How to Check the CLS Resolution Method Ad Height Setting

Lately, my website’s Core Web Vitals have been failing due to CLS. And honestly, after the Core Web Vitals started failing, even trying to submit URLs to Google via Search Console doesn’t seem to work properly. So, let’s look into one CLS solution: how to check ad height settings.

Decreased indexing count in Google Search Console

As of October 29, 2024, the number of indexes generated was 170. Since around 150 posts had been published by then, I thought the index generation was proceeding normally.

However, starting on October 30, the number dropped to 138, and currently, only 14 indexes have been generated. Since the posts weren’t showing up in search engines, revenue naturally dropped significantly.

But the strange thing is, even after testing the URL that showed up as “not registered with Google” and submitting a request for indexing, it still kept appearing as “not registered with Google.” Checking again after several days showed the same result.

Collapsed Core Web Vitals

I checked the Core Web Vitals in Google Search Console. There was a change in the desktop Core Web Vitals on October 30th. The number of slow URLs dropped significantly. But isn’t it usually better when the number of slow URLs decreases? The

mobile Core Web Vitals graph didn’t appear due to insufficient data.

PageSpeed Insights

I checked the performance of my website on the Google PSI website. Sure enough, I can see that the CLS is in the red zone.

CLS refers to the movement of page elements when the webpage loads; the higher it is (red), the more negatively it impacts the user experience. Google strongly

dislikes it when a visitor enters a webpage, is just about to read or view content, and suddenly gets pushed back due to movement. This disrupts the visitor’s focus and creates a poor experience.

Therefore, we must manage CLS well to enhance user experience. Generally, if the value falls within the green zone, you can consider it well-managed.

CLS Solution

The solution to CLS is to ensure that the webpage loads with minimal layout shifts. You may have experienced this when a webpage initially loads using the default font, then

suddenly switches to a custom font downloaded and installed externally—like a fancy font not provided by WordPress by default. That’s why I’ve deleted the fonts and am using the default ones. Among these

, ad layouts seem to significantly impact CLS. If ad layouts affect CLS, it’s crucial to pre-designate the space where ads will be placed and account for that extra width.

One solution for CLS is adjusting the ad height.

This is a sidebar ad on the page displaying the website blog list. The ad size is 300×600 and is a responsive ad.

How to Set Ad Height

The CLS solution involves pre-assigning ad placement from the outset to prevent ads from shifting later due to overlapping with existing content (text, thumbnails, photos, etc.). When initially assigning space

, especially for ad width, we recommend allowing a bit more leeway. For the ad above, while the vertical length is 600, I set it to 610. If your

initially acceptable CLS score starts to increase, you should review the installed fonts, inserted images, and ad placement. For ads specifically, please also check the height based on the size, as mentioned above.

Advertisement Height Setting Position

Access the WordPress admin dashboard and navigate to [Appearance] > [Widgets]. Click the area where you want to place the ad code, then press the Advanced button. You can then set the minimum height in the Structured Settings. Refer to the red

box in the image above for easier understanding.

Conclusion

Today, we explored one solution for CLS: adjusting ad height. I focused on sidebar ads, as they tend to be the first thing users notice when a website loads.

However, simply checking this doesn’t guarantee CLS will improve. CLS has so many potential causes that fixing it completely is no easy task. I’m still trying and testing solutions one by one. I’ve shared my

experience here for anyone who might be facing a similar situation. Thank you for reading.