Summary: Learn how Google Ad Grants evaluates your website's performance, why strict PageSpeed numerical scores are not required, and how Tithely Sites are optimized for stability and speed.
Before You Begin
- The Core Requirement: Google Ad Grants requires your website to be secure (HTTPS), mobile-friendly, and load in a timely manner.
- No Strict Numerical Score: Google does not enforce a strict numerical PageSpeed or Lighthouse score (e.g., 90+) to qualify for or maintain an Ad Grant.
- Built-in Optimization: Tithely Sites templates are pre-optimized for performance. Because core performance features are built directly into the platform, global framework settings are locked to ensure your site remains stable and functional.
Understanding Performance and Google Ad Grants
When applying for or managing a Google Ad Grant, running automated PageSpeed or Lighthouse audits is a common practice. However, it is important to understand how Google evaluates this data:
PageSpeed Insights are Guidelines, Not Pass/Fail Rules
Google uses PageSpeed Insights to provide specific recommendations to optimize your site, but it does not require a perfect score. As long as your website is mobile-friendly, secure, and provides a good user experience with clear navigation, you meet the Ad Grant technical website policy requirements.
Understanding Mobile vs. Desktop Scores
Tithely starter templates are built to achieve high Desktop scores (often around 90) and solid Mobile scores (typically >60).
- Throttled Testing: Mobile Lighthouse scans simulate browsing on heavily throttled, slower network connections.
- Normal Fluctuations: It is completely normal for mobile scores to fluctuate between 50 and 70. (For context, many major production websites, including Tithe.ly's own homepage, regularly score around 50 on these throttled mobile tests).
Why Platform-Level Settings are Locked
You may see audit flags for template-level items like "render-blocking scripts," "unused CSS/JS," or "cache lifetimes." These elements are part of the Tithely Sites core framework.
- Core features like global asset bundling and caching headers are managed at the platform level.
- These settings are not exposed in the site editor because modifying them on an individual site level would break the overall stability and functionality of the Tithely platform.
Troubleshooting & FAQs
- Will a mobile PageSpeed score of 66 cause me to lose my Google Ad Grant?No. Google does not penalize or revoke Ad Grants based solely on a numerical PageSpeed score. Ensure your site remains mobile-friendly, secure (HTTPS), and features high-quality content clearly stating your mission.
- Can I manually edit my site's caching headers or remove render-blocking scripts to get a 90+ mobile score?No. These settings are controlled at the platform level to ensure the stability and security of all Tithely Sites. They cannot be edited on a per-site basis.
- What can I do to improve my site's performance?While platform settings are locked, you can improve load times by compressing large images (using appropriate formats like WebP or JPG) before uploading them, minimizing the use of non-essential third-party widgets or scripts, and keeping your page content logically organized.