Ads.txt, short for Authorized Digital Sellers, is an IAB (Interactive Advertising Bureau) initiative introduced to combat unauthorized inventory sales and domain spoofing in programmatic advertising.
FAQs
How does ads.txt work?
Publishers drop a text file on their web servers that lists all of the companies that are authorized to sell the publishers’ inventory. Similarly, programmatic platforms also integrate ads.txt files to confirm which publishers’ inventory they are authorized to sell. This allows buyers to check the validity of the inventory they purchase.
How can buyers use ads.txt to check who is authorized to sell?
If an ad exchange and the publishers it represents each adopt ads.txt, bidders can check their tags for the presence of an ads.txt file to verify that the exchange and publisher have a legitimate connection to each other.
Are there any other ways to check which sellers are authorized using ads.txt?>
Yes. Buyers can use ads.txt to confirm if certain exchanges are authorized to sell publisher inventory by looking at the publisher's ads.txt file. This is done by adding the domain name of the publisher and adding /ads.txt. Here are some examples cnn.com/ads.txt or msnbc.com/ads.txt IAB Tech Lab released Ads.txt Aggregator/Crawler that can rapidly pull ads.txt files from publishers’ websites. For buyers looking to check the ads.txt files for multiple publishers, the crawler helps them accomplish this quickly. More information can be found here on the IAB website.
Why does ads.txt matter?
Unauthorized reselling is a challenge in programmatic advertising, and unless buyers contact publishers directly, they’ve had no way to know which SSPs are authorized to sell a particular publisher’s inventory. Creating a depository of authorized sellers helps buyers determine which programmatic firms have legitimate access to the inventory they seek.
What are the benefits of ads.txt?
Reduced Ad Fraud: Ads.txt serves as a powerful deterrent against ad fraud by providing advertisers with a mechanism to verify the authenticity of inventory sellers. By explicitly specifying authorized sellers, publishers can mitigate the risk of domain spoofing and unauthorized reselling of ad inventory, thereby reducing the prevalence of fraudulent activity in the digital advertising ecosystem.
Increased Revenue: By embracing ads.txt, publishers showcase their dedication to transparency and the fight against ad fraud. This proactive approach fosters trust among advertisers, enticing them to invest in ad inventory from publishers committed to upholding legitimacy. This heightened trust can generate greater demand for the publisher's advertising space, thereby potentially amplifying revenue streams from ad sales.
Enhanced Transparency: Implementing ads.txt promotes transparency and accountability by providing advertisers with greater visibility into the supply chain. Advertisers can easily identify legitimate publishers and authorized resellers, ensuring that their ads are displayed on reputable websites with genuine traffic. This transparency fosters trust between advertisers, publishers, and ad exchanges, leading to more efficient and trustworthy transactions.
Protect Brand Reputation: Ads.txt helps advertisers protect their brand reputation by ensuring that their ads are not associated with fraudulent or low-quality inventory. By targeting authorized sellers with verified traffic sources, advertisers can maintain brand safety and integrity, thereby safeguarding their brand image and preserving consumer trust.
Greater Control over Inventory: Ads.txt grants publishers enhanced autonomy in managing their advertising inventory. By meticulously outlining authorized sellers for their ad space, publishers can thwart unauthorized resellers from degrading the quality of their inventory with subpar impressions. This safeguard guarantees that the publisher's ad space retains its esteemed value, drawing in top-tier bids from advertisers.
Simple Implementation: Crafting and deploying an ads.txt file is a straightforward endeavor, devoid of the need for profound technical expertise. This makes it an accessible solution for publishers of all sizes to benefit from its advantages.
In conclusion, implementing ads.txt offers numerous benefits for stakeholders across the online advertising ecosystem. By combating ad fraud, enhancing transparency, and protecting brand reputation, ads.txt plays a crucial role in promoting trust and integrity in digital advertising. As the industry continues to evolve, ads.txt remains a vital tool for safeguarding the interests of advertisers, publishers, and consumers alike, paving the way for a more transparent, efficient, and sustainable advertising ecosystem.
Why does SoundStack ask you to update your ads.txt file?
SoundStack recommends updating your ads.txt file when we send an update request. Updates are needed for additional demand side partners requirements, and to ensure your inventory is positioned to be purchased by as many demand partners as possible.
How do I implement ads.txt?
If you already have an ads.txt file live on your site, add the SoundStack entries to your file per your normal ads.txt update process.
If you do not have an ads.txt file live on your site you have to use a text editor like Notepad or TextEdit to create a new file directly in the root directory of your website. Add the SoundStack and any other entries from your other authorized sellers to the file. Save the file as a plain text file named exactly “ads.txt”. Be sure not to add any file extensions (i.e. txt). Upload the file to the root domain of your website through File Transfer Protocol or the backend of your hosting provider. Check the file's availability after uploading the ads.txt file by opening a web browser and entering your website domain followed by “/ads.txt” (i.e. https://www.test.com/ads.txt). If you can see your file entries, then it’s been set up successfully.
Here is what the SoundStack ads.txt request looks like with some dummy URLs for your reference:
#SOUNDSTACK AUDIO PARTNERS // Last Update 2024-10-01 // BEGIN domain.com, 123, DIRECT domain2.com, 123, RESELLER domain3.com, 123, DIRECT, test #SOUNDSTACK AUDIO PARTNERS // END
The first time posting our files, paste everything from the #SOUNDSTACK BEGIN line through the #SOUNDSTACK END line. If you already have an existing ads.txt file, just append our file entries to your currently posted entries.
When SoundStack requests a future update, you will then only replace the #SOUNDSTACK BEGIN line through the #SOUNDSTACK END line with the new #SOUNDSTACK BEGIN line through the #SOUNDSTACK END line.
Here is an example of the above ads.txt file after SoundStack sends another request to update the SoundStack entries, again with dummy URLs for your reference:
#SOUNDSTACK AUDIO PARTNERS // Last Update 2024-11-30 // BEGIN domain.com, 123, DIRECT domain2.com, 123, RESELLER test.com, 456, DIRECT, test #SOUNDSTACK AUDIO PARTNERS // END
Additionally, you can use the app-ads.txt file, which is designed to combat ad fraud in digital advertising for mobile apps, connected TV apps, and similar environments. It stands for “Authorized Sellers for Apps” and is an extension of ads.txt. The app-ads.txt and ads.txt files can contain the same content, as their format and type of information are similar.
For more information and updates, please visit the official IAB sources:
If you have any further questions or concerns please do not hesitate to contact our Support Team through the ticket submission form or by emailing us at support@soundstack.com.