Push Ads: Why They Are Your Best Bet and How to Use Them

46 – that’s how many push notifications an average US citizen receives (and most likely opens) per day. That’s twice as many times as they open the fridge searching for food and twice as many times as they touch their face to remember they’re real.

Yeah, push notifications have come a long way. But what about their derivatives, push advertisements? Industry trends suggest that push ads are poised for a renaissance, and publishers and advertisers running their own Ad Server are already ahead of the curve.

• The mobile advertising market was valued at $262.84 billion in 2025 and is projected to reach $322.67 billion by the end of 2026. And push notification advertising is one of the fastest-growing formats within it.
• According to Straits research, businesses that use personalized advertising strategies, exactly what push ads enable through consent-based targeting, see up to a 20% increase in customer spending.

How so? How do push ads even work? What are their benefits? How to launch a push ad campaign?

No time to waste. Let’s find out!

What is a Push Ad?

If you are wondering what are push ads exactly, the simplest answer is this: they are consent-based promotional messages delivered directly to a user's screen through the same channel their apps and browsers use for alerts.

Here are three key factors to know:

1. Push ads are clickable, non-intrusive messages delivered directly to a user's desktop or mobile device, even when they are not actively browsing a specific website.
2. Push ads are often compared to traditional push notifications, but they are specifically designed for advertising purposes.
3. Push advertising generally operates on a subscription-based model; users opt in once, and advertisers reach them repeatedly through that granted channel.

Push notification ads are ads delivered through a push notification. Simple as that.

Push is the first thing a user sees when they lift their phone. You know that I know that, and most importantly, the advertisers know that.

And since it’s physically impossible not to unlock your phone every 10 minutes, push ads have become one of the fastest and most convenient ways to reach the audience. They’re almost like the new form of native advertising.

What’s better is that the more we get hooked on our devices year by year, the more effective the push becomes.

How Did Push Ads Come to Be?

Push notifications aren’t the latest technology. They spread the roots back to the 2000s, when the grass was greener and TikTok didn’t exist. Like most things at the time, it was first pioneered (for mass use) by Apple with the release of iOS 3.0.

The company introduced Apple Push Notification Service, which allowed the devs to send real-time messages to users. Updates, news, and messages appeared on the user’s screen, and there was no need to unlock the phone to see them – cool! Android followed soon after with Firebase Cloud Messaging.

Push Ads Enter the Scene

The update was a hit, and soon after, businesses started noticing how strongly push notifications captured users' attention. The tech base was already in place, so the idea was simple – instead of being reminded of an update, the user saw an ad.

This is practically the main difference between the two. Push notifications are typically informational, while push ads are promotional. But that’s not the only division between pushes that you can find online.

Types of Push Ads

To be honest, you’re unlikely to “choose a push ad type” in your DSP or ad server, since the main difference is all about the ad settings. But 1 - we can’t physically check every ad tech solution on the market, and 2 - it’s handy to know common marketers’ terms. Each type of ads push notification format reaches users through a different channel, browser, app, or device OS. And selecting the right one depends on where your audience spends most of their time.

That’s why the four basic types of push ads are:

1. Web Push Ad

Web push notifications are standard notifications sent through a browser to both mobile and desktop users, the most widely used push format for content publishers and ecommerce brands.

These are ads delivered via web browsers to users who have consented. They appear even when the user isn’t doing activities on the website. The important thing is that web notifications can be delivered to both desktop and mobile browsers.

That’s what makes web push ads stand out. They can reach users without requiring an app, as long as users allow it. Thus, news sites and e-commerce resources often use these. Web push notifications require users to opt in to receive push notifications, whereas in-page push ads do not, making in-page push ads a significant trend for advertisers looking to expand reach without a consent gate.

2. In-Page Push Ad

In-page push ads are interactive ads that appear directly within the webpage content. “Wait, what? How is it different from web push ads?”

Firstly, in-page push ads appear within website paragraphs, seamlessly integrated into your doomscrolling experience. Webs appear as separate notifications outside of the browser window.

Secondly, in-page push ads are implemented directly into the website using HTML and JavaScript. Web push ads require a push notification service (more on that later).

And finally, in-page ads serve their own purpose. They are non-disruptive and more like native ads than traditional push ads. That’s why they are so beloved by pubs with content-rich sites like blogs and geek media.

In-page push ads are designed to look like push notifications but are displayed directly on the publisher's site, bypassing browser restrictions.

3. In-App Push Ad

An in-app push ad is delivered within the app. The user has to actively use the app to get it. An in-app gets triggered by an app-specific event, so yeah, the experience is deeply contextual and not really disruptive (though it depends on personal preference).

In-app messages are known for being very personalized based on how people use the app and are often used by mobile gaming companies.

4. Mobile Push Ad

Mobile push ads are sent without the user having to take any action. They appear in the phone’s notification system and can show up even when the phone is locked or not in use.

The most common push ads examples include flash sale alerts from online stores, breaking news headlines from news companies, and messages to bring users back to mobile games, all sent in different ways for different purposes.

Mobile push notifications are a bit less personalized than their in-app counterparts, but they allow for broader targeting types and are just perfect for general brand awareness and re-engagement, that’s why retail apps often pick those.

What Does A Push Ad Consist of?

Depending on what you’re trying to do, there are many variations to the formula of push ads. But what does a typical push ad look like?

A typical push ads example includes a short title of up to 36 characters, a body line of up to 75 characters, an icon image, and a click URL, minimal real estate that rewards concise, high-intent copy. Push ads are sent as a payload, a JSON object containing the ad content and metadata that the notification service processes and delivers to the device. From your user’s POV, the ad will consist of:

1. Notification Title: The text that appears in the header.
2. Body Text: The message to be shown.
3. Icon/Image URL: The URL of the image or logo associated with the ad.
4. Action Buttons (Optional): Configurable buttons for additional actions.
5. Click Action: The URL or deep link the user is taken to when they interact with the push ad.
6. Sound/Alert Type: Custom sounds or vibration settings for the notification.

How Do Push Ads Work?

Now, let’s get to the blood and bones of push advertising.

#1. Choose Your Services

As you’ve probably figured, push ads use the same infrastructure as push notifications. Some major, well-known platforms include:

1. Apple Push Notification Service: for iOS devices.
2. Firebase Cloud messages: for Android devices.
3. Web push protocol: for most web browsers.

If you’ve read the push ad type section carefully, you’ve noticed that not all of the pushes need the above services.

Well, don’t worry too much about these; in most DSPs (including ours), all you have to do is pick the desired user browser and device, and the rest aligns automatically.

#2. User Consent

Yeah, before starting all sorts of push campaigns, the user needs to agree to receive these notifications. Otherwise, they simply won’t show up.

Push ads traffic source tends to be highly engaged by default, since every user in the audience has already opted in, meaning you are bidding for attention that has already been granted, not interrupted.

This is a hassle for the publisher since, technically, they are the first to collect user data.

#3. Ad Tech Stack

You can start a push ad campaign with either an ad server or DSP. We’ve talked so much about ad server vs DSP that it hurts to write this sentence right now.

In short, an ad server is for direct-push ad campaigns, while a DSP is for programmatic ones. Push ads have to be numerous, diverse, and, hopefully, cheap, so we’d advise using a demand-side platform in this case. Both are good, though.

#4. Ad Delivery

Once configured, push ads are delivered directly to a user's device, either as a desktop or mobile notification. The notification contains a short promotional message with a link or a call to action (CTA) to visit a landing page or take another desired action.

The ad delivery, however, has some nuance. You see, push ads can be scheduled to be delivered at specific times or sent in real-time based on user activity. Based on that, the process includes:

• Push Queue: Notifications are placed in a queue and are awaiting distribution.
• Push Dispatch: Push notification services like FCM or APNs send the notification to the user’s device once queued.
• Device Wake-up: The device receives the notification even when it’s locked or asleep, thanks to low-power mechanisms built into our phones.

#5. Failure Scenarios

Tracking and reporting don’t differ much from other ad formats and have standard ad server metrics. Failure scenarios are more interesting because many factors can disrupt a push ad, including network errors and device settings. What happens in this case? The system usually includes mechanisms like:

1. Retry policies

If a notification fails to be delivered, platforms usually attempt to resend it after a predefined period.

1. Expiry Time

Push ads can have an expiry timestamp, after which they won't be delivered if the device is offline.

Based on Epom observations, push ad campaigns that use even pacing and geo-specific scheduling consistently outperform those using flat delivery, often seeing 20–30% higher CTRs without any change to the creative.

What Are the Benefits of Push Advertising?

As you can see, the world of push is deep and diverse, and there’s much more to it than “annoying dings on your phone.” But it gets even better when you’re an advertiser or a push ad network. Advertising with push ads gives marketers a direct, consent-based line to their audience that bypasses the crowded feeds and inboxes most formats compete in.

#1. Affordability

Let’s face it, post-COVID environment, all-out wars, and economic recession aren’t the best circumstances for profiting from ads. In this day and age, push ads stand out for their affordability.

For instance, push ad CPM models generally range from $0.50 to $5. This is significantly lower compared to display ads, where CPMs can range from $2 to $20. The same goes for CPA ($1 to $5) and CPC ($0.01 to $0.10).

#2. Consent-Driven Marketing

Despite everything, cookies are alive and well, but that doesn’t mean that the industry hasn’t changed in the past few years. The trend for user privacy is as strong as ever, so an ad that requires consent to be shown will be a great addition to your campaign.

#3. Real-time Relevance

Once again, third-party advertising still thrives, but its accuracy remains low (sad, but true). Push ads are dynamic and can be tailored in real-time based on user behavior and external factors. So, no matter who you target, you can always stay relevant.

#4. Direct Engagement

Be honest; when you see a push notification, you either click or close it and rarely leave it on seen. Push ads aren’t completely invincible to banner ads blindness, but they are far more effective in capturing the audience than traditional display ads.

#5. Permissive Policies

Betting, adult, crypto – we haven’t forgotten about you guys. Unlike strict video and banner policies, push advertising allows you to promote virtually anything, as long as the user is okay with it.

What Are the Best Practices for Push Advertising?

Okay, you know almost everything there is to know about the push action. You’re almost prepared for your own sailing, but before you go, let us give you a few quick tips.

Industries

Virtually any push ad network will gain from these nice and simple ads. The graph below illustrates just that.

The most beneficial would be:

• eCommerce and Retail (in-page, web);
• Mobile gaming (in-app);
• Travel (mobile, web);
• Streaming services (in-app, mobile);
• Health and Fitness (in-app, mobile);
• News and Blogs (web, in-page);

Push Ad Format Selection by Industry and Goal

Budgets

We highly recommend allocating 30% of your ad budget for testing push ads (called NATIVE on our platform), and this is the main reason:

With a lower budget, you can bring more live users to your landing pages and test them out. All clicks are already engaged with your Call-To-Action.

Specifications

Surely, the specs depend on the platform, but here’s the standard for our ad tech stack:

Icon: 192x192 Main image: 492x328 Title: 36 symbols max. Description: 75 symbols max. Formats: jpg

Content

The content advice might sound familiar if you’re a veteran advertiser, but still:

• Avoid complicated images;
• Utilize clean user-generated images instead of boring stock photos (if it makes sense);
• Try using emojis (if it makes sense);
• Add a sense of urgency to the title.
• Mind your CTA;

"The advertisers who get the most out of push traffic are the ones who treat it like a direct channel, not a broadcast," says an Epom specialist. "Short copy, one clear action, and a relevant image. That combination rarely fails."

Generic? Maybe, but it’s never too late to remember the basics.

Delivery Time

There’s no ideal timing for every type of push ad. If you’re advertising “normal” content, people on the web recommend sending it between 1 am and 3 pm and between 5 pm and 11 pm. If you are “Hi, sweetie, I’m Ashley💋💋💋”, then late-night hours could prove to be effective as well.

How Do You Launch Push Campaigns? Epom DSP - Guide for Push Ad Networks

The fastest way to buy push ads programmatically is through a DSP, set your targeting parameters, define your bid, and the platform handles auction participation and delivery automatically across thousands of publisher sources.

Both our DSP and ad server (in the tab “NATIVE “) support push campaigns. As we tipped you to use programmatic advertising, let’s look at setting up push ads in Epom DSP. That’ll be easy.

1. Create a new campaign.

2. Choose Push.

3. Set up basic parameters like Name, Pricing Models, and Auction Types.

4. Apply all of your knowledge gained from this article to set up who you want to target and how. For example, we chose Phone as a Device Type and Android as OS.

5. Don’t forget about the Advanced Options. Here, you can customize parameters like age, geo, language, and even stores.

6. The last screen is all about bidding. If you don’t know what you’re doing, leave it as is, and don’t forget to set the Max Bid Price. If you do, then you don’t need further explanation.

7. Once you hit Save, the platform will ask you to upload the creative. Do this, and you’re done!

What Is The Future of Push Ads?

The potential of push advertising looks as bright as ever. The stars of ad tech seem to align just right for Push to have its second album, and this time, we’re probably getting “Nevermind” instead of “Bleach.”

Here are several potential directions for push ads out there:

1. Push advertising is likely to become more competitive as more businesses realize its value, so starting early and using better technology will help you stand out.
2. Adding better targeting options for push advertising is expected to improve campaign performance and attract more people over the next two years.
3. Excessive or irrelevant push ads can lead to consumer fatigue and unsubscribes, roughly 60% of users may unsubscribe within three months if content becomes irrelevant or overwhelming, making retention strategy as important as acquisition.

Use our advice from this article to be deeper in the context than the fan of “Smells Like Teen Spirit,” and see you later!

FAQs

• What are push ads?

  Push ads are promotional messages sent straight to a user's device or browser using push notifications. They show up on the screen even if the user is not currently using the website or app, but the user must agree to receive them first.

• How do push notification ads differ from regular push notifications?

  Push notifications are messages with information sent by apps or websites. Push notification ads are paid messages sent the same way, meant to get people to click, buy something, or come back, instead of just sharing updates about the app or website.

• What is the average CTR for push ads?

  Push ads usually get between 2% and 8% of people to click, depending on the type of business and how well they're targeted to the right people. Ads for financial and online shopping companies often do better than this, and Android users tend to click more than iOS users in most cases.

• Can you buy push ads programmatically?

  Yes. You can buy push ads traffic through a DSP using real-time bidding, targeting users by device, OS, geo, language, and behavior. Epom DSP supports programmatic push ad buying with transparent bidding and placement controls.

• What are the main push ads examples by format?

  The four main push ad format examples are web push ads delivered via browser, in-page push ads embedded within content, in-app push ads triggered by app events, and mobile push ads sent through the device notification system.