What are ads.txt and app-ads.txt?
Ads.txt and app-ads.txt (Authorized Digital Sellers) are projects developed by the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) to promote transparency within the mobile advertising ecosystem.
The projects allow the publishers to declare who is authorized to sell their inventory in the both web and in-app environments. It also allows buyers to confidently purchase through approved seller accounts.
App-ads.txt by IAB is officially released since March 2019!
The latest app-ads.txt specification document – app-ads.txt Version 1.1
Learn more about app-ads.txt:
How to add Verve Europe to app-ads.txt?
The process of implementing Verve Europe to app-ads.txt is extremely simple and straightforward:
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Create a .txt file that should be named app-ads.txt, or open an existing one if you already created it before.
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Add an entry for Verve Europe which would be similar to the following information:
#Verve Europe
pubnative.net, 1234567, DIRECT, d641df8625486a7b
| IAB Field Name | Description | Example | Required? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Domain Name of the Advertising System | The domain name of the system to which bidders connect | pubnative.net | Yes |
| Seller Account ID | Verve Europe's Publisher Account ID (Please ask your Verve Europe's AM for the ID in case you don't know it) | 1234567 | Yes |
| The type of account/relationship | DIRECT and RESELLER: Depending on whether the publisher directly controls the account in PN system, or they resell their ad space via another entity. | DIRECT | Yes |
| Certification Authority ID | An ID that uniquely identifies the advertising system within a certification authority (this ID maps to the entity listed in field #1). The current certification authority is the Trustworthy Accountability Group (aka TAG), and the TAGID would be included here | d641df8625486a7b | Optional (But highly recommended!) |
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Add other network entries; you should add to the list all the ad networks that are authorized to sell or resell your inventory, including all the info from the previous step.
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Provide the developer website URL in the app store of your application; it is mandatory to include the website URL in all the app stores that your application is available in.
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Post the app-ads.txt file to the root directory of your domain's server for the appropriate website; for example developers-website.com/app-ads.txt
In case HTTP is used, request header must contain "Content-Type: text/plain". -
Update the app-ads.txt file every time there is a new seller or reseller added or removed from buying publisher's inventory.
Where should the publishers post their app-ads.txt?
As per IAB specification, publishers should post their app-ads.txt file on their root domain and any subdomains as needed. That domain should also be posted as Developer Website on the Google Play Store / the App Store.
For example:
- publisher's website is publisher.com
- publisher should post that website under Developer Website in all app stores
- crawlers will look for Developer Website information from app stores in order to locate the app-ads.txt
- the location of the app-ads.txt should be under publisher.com/app-ads.txt , otherwise the crawlers might not locate it properly
Why implement app-ads.txt?
- In case there is no file present, the assumption is that everyone is authorized to resell publisher's inventory.
- By not implementing the file, media owners could become more susceptible to domain spoofing and unauthorized transactions. A lot of inventory is being sold fraudulently; by sellers falsely presenting it as inventory that it really isn't.
- By using the file, buyers can confirm the authenticity of the inventory and be confident that they are buying genuine inventory.
- It's future-proof: ads.txt is included as a standard field in OpenRTB 3.0