How does Ads.txt work? Complete Instructions for Use (For Publishers).
For years, widespread ad fraud has plagued the online advertising industry, costing publishers and advertisers money and causing dissatisfaction. Publishers have been scrambling to address issues of transparency in the advertising marketplace as sophisticated ad fraud and bots pose a threat to the digital advertising ecosystem.
The introduction of the Ads.txt or Authorized Digital Sellers file ensures the authenticity of all clicks and impressions and provides transparency and safety.
What is Ads.txt?
Ads.txt guarantees the legitimacy of the advertising inventory displayed on publisher websites across any ad exchange.
At first, Ads.txt was only meant for online advertising; however, it is now also used for mobile apps like streaming services. App ads.txt is the streaming services’ equivalent of Ads.txt files. It ensures that the ad inventory is only sold through authorized channels and adds support for ads in mobile apps.
Publishers and the advertising industry require Ads.txt.
Ads.txt files allow advertisers to check the seller to stop suspicious transactions and protect publishers from unauthorized inventory sales. These files provide brand-safe transparency for the advertising industry.
Increased Openness.
Using a publisher’s website to sell fake inventory without their knowledge or consent is made easier by this transparency.
In advertising, ensure the safety of the brand.
When advertisements end up on inappropriate websites due to a lack of transparency, this is known as brand safety. Ads.txt provides advertisers with a means of determining which businesses are authorized sellers of ad inventory on a particular domain name, which aids in resolving these issues. It also protects brands from accidentally associating themselves with objectionable content and helps ensure that advertisements are only displayed on reputable websites.
Boosts Advertising on Mobile Devices.
Advertisers are always looking for new ways to maximize their advertising budgets and reach their intended audiences. App ads.txt gives publishers and advertisers more safe and reliable ways to reach mobile audiences. The app-ads.txt file also gives publishers control over who can sell ads in their apps.
Advantages of Ads.txt
The technical skills and knowledge necessary to create an Ads.txt File are minimal. Ads.text files can be easily created and installed on websites by publishers.
It’s simple to make an Ads.txt file.
Ads.txt files are simple to create and upload to a website in just a few steps. All authorized sellers are included in the upload of this text file to the root domain.
Simple alterations to Ad.txt files
The Ads.txt file can be easily modified and updated by a publisher if they have access to the root domain. They only need to make a new file with the updated information and the.txt extension, and make sure the new file replaces the old one.
Access to the website is protected.
Ads.txt files can only be uploaded by publishers to their websites. Because of this private access, no cybercriminals can alter or corrupt the file unless they have the appropriate login credentials. Additionally, they are unable to deceive advertisers into buying fake ad inventory.
How is Ads.txt Operational?
Ads.txt is a file that publishers put on their websites to prove they own the domains. Additionally, they direct partner accounts, which may include ad networks or other publishers, to sell their advertising inventory. Consequently, advertisers have easy access to the authorized partners’ ad inventories.
When an advertiser receives a bid request from the publisher, they must match the publisher ID with the Ads.txt. The advertiser can rely on the publisher if the Ads.txt and the publisher ID match. Buyers can check the authenticity of ad tags if publishers and ad networks have adopted ads.txt. In contrast, the advertiser can choose not to bid on the publisher’s ads if the publisher ID is invalid.
How do I make and use Ads.txt?
Ads can be created by a publisher. TXT file using any text editor like Microsoft Word or Notepad. Ads.txt files must be formatted with commas between each line, according to the IAB Tech Lab. The following should be contained on each line of the Ads.txt file:
The domain name
The preferred or canonical domain that will sell the ad inventory must be included by publishers. It demonstrates to advertisers who owns the domain. When publishers sell ads on multiple domains, the canonical domain is crucial. For instance, for seller accounts on Google, a domain name must be google.com.
Account/Publisher ID.
The unique publisher ID that advertisers use to verify publishers is represented by this line. Through Google Adsense, publishers can also obtain their publisher IDs. The publisher ID, for instance, appears to be pub-000000000000.
Relationship type
It is possible for advertisers to determine whether a publisher is authorized to sell directly or through a third party. Whether the relationship is direct or reseller is indicated by this line. The DIRECT value indicates that a publisher has signed a direct contract with an advertising network. The publisher authorizing a third party to sell ad space through the domains indicated in the first line on its behalf is referred to as a RESELLER value.
ID of the Certification Authority
Verified advertising networks exist. Certification authority IDs must be added by publishers. The certification authority ID can be used by advertisers to locate an ad network within that authority. The TAGID serves as the ID, and the Trustworthy Accountability Group (TAG) serves as the certification authority. A TAG ID, for instance, might look something like this: f08c47fec0942fa0
How to Transfer Your Ads.txt File
The file can be uploaded to the website by the publisher after it has been assembled. Using FTP or a file manager, they can upload Ads.txt files to the root of the domain. Additionally, many web hosts deploy Ads.txt files with the help of file managers. The file should appear as website.com/ads.txt after being uploaded to the root of the domain.
How to Configure Ads.txt
Ads.txt files can be created by publishers using WordPress, Google AdSense, or Google Ad Manager. If they have mobile apps, they must follow a different procedure to upload the files.
WordPress.
The easiest way to configure Ads.txt in WordPress is with a variety of free plugins that manage Ads.txt files.
– On your WordPress website, install the ads.txt plugin.
To modify the settings, go to Settings > Ads.txt in the left panel.
-Install the settings and save the Ads.txt file.
A publisher can go to the Media tab in the menu if there is no need for a plugin. Upload the Ads.txt file by selecting the Add New Button.
AdSense from Google
To begin uploading the file, the publisher must first log in to their Google AdSense account. They can then proceed with the following actions:
– Select Sites and move down the arrow. The message will open and prompt you to make an ads.txt file.
– Select the Download link. The Ads.txt file is downloaded automatically.
-Add your ads.txt file to your website’s root directory.
Manager for Google Ads.
In order to use Google Ad Manager’s Ads.txt manager, a user must have access to the Ads.txt file and have at least one connected Ad Exchange account.
-From the Ads.txt management menu, select the Web ads.txt tab and select Create an ads.txt file.
-The user will be presented with a dialog window to verify the file and its lines.
-The Ads.txt file can be set up in one of two ways: Before pasting the text into your own ads.txt or downloading the file, copy it to the clipboard.
After that, the user is able to upload the file to the domain.
Mobile apps
The process of creating an Ads.txt file for a mobile app is comparable to that of a website. To educate customers about their apps and other content, the publisher must first create a developer website. To prove an app’s ownership, the website must then connect to a listing in an app store like Apple Store, Google Play Store, or App Store for Android.
The Ads.txt file can then be uploaded by the publisher to the root domain of the developer website. Check to see if the domain matches the app store. If your website does not support the publication of app-ads.txt, Google suggests using Firebase Hosting.