This site uses WordPress, but I encountered a problem where Google AdSense ads weren’t displaying.

To state the conclusion first, the cause was the Fast Velocity Minify plugin.

How I Noticed Google AdSense Wasn't Displaying

I’ve placed Google AdSense on this site in locations I personally think aren’t too intrusive. The reason I place them in non-intrusive locations is that I’m the primary user of this site, so if ads are annoying, I’d end up disliking my own site.

That said, I’d like ad revenue to at least cover server and domain costs, so I had Google AdSense installed.

From August 17, 2017, revenue continued at 0 yen, which seemed strange. When I checked while logged into the WordPress admin panel, I could confirm Google AdSense was displaying. However, when I checked using Chrome’s incognito window, AdSense ads weren’t displaying at all.

When I checked the source code using View Page Source in the Chrome browser, I could find the AdSense ad embed tags, but I noticed the script async src code was missing.

Non-working Google Adsense Source Code

Working Google Adsense Source Code

Investigation Steps for Google AdSense Ads Not Displaying

Is the AdSense Snippet Configured Correctly?

First, since AdSense ads were displaying when logged into the WordPress admin panel, I could confirm the snippet installation was correct.

Are WordPress Cache Plugins Having a Negative Impact?

Next, I checked whether plugins installed to speed up WordPress were having a negative impact.

The specific procedure is analog but involves repeatedly stopping plugins one by one from the WordPress admin panel and checking with an incognito window. Some plugins reset their settings when stopped, so I recommend taking screenshots or notes of current settings before stopping them.

List of Installed WordPress Cache Plugins That Might Affect AdSense Ads

• Autoptimize
• Fast Velocity Minify
• W3 Total Cache
• WP File Cache

Fast Velocity Minify Was the Cause

When I stopped the Fast Velocity Minify plugin, Google AdSense ads displayed normally, so I determined this was the cause.

Currently, I’ve taken the simple approach of just stopping Fast Velocity Minify, but since Fast Velocity Minify seems to have detailed configuration options, I’d like to tune it to display AdSense ads while still speeding up WordPress.

This is because stopping the Fast Velocity Minify plugin lowered the PageSpeed Insights score, so I’d like to find some way to improve the score.

Summary: Google AdSense Ads Restored

Google AdSense ads are now displaying successfully. This should prevent running at a loss from this month onwards.

Everyone, please continue to support this site. m(__)m

That’s all from the Gemba.