How to Integrate AdMob into Your Thunkable App: A Comprehensive Guide

Monetizing your mobile applications is crucial for generating revenue and sustaining your development efforts. For app creators using Thunkable, integrating advertisements through AdMob is a straightforward and effective method. This guide will walk you through the process of adding AdMob banner and interstitial ads to your Thunkable projects, enabling you to earn from your creations.

Before we begin, it’s important to understand the basics. AdMob is Google’s advertising platform specifically designed for mobile apps. It allows developers to display ads from the vast Google Ads network within their applications. Thunkable, on the other hand, is a no-code platform that simplifies mobile app development, making it accessible to individuals without extensive programming knowledge. Combining these two powerful tools allows you to easily monetize your Thunkable apps.

Setting Up AdMob in Thunkable

To start displaying AdMob ads in your Thunkable application, you need to set up the necessary components and configurations within the Thunkable environment. Let’s break down the steps:

Prerequisites

• AdMob Account: Ensure you have an active Google AdMob account. If you don’t have one, you’ll need to sign up on the AdMob website. During the AdMob setup, you will create Ad Units. These Ad Units are unique identifiers for your ad placements (banner or interstitial) and are essential for linking your Thunkable app to your AdMob account.

• Thunkable Account and Project: You should have a Thunkable account and have your app project ready in the Thunkable platform where you intend to display ads.

Adding AdMob Components

1. Open your Thunkable project. Navigate to the screen in your app where you want to display ads.

2. Locate AdMob Components: On the left-hand side of the Thunkable interface, find the “Components” panel. Scroll down until you see the “Monetization” section.

3. Drag and Drop:

   • For banner ads, drag the “AdMob Banner” component onto your screen.
   • For full-screen pop-up ads, drag the “AdMob Interstitial” component onto your screen.

   These components will appear as non-visible components in the component tree below your screen design in the Thunkable designer.

Entering Ad Unit IDs

Each AdMob component requires an “Ad Unit ID” to connect to your specific ad placements in your AdMob account.

1. Select the AdMob Component: Click on either the “AdMob Banner” or “AdMob Interstitial” component in the component tree.

2. Access Properties: On the right-hand side, you will see the “Properties” panel for the selected component.

3. Enter Ad Unit ID: Locate the “AdUnitId” property. Go to your AdMob account and find the Ad Unit ID you created for the respective ad format (banner or interstitial). Copy the Ad Unit ID from AdMob and paste it into the “AdUnitId” field in Thunkable.

   Repeat this process for both Banner and Interstitial components if you are using both ad formats.

Configuring Ad Blocks for AdMob

Now that you have added the AdMob components and entered the Ad Unit IDs, you need to use Thunkable’s visual programming blocks to control when and how your ads are displayed.

Basic Block Setup

A common approach is to display banner ads when the screen initializes and interstitial ads after a short delay. Here’s how to set up the blocks:

1. Open Blocks Editor: Navigate to the “Blocks” editor for the screen where you added the AdMob components.

2. Screen Initialization Block: Find the “Screen1.Initialize” block (or the name of your screen). This block executes when the screen is loaded.

3. Banner Ad Load Request: From the “AdMob Banner” component blocks, drag the “AdMobBanner1.LoadAd” block (or the name of your banner component) into the “Screen1.Initialize” block. This will request a banner ad to be loaded when the screen starts.

4. Clock Component for Interstitial Delay: To delay the interstitial ad from appearing immediately when the app opens (which can be intrusive to the user experience), use a “Clock” component. If you haven’t already, drag a “Clock” component from the “Sensors” category to your screen (it’s also a non-visible component).

5. Clock Timer Block: Drag a “Clock1.Timer” block. This block executes repeatedly based on the timer interval you set.

6. Conditional Logic for Interstitial Ad:

   • Set the “Clock1.TimerInterval” property (in the Designer view, Properties panel for Clock1) to a desired delay in milliseconds (e.g., 5000 for 5 seconds).
   • Inside the “Clock1.Timer” block, you’ll place the “AdMobInterstitial1.LoadAd” block. You might want to use a “control logic” block like “if…then…do” to ensure the interstitial ad only attempts to load once. Alternatively, you can simply load the Interstitial ad within the Clock timer event and control frequency through AdMob settings.

   This basic block setup will display a banner ad at the bottom of the screen when the screen loads and attempt to load an interstitial ad after the set delay. You can customize the timing and conditions for displaying ads based on your app’s user flow and design.

Alternative Block Setup

In some cases, you might find that the initial block setup isn’t consistently displaying ads. An alternative approach, as suggested by some developers, involves slightly modifying the block structure, particularly for interstitial ads. This might involve ensuring the ad is explicitly requested to load after a delay. While the basic setup usually works, experimenting with minor variations can sometimes resolve issues with ad display in specific app configurations.

Important Setting: Responsive Sizing

One crucial configuration step that can often be overlooked is setting the screen’s “Sizing” property to “Responsive.” This setting ensures that your app layout, including the AdMob banner, adapts correctly to different screen sizes and devices.

1. Select Screen: In the Designer view, select the screen where you have added the AdMob components.

2. Change Sizing Property: In the “Properties” panel for the screen, find the “Sizing” property. Change it from “Fixed” (default) to “Responsive.”

   Alt text: Screenshot demonstrating how to change the screen Sizing property from Fixed to Responsive in the Thunkable designer interface.

Testing Your AdMob Integration

After setting up the components, blocks, and responsive sizing, it’s essential to test your AdMob integration.

1. Thunkable Live Testing: Use the Thunkable Live app on your smartphone to test your app in real-time. This is a convenient way to see if the ads are displaying correctly.
2. Build and Install: For more thorough testing, build your app as an APK (for Android) or download the iOS version and install it on your device. Run the installed app to ensure ads are loading as expected in a standalone app environment.

Important Note on Ad Clicks: Just like with website ads, it is against AdMob policies to click on your own ads. Avoid clicking on the ads in your app, as this can lead to policy violations and potential account suspension. Focus on creating a great user experience and let organic user engagement generate your ad revenue.

Conclusion

Integrating AdMob into your Thunkable app is a relatively simple process that can significantly contribute to your app monetization strategy. By following these steps to add components, configure blocks, and set up responsive sizing, you can effectively display banner and interstitial ads in your Thunkable creations. Remember to always prioritize user experience and adhere to AdMob policies for long-term success. This guide provides a solid foundation for adding AdMob to your Thunkable projects and starting your app monetization journey.