How to Set Up Fallback Ads for Unsold Traffic

In any RTB marketplace, not every ad impression will receive a bid. When inventory goes unsold — meaning no advertiser bid on that particular impression at the minimum acceptable price — publishers can end up showing a blank space or a default placeholder. That's lost revenue.

Squren's fallback system ensures that unsold traffic is still working for you.

What Is a Fallback Ad?

A fallback ad (also called a default ad or passback) is the advertisement that displays when no RTB bid is received for a particular impression. Instead of showing blank space, your ad slot displays a fallback — which can be another network's ad, an in-house promotion, or an affiliate offer.

Setting up fallbacks is one of the simplest things a publisher can do to maximize total revenue from their traffic.

Fallback Options on Squren

Squren offers two primary fallback paths depending on your ad format:

For Popunder Ads

Good options for popunder fallbacks: - Another ad network's popunder code or URL - An affiliate offer that converts on broad traffic - A house ad for your own products or services

For Banners and IM Floaters

This allows you to essentially stack networks: Squren's RTB auction gets first priority, and if it doesn't fill, your fallback takes over seamlessly.

The Secondary Monetization Program

Beyond DIY fallbacks, Squren also offers a built-in secondary monetization program for publishers. Through this program, unsold traffic is tested against a curated set of direct offers — partners that Squren has vetted and optimized for performance.

This is particularly powerful because: - Squren handles the optimization work - Offers are tested and matched to your traffic type - You earn revenue from impressions that would otherwise go unfilled - There's no additional setup required beyond opting in

The secondary monetization program is especially useful for publishers who don't have time to manage multiple fallback integrations manually.

Why Fallbacks Matter for Revenue

Consider this: if 10% of your daily impressions go unfilled without a fallback, you're leaving a meaningful slice of potential revenue on the table every single day. Over a month, that adds up significantly.

Setting up a solid fallback chain — Squren RTB first, then a secondary network or direct offer — ensures that virtually no traffic goes to waste.

Best Practices for Fallback Setup

Test your fallback URL/code before going live. Make sure it loads correctly and serves an appropriate ad.

Review fallback performance separately. Track how much revenue your fallback is generating vs. your primary RTB. If the fallback is earning a significant portion of your total revenue, it might be worth exploring why your RTB fill rate is low and whether bid floors or targeting adjustments could help.

Keep fallbacks updated. Stale or broken fallback code means completely empty ad slots. Check it periodically to make sure everything is working.

Use the secondary monetization program as a baseline. If you're not ready to manage fallbacks manually, Squren's built-in program is a solid default option.

Setting Up Your Fallbacks

Log into your Squren publisher account and navigate to your ad placement settings. For each placement, you'll find options to configure fallback URLs (for popunders) or HTML fallback tags (for banners/floaters).

If you need help getting your fallbacks configured, our 24/7 support team can walk you through the process.

Start maximizing your revenue at Squren.com.