Learn about ads.txt

WebAds ads.txt compliant

Ads.txt has been one of the latest buzzwords in the industry and is finally gaining momentum. This is because the major buying tools like DBM and AppNexus are now enforcing this initiative. This means these platforms will no longer accept inventory from sellers that have not been listed on ads.txt. The good news is that 99% of the inventory offered by WebAds has now been provided with ads.txt. Buyers are now ensured of our direct relationship with publishers and can be certain their advertising dollars actually reach the publisher.

What is this ads.txt file?

Ads.txt is a simple text file published by publishers on their websites. The standard states that this file is made available directly under the domain: domain.com/ads.txt. It is also possible to offer a separate file per subdomain: sub.domain.com/ads.txt. The buying platform will first try to evaluate the file on subdomain level. If that file is not available, the platform will evaluate the ads.txt file on the domain level. The idea is that buyers will be protected from fake traffic this way and can be sure their budget actually reaches the publisher.

What does it contain?

The file gives an overview of sellers who are authorized to offer advertising space on behalf of a site/domain. A line contains the URL of the corresponding sales platform, the unique seller ID, a description of the relationship between seller and publisher and an optional ID provided by a certification authority. When we implement the new AppNexus video player we will discuss additional ads.txt lines with our publishers.