Article 61 of the Regulation on Official Announcements and Advertisements sets two separate thresholds: daily unique visitors and daily page views. Both must be met together. Three further conditions come on top: the direct traffic share, the time on page, and the traffic being domestic in origin.
Daily traffic thresholds
| Category | Daily unique visitors | Daily page views |
|---|---|---|
| General Category | 250,000 | 750,000 |
| 1st Category | 25,000 | 75,000 |
| 2nd Category | 15,000 | 45,000 |
| 3rd Category | 10,000 | 30,000 |
| 4th Category | 5,000 | 15,000 |
| 5th Category | 1,500 | 4,500 |
The ratio in the table is constant across categories: page views are exactly three times unique visitors. An average of three pages per visitor is therefore the target. Traffic that reads one page and leaves falls short on page views even if it meets the unique-visitor threshold.
Three further conditions
1. The direct traffic share
Under Article 61(2) at least 10% of the unique-visitor figures must consist of direct visitors, according to category and indicators. Direct traffic is the reader who comes knowing the address; it measures what your brand is actually worth.
2. Time on page
Under paragraph three the daily average time visitors spend on the page must be at least 30 seconds for online news sites in the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th Categories, and at least one minute in the General Category.
3. Domestic origin
Under paragraph four, domestic traffic is what is taken into account in visitor traffic data. In calculating the traffic data of sites in the General Category, 10% of foreign-sourced traffic is included.
Falling below the threshold
Article 61(10) provides that suspension and resumption operations relating to the minimum visitor traffic condition are conducted on the basis of the minimum visitor traffic figures determined by category not being met for at least seven consecutive days, or intermittently within a month.
A single bad day therefore does not directly give rise to a sanction; a continuous or repeated fall is what is tracked. Seeing a fall early, on the other hand, buys time to respond.
The holiday exemption
Under Article 56(4) the visitor traffic and content conditions are not sought from online news sites on days falling on the Ramadan and Sacrifice holidays, provided they notify the Agency at least three working days in advance. Without notification the exemption does not operate.
In the event of a strike Article 56(3) applies: the right is preserved if publication resumes within 30 days of the end of the strike, fulfilling the qualifications and duties other than the visitor traffic conditions.
Conclusion
The traffic condition requires two thresholds to be met together: daily unique visitors and three times that in page views. What is 1,500 / 4,500 in the 5th Category rises to 250,000 / 750,000 in the General Category. To that are added at least 10% direct traffic, at least 30 seconds (one minute in the General Category) on page, and the domestic-origin condition.
How measurement is carried out is covered in the measurement guide and the consequences of manipulation in the fake traffic guide.