minimum number of ads before rotation activates | 2 |
| Stats Retention | Days to keep rotation history | 90 |
Rotation Settings in Pro Settings
The full rotation configuration is available at WB Ad Manager -> Pro Settings -> Rotation.
| Setting | Description |
|---|---|
| Default Rotation Type | Random, weighted, sequential, or single ad |
| Refresh Interval | Auto-refresh ads after N seconds without reloading the page |
| Impression Tracking | How impressions are counted (per page load, per session, per unique visitor) |
| Enable Fair Rotation | Balance impressions fairly across all advertisers in a zone |
| Rotation Model | Equal share or budget-weighted distribution |
Per-Placement Control
You can enable or disable Fair Rotation on individual placements:
- Go to WB Ad Manager -> Ad Zones
- Edit a specific zone
- Toggle Enable Fair Rotation for that zone
- Save changes
This lets you use fair rotation on your premium placements while using weight-based rotation elsewhere.
Share of Voice Dashboard
The Share of Voice dashboard shows you how impressions are distributed across your advertisers.
For site owners: Go to WB Ad Manager -> Share of Voice to see:
- Distribution across all placements
- Each advertiser’s share and deviation from expected
- Historical trend data
- A fairness score (how balanced the distribution is)
For advertisers: The Share of Voice tab in their dashboard shows their personal impression share, compared to the site average.
Choosing the Right Model
| Situation | Recommended Model |
|---|---|
| All packages are the same price | Equal Share |
| You offer Basic / Pro / Premium tiers | Budget Weighted |
| You use CPM pricing | Budget Weighted |
| Flat-rate monthly packages | Equal Share |
Troubleshooting
Rotation doesn’t seem to be working
- Confirm Fair Rotation is enabled in settings
- Verify the placement has at least 2 active ads from different advertisers
- Check that Fair Rotation is enabled for that specific placement
- Allow up to 24 hours for balancing to take effect after changes
Distribution is uneven
- A new advertiser may be getting priority to catch up — this is expected and self-corrects
- Check if any campaigns were recently paused or resumed
- Review the Share of Voice dashboard for a breakdown
Share of Voice stats not showing
- Confirm WP Cron is running on your site (needed for stats aggregation)
- Check that ads are actively being displayed and tracked
- Verify the stats retention period hasn’t expired the data you’re looking for
Next Steps
- A/B Testing — test which ads perform best
- Revenue Dashboard — track revenue impact of rotation changes