diff --git a/apps/web/app/layout.tsx b/apps/web/app/layout.tsx
index cf16eb1..2730016 100644
--- a/apps/web/app/layout.tsx
+++ b/apps/web/app/layout.tsx
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 import type { Metadata } from 'next'
 import { Footer, Header } from '@/components/chrome'
 import { PitFooter } from '@/components/pit-footer'
+import { AdUnit } from '@/components/ad-unit'
 import { SITE } from '@/lib/site'
 import './globals.css'
 import Script from "next/script";
@@ -87,11 +88,9 @@ export default function RootLayout({ children }: { children: React.ReactNode })
       <body className="flex min-h-screen flex-col">
         <Header />
         <main className="flex-1">
-          {/* One CrawlProof unit at the top of the content, never by the footer.
-           * No data-format: ad.js picks the size from the container width. */}
-          <div className="mx-auto max-w-6xl px-5 pt-6">
-            <div data-cp-ad="" data-slot="8d21a830-acfe-40ba-9d0d-0078d66ca479" />
-          </div>
+          {/* One low-profile CrawlProof unit at the top of the content, never by
+           * the footer, and none on the homepage. */}
+          <AdUnit />
           {children}
         </main>
         <Footer />
diff --git a/apps/web/components/ad-unit.tsx b/apps/web/components/ad-unit.tsx
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..96e14dd
--- /dev/null
+++ b/apps/web/components/ad-unit.tsx
@@ -0,0 +1,30 @@
+'use client'
+
+import { useEffect } from 'react'
+import { usePathname } from 'next/navigation'
+
+const AD_SLOT = '8d21a830-acfe-40ba-9d0d-0078d66ca479'
+
+/**
+ * One CrawlProof unit at the top of the content, never by the footer: the
+ * low-profile text_link line (40px, fluid, its own "Sponsored" mark). The
+ * homepage carries no ad.
+ */
+export function AdUnit() {
+  const pathname = usePathname() ?? '/'
+  if (pathname === '/') return null
+  // Keyed by path: ad.js latches a filled unit, so each navigation gets a fresh one.
+  return <Unit key={pathname} />
+}
+
+function Unit() {
+  useEffect(() => {
+    // ad.js scans once at load; a unit mounted by client navigation asks again.
+    ;(window as unknown as { crawlproofAds?: { scan?: () => void } }).crawlproofAds?.scan?.()
+  }, [])
+  return (
+    <div className="mx-auto max-w-6xl px-5 pt-2">
+      <div data-cp-ad="" data-slot={AD_SLOT} data-format="text_link" />
+    </div>
+  )
+}