Quick Setup Guide

Get Started

Get your first ad live in about 10 minutes. This guide walks you through three steps: creating an ad zone, creating an ad, and displaying the ad on your site.

Overview

WB Ad Manager uses ad zones as containers. You place ads inside zones, then display a zone on your site using a shortcode or widget. This lets you swap or rotate ads without changing your pages every time.

Step 1: Create an Ad Zone (2 minutes)

An ad zone is a named slot on your site. Think of it as a reserved space where ads will appear.

  1. Go to WB Ad Manager → Ad Zones
  2. Click Add New
  3. Give the zone a descriptive name, such as Sidebar Banner
  4. The Slug fills in automatically — you will use this in shortcodes (for example, sidebar-banner)
  5. Set the zone’s width and height in pixels
  6. Click Publish

Common Ad Zone Sizes

Zone Name Size Best Used In
Leaderboard 728×90 Header, above content
Medium Rectangle 300×250 Sidebar, in-content
Wide Skyscraper 160×600 Sidebar
Mobile Banner 320×50 Mobile header or footer
Half Page 300×600 Sidebar (large)

Create two or three zones for different areas of your site.

Step 2: Create Your First Ad (3 minutes)

  1. Go to WB Ad Manager → Ads
  2. Click Add New
  3. Enter a title for internal reference (visitors do not see this)
  4. Choose your Ad Type — select Image for a banner ad

For an Image Ad

  1. Upload your banner image using the image upload field
  2. Enter the Destination URL — where the ad should send visitors when clicked
  3. Add Alt Text for accessibility
  4. In the Ad Zones panel on the right, check the zone you just created
  5. Click Publish

For an HTML Ad (e.g., Google AdSense)

  1. Select Code as the Ad Type
  2. Paste your HTML or JavaScript code into the code field
  3. Assign it to a zone and click Publish

Ad Scheduling (Optional)

You can set a start date and end date for any ad. The ad will only display within that date range. Leave both fields empty for an always-on ad.

Step 3: Display the Ad on Your Site (2 minutes)

Using a Shortcode

Copy this shortcode and paste it into any page, post, or widget:

[wbam_ad zone="sidebar-banner"]

Replace sidebar-banner with your zone’s slug.

Where to Add It How
Page or post content Paste into the block editor or classic editor
Sidebar widget Add a Custom HTML widget and paste the shortcode
Any widget area Use the WB Ad Manager widget and select your zone

Using the Widget

  1. Go to Appearance → Widgets
  2. Find the WB Ad Manager widget
  3. Drag it to your sidebar or footer
  4. Select your ad zone from the dropdown
  5. Click Save

Step 4: Verify It Is Working (1 minute)

  1. Visit the page where you added the shortcode or widget
  2. Your ad should display
  3. Click the ad to test the destination link
  4. Go to WB Ad Manager → Analytics
  5. You should see a click recorded

Step 5: Configure Tracking (2 minutes)

By default, WB Ad Manager tracks both impressions and clicks. To review or adjust tracking settings:

  1. Go to WB Ad Manager → Settings
  2. Click the Tracking tab
  3. Confirm Track Impressions and Track Clicks are enabled
  4. Enable Exclude Admins so your own visits do not inflate the numbers
  5. Click Save Changes

View Your Reports

Go to WB Ad Manager → Analytics to see:

  • Total impressions (how many times the ad was shown)
  • Total clicks
  • Click-through rate (CTR)
  • Top performing ads

Quick Shortcode Reference

Shortcode What It Does
[wbam_ad zone="zone-slug"] Show one ad from a zone
[wbam_ad id="123"] Show a specific ad by ID
[wbam_ads zone="zone-slug" count="4"] Show multiple ads from a zone

Next Steps

  • Ad Rotation & Split Testing — Bulk actions, categories, and split testing
  • Multiple Ad Formats — All supported ad formats
  • 14+ Placement Options — Header, footer, popup, and more
  • Smart Targeting — Show ads to the right audience
Last updated: March 4, 2026