Dynamically Insert Ads in WordPress Archive Templates Using Custom Scripts

As someone constantly experimenting with WordPress customization, I wanted to control how and where ads appeared on my archive pages. Instead of relying on ad plugins with bloated features, I took a more efficient route—writing a custom script to insert ads after every 3rd, 5th, and 7th post dynamically. Here’s how I did it and why this solution works like a charm.

The Idea Behind It

My goal was to keep things lightweight and flexible. I wanted the option to insert ad blocks automatically without manually placing them in each post. This meant using a combination of a custom PHP function and a simple shortcode.

The Custom Script

I created a function that counts posts in the loop and conditionally injects ads at specific positions. This way, when a visitor scrolls through the archive, they see non-intrusive, well-placed ads, seamlessly blending into the layout.

Here’s a simplified version of the code I used:

function kadence_insert_ad_after_posts($post_id) {
    global $post_count;

    // Initialize counter if not set
    if (!isset($post_count)) {
        $post_count = 0;
    }

    $post_count++;  // Increment counter with each post

    // Insert the ad after the 3rd and 5th posts
    if ($post_count == 3 || $post_count == 5 || $post_count == 7) {
        echo '<div class="custom-ad">
                <h4>Sponsored Ad</h4>
                <p>'. do_shortcode('[ADD YOUR SHORTCODE HERE]') .'</p>
            </div>';
    }
}
add_action('kadence_loop_entry', 'kadence_insert_ad_after_posts', 20);

If you have more than 10 post in your archive page ( this is per page) you can adjust this line to display more:

if ($post_count == 3 || $post_count == 5 || $post_count == 7) {
to
if ($post_count == 3 || $post_count == 5 || $post_count == 7 || $post_count == 10) {
So just add a higher number at the end. || $post_count == 12

Please style the ad block to match your website!

function kadence_insert_ad_after_posts($post_id) {
    global $post_count;

    // Initialize counter if not set
    if (!isset($post_count)) {
        $post_count = 0;
    }

    $post_count++;  // Increment counter with each post

    // Insert the ad every 3rd post
    if ($post_count % 3 == 0) {
        echo '<div class="custom-ad">
                <h4>Sponsored Ad</h4>
                <p>' . do_shortcode('[ADD YOUR SHORTCODE HERE]') . '</p>
              </div>';
    }
}
add_action('kadence_loop_entry', 'kadence_insert_ad_after_posts', 20);

*This is my CSS for the ad block.

.custom-ad {
    margin: 20px 0; 
    padding: 15px; 
    background: #F1F3F4; 
    text-align: center;
    border-top: 2px solid #595957!important;
    border-left: 1px solid #DCDCDE!important;
    border-right: 1px solid #DCDCDE!important;
    border-bottom: 1px solid #DCDCDE!important;
    box-shadow: 0px 0px 1px rgb(0 0 0 / 10%), 0px 4px 8px rgb(0 0 0 / 10%)!important;
    
}

Author: WP Scriptly, Admin at WpScriptly

Hey, I’m Scot, the guy behind WpScriptly. I create simple, no-fluff WordPress plugins and tools to make your site easier to manage and more powerful. Everything I build is tested on my own projects first — if it’s here, it’s because it works. Thanks for checking out the site. Hope you find something useful at Wp Scriptly.

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