To switch ad networks without losing revenue, record a baseline first, read your current contract’s notice and exclusivity terms, get approved by the new network before you give notice, and plan cutover day around ads.txt and your consent setup. Then judge the new network on revenue per session over at least 30 days, not on the first week.
In 30 seconds
- Check that the network is the problem before you move.
- Record revenue per session, fill rate and traffic mix as your baseline.
- Read the minimum term, notice period and exclusivity in your current agreement.
- Get approved by the new network before you give notice.
- On cutover day, update ads.txt and your consent setup, then remove every old tag.
- Compare like for like after 30 days, by country, device and season.
Before you switch, check that the network is the problem
A drop in ad revenue does not always mean your network is the problem. Seasonality, consent rates, ad blocking, ads.txt errors and a shift in traffic by country or device can all lower revenue per session. If the cause sits on your site, a new network inherits it.
Run a diagnostic before you decide, and fix what it finds first. If your network closed your account or you no longer meet its terms, the move is not optional, and the steps below still apply.
Step 1. Record your baseline
Save the numbers you will compare against later. Use the same reporting source and the same date range each time, and note any campaign, seasonal or site change in that period.
- Revenue per session and page RPM for the last 30 days
- Fill rate and viewability
- Monthly pageviews and sessions
- Traffic share by country and by device
- A dated copy of your current ads.txt file
Step 2. Read your exit terms
Before you give notice, read your current agreement for three things: the minimum term, the notice period and the exclusivity clause. The table lists what each network publishes on its own pages. Where we could not find a published term, it says so. Your signed agreement is always the final word.
| Network | Minimum term | Notice to leave | Exclusivity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mediavine | A 90-day Set-Up Period after ads first appear. You may not terminate during it. | 30 days’ written notice after the initial term. Do not change Mediavine’s ads.txt lines or remove its code until the agreement has ended. | Full control of programmatic ads. Anything that needs extra ads.txt lines breaks exclusivity. Affiliate, sponsored and direct-sold ads are allowed. |
| Journey by Mediavine | Not published on the pages we checked | Not published on the pages we checked | Exclusive access to programmatic inventory. Code from previous ad providers must be removed. Affiliate, sponsored and direct ads are allowed. |
| Raptive | Check your agreement | Written notice to support@raptive.com. Ad services are deemed terminated within 30 calendar days. | Exclusive source of display and video ads during the term, unless Raptive approves direct sales in writing. |
| Ezoic | Check your agreement | Check your agreement | Not published on the pages we checked. Grandfathered sites can lose that status if Ezoic is removed for more than 7 days. |
| Google AdSense | Not published on the pages we checked | Not published on the pages we checked | Not exclusive. Non-Google ads can run on the same site or page, within Google’s policies. |
| Monumetric | Check your agreement | Check your agreement | Check your agreement |
| Playwire | Check your agreement | Check your agreement | Check your agreement |
If you are grandfathered on Ezoic
Ezoic’s requirements page says sites that were monetizing with Ezoic before February 19, 2026 keep their place regardless of size, as long as they keep using Ezoic. If a grandfathered site with under 250,000 monthly active users removes Ezoic for more than 7 days, it loses that status and has to meet the 250,000 requirement to come back. Ezoic’s Incubator page gives the date as February 18, 2026, so confirm your status with Ezoic before you test anything else.
Questions to ask any managed partner before you sign
- How long is the minimum term, and can I leave during it?
- How much written notice do I need to give, and to whom?
- Is the agreement exclusive, and does it cover display, video or all programmatic ads?
- Which ads.txt lines do you need, and when may I remove them?
- What revenue share applies, and is it calculated before or after fees?
- What are the payment terms and the minimum payout?
Step 3. Get approved before you give notice
Apply to the new network while your current setup is still earning. Every network reviews a site before it accepts it, and meeting a published minimum does not guarantee approval. Raptive, for example, says a site that leaves and applies again goes through the full approval process with no guarantee.
Keep your current network live while you wait. If the new network turns the site down, you have lost nothing.
Step 4. Choose a parallel test or a clean cutover
A parallel test only works when both partners allow it. Mediavine, Journey by Mediavine and Raptive each require exclusivity, so you cannot run another programmatic network alongside them. AdSense allows non-Google ads on the same page within its policies, and the Media.net contextual ads program FAQ says its ads can run alongside other providers.
If the new network is exclusive, plan a clean cutover on a fixed date that lines up with the end of your notice period. If neither side is exclusive, split by page group or by share of traffic, and compare the two over the same weeks.
Step 5. Work through the cutover day checklist
ads.txt lists the companies that are allowed to sell your ad inventory. It is an IAB Tech Lab initiative. Google says the file is not mandatory but highly recommended, that AdSense can take a few days to pick up changes, and up to a month on sites with few ad requests.
sellers.json is the matching file on the seller’s side. It is an IAB Tech Lab standard that lets advertisers verify who a publisher is. After the switch, check that the new partner lists your site the way you expect.
- Add the new partner’s ads.txt lines exactly as they supplied them.
- Remove the old partner’s lines only once its agreement has ended.
- Confirm the new partner appears in your consent management platform.
- Remove every old ad tag, plugin and script, including leftover header bidding code.
- Clear your site, server and CDN caches, then check a few pages in a private window.
- Run the diagnostic again the same day.
Step 6. The first 30 days: what is normal and what is broken
Expect a ramp-up. Mediavine’s help center says many demand partners need time to recognize new supply, and that judging performance before that is complete does not show the full picture. No network we checked publishes a fixed recovery timeline.
| Period | What is normal | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| Days 1 to 7 | Rates can be low and uneven while demand partners pick up the new supply. | Ads render on every template. Fill rate is not near zero. The new partner reports no ads.txt errors. Consent prompts work where they are required. |
| Days 8 to 14 | Rates start to settle. | Revenue per session by country and device against your baseline, using the same weekdays. |
| Days 15 to 30 | A steadier pattern you can compare. | Revenue per session, fill rate and viewability against your baseline, with any seasonal change noted. |
A broken setup looks different from a slow start. A fill rate near zero, ads that do not render, ads.txt errors or a consent setup that blocks demand point to a setup problem, not a ramp-up. Fix those first.
Step 7. Compare like for like and decide
After at least 30 days, compare revenue per session with your baseline for the same countries and devices. Revenue per session covers both the rate and how many ads were delivered, so it is harder to misread than RPM on its own.
Watch the calendar. Advertiser spend changes through the year, so a quiet month is not a fair match for a busy one. If the periods differ, compare against the same period last year as well.
Common switching mistakes
- Removing the current ads before the new network has approved the site
- Changing domain, design and network in the same month
- Giving notice late, or breaking a notice period or exclusivity term
- Judging the new network on its first week
- Leaving old tags or ads.txt lines in place after the agreement has ended
Run a free diagnostic before and after you switch
Before you give notice, run Sulvo’s free 100-point diagnostic. It reads the public evidence on your site, including your ad stack, ads.txt, consent and delivery, and shows the findings in your browser. Run it again on cutover day and after 30 days, so you can compare the same checks before and after the move.
Frequently asked questions
Is it normal for ad revenue to drop after switching ad networks?
A short dip is common while demand partners recognize the new supply, and Mediavine’s help center describes this ramp-up. A fill rate near zero, ads that do not render or ads.txt errors are not normal. They point to a setup problem you should fix first.
How long does it take for RPM to recover after switching?
No network we checked publishes a fixed timeline. Networks describe a ramp-up period instead, so judge the result on revenue per session over at least 30 days, compared like for like with your baseline.
Can I run two ad networks at the same time?
It depends on the networks. AdSense allows non-Google ads on the same site or page within its policies. Mediavine, Journey by Mediavine and Raptive require exclusivity, so you cannot run another programmatic network alongside them.
How much notice do I need to give to leave Mediavine or Raptive?
Mediavine’s initial term is 90 days, followed by 30 days’ written notice from either side. Raptive says you can end its ad services by written notice to support@raptive.com, with termination within 30 calendar days. Check your own signed agreement as well.
Do I need to change my ads.txt when I switch ad networks?
Yes. Add the new partner’s lines on cutover day and remove the old partner’s lines only once its agreement has ended. Mediavine’s agreement says publishers may not change its ads.txt lines until the agreement is properly terminated.
What happens to my Ezoic grandfathered status if I test another network?
Ezoic says a grandfathered site with under 250,000 monthly active users loses that status if it removes Ezoic for more than 7 days. To return, the site then has to meet the 250,000 monthly active user requirement.
Should I switch ad networks or fix my current setup first?
Check your setup first. Consent, ads.txt, ad delivery and traffic mix can all lower revenue, and a new network would inherit those problems. Sulvo’s free diagnostic checks this public evidence on your site.
What should I check in a new ad network contract?
Check the minimum term, the notice period, what the exclusivity covers, which ads.txt lines are required, the revenue share and how it is calculated, and the payment terms. Ask for anything unclear in writing before you sign.
Sources
Each fact links to the network’s own page. Last checked: October 28, 2026. Terms change, so confirm them with the network before you sign.
Mediavine Help: Understanding your initial contract commitmentMediavine Legal Center: Advertising Management AgreementMediavine Help: Why Mediavine requires exclusivityJourney by Mediavine: How to remove your existing ads from a previous networkRaptive Service AgreementRaptive Support: Where can I find my Raptive service agreement?Ezoic Support: Getting started, Ezoic’s requirementsEzoic: Incubator programGoogle AdSense Help: Using AdSense with other adsGoogle AdSense Help: Ensure your ads.txt files can be crawledGoogle AdSense Help: sellers.jsonYahoo! Bing Network Contextual Ads (Media.net) program FAQ