Google AdSense will change how it counts impressions for display ads starting on February 17, 2027. Google will use what it calls the Begin-to-Render methodology and will only count the impression once the ad has successfully loaded and has started to render on the user’s device.
Google sent emails about this change yesterday that reads, "To provide more consistent measurement and align with industry standards, Google AdSense is updating its methodology for counting display ad impressions."
- Currently, AdSense counts an impression when an ad starts to download to a user's device.
- Beginning on February 17, 2027, we will move to the Begin-to-Render methodology. This means an impression will only be counted once the ad has successfully loaded and has started to render on the user’s device.
The potential impact of this change after the transition will be a change in total impressions. This is because impressions that started to download but never actually rendered will no longer be counted (e.g., if a user left the page before the ad began to render).
There are more details on this help document. Here is a copy of the email:
I am told this is also impacting those who use Ad Manager for their ads as well:
Oh and fyi bud (hi it's been a while :) it applies to Google ad manager too. Not just Adsense. So much wider impact.
— Daniel J. Pinna (@djpinna) September 1, 2026
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