Six questions this checklist answers
- Retention threshold — At what impression count does retention start to drop? Measured, or guessed?
- The survival line — Is your LTV above or below your CPI? Real data, or an estimate?
- Segmentation — Are new users and power users on the same monetization policy?
- Format — Do you have a rewarded video placement?
- Testing capability — When was your last monetization A/B? How long did it run?
- Twelve months out — If you stopped optimizing monetization today, where would you be in a year?
If you cannot answer three or more of these, your monetization is still running on instinct.
Two versions — which one do you need?
ExcelRecommended
- 25 items with a dropdown (0 / 2 / 4)
- Auto-calculates the total and 5 subtotals
- Auto-detects which stage you are in
- Cells change colour as you score, so weak spots stand out
- Opens directly on any phone
- Printable — fill it in with a pen
- Good for walking a team through it
Both versions contain the same 25 items. Excel is for scoring; PDF is for reading and printing.
What it looks like
How to score
Score each item by how fully it is done:
Not done = 0 | Partial = 2 | Fully done = 4
5 dimensions × 5 items × 4 points = 100 points total. Then check the stage table below.
| Total | Stage | What it looks like |
|---|---|---|
| 0 - 30 | Stage 0-1 | Monetization barely started, or a single network only |
| 31 - 55 | Stage 2 | Several networks, but no mediation or efficiency work |
| 56 - 75 | Stage 3 | Mediation in place, no user segmentation yet |
| 76 - 90 | Stage 4 | Segmentation + timing + continuous testing |
| 91 - 100 | Near best | Running monetization as a product capability |
This sheet is not for scoring. It is for finding problems. A low score is not embarrassing — missing the profit that costs nothing to collect is.
What each dimension checks
| Dimension | What it checks | The most common mistake |
|---|---|---|
| Demand sources | How many networks, whether mediation and bidding are in place | Running a single network — often 30-50% of revenue left on the table |
| Ad placements | Rewarded video, interstitial timing, whether banner is a fallback | No rewarded video — the best-paying slot sits empty |
| User segmentation | New-user protection and power-user density | One policy for every user |
| Data & testing | eCPM by geography, A/B capability | Watching only ARPU, or only retention |
| Health monitoring | Retention trends, churn attribution, fill-rate monitoring | Judging by user feedback instead of measurement |
The full checklist (read it right here)
Do not want to download? Scroll through the complete version below.
Not sure how to fix what you scored low on?
Send us your results. We will go through them and tell you which items are worth fixing first, and roughly what each one takes.
- Which items you can fix this week
- Which ones need engineering work, and how long
- Which ones matter most for your category and main geographies
Email info@hi-spark.com or find us on WeChat by replying checklist.
About Hi-Spark
Hi-Spark is a mediation SDK and AI monetization platform covering app, H5 and web inventory — one SDK integration to reach the major global demand sources.
- AdMob, AdSense, Meta, Amazon, Unity, AppLovin, Pangle, Mintegral and more
- Mediation, waterfall tuning and bidding to lift eCPM and fill rate
- Segmentation and frequency policies that balance revenue against retention