How App-ads.txt Helps Block Unauthorized Ad Serving

If you’re an app publisher, you may have heard about App-ads.txt, a tool designed to help improve transparency and prevent ad fraud in mobile advertising. But how exactly does it work, and why should you implement it for your app? This article will explain what App-ads.txt is, why it’s important, and how you can set it up to protect your revenue and your brand.

What Is App-ads.txt?

App-ads.txt is a text file that app publishers create and upload to their website domain, similar to the ads.txt file used for websites. This file lists the authorized sellers of an app’s ad inventory, helping advertisers verify that they are buying legitimate ad space. Think of it like a digital “dealer list” that ensures the ads you’re selling are coming from trusted sources, reducing the risk of fraud.

The main goal of App-ads.txt is to block unauthorized ad serving. It was introduced by the IAB Tech Lab to address common issues in the mobile advertising world, such as domain spoofing and ad fraud, which harm both app publishers and advertisers. By using App-ads.txt, you can improve transparency, prevent fraudulent activities, and increase trust between you (the publisher) and advertisers.

Why Was App-ads.txt Created?

App-ads.txt is an extension of the ads.txt standard, which was introduced for websites to combat ad fraud and ensure ad inventory is legitimate. In 2018, 73% of the top 500 programmatic web domains had adopted ads.txt, and publishers who didn’t use it were reported to be losing out on potential revenue. The hope was that App-ads.txt would have the same positive impact on mobile apps, ensuring that ad inventory on apps is legitimate and reducing fraudulent activity.

Why Is App-ads.txt Important?

Here are some key reasons why you should care about App-ads.txt:

1. Prevents Ad Fraud
   By listing authorized ad networks and exchanges, App-ads.txt helps stop unauthorized parties from selling fake ad inventory. This protects you from fraud and ensures advertisers are buying from legitimate sources.
2. Increases Transparency
   App-ads.txt creates a public record of all the approved sellers for your app’s ad space, making it easier for advertisers to know they are working with legitimate publishers.
3. Protects Brand Reputation
   Fraudulent apps often run harmful ads that can damage a brand’s reputation. App-ads.txt ensures that ads are only shown on trusted apps, safeguarding your brand from being associated with suspicious apps.
4. Improves Ad Revenue
   When advertisers are confident they are buying legitimate inventory, they’re more likely to spend more on your ads. This can lead to higher ad revenue for publishers who adopt App-ads.txt.

How to Implement App-ads.txt

Setting up App-ads.txt is relatively simple, but it’s important to do it correctly to avoid any issues with ad serving. Here’s how you can implement it:

Step 1: Provide a Developer Website URL

In your app store listings (on the Google Play Store or App Store), make sure to include a link to your developer website. This will be the place where the App-ads.txt file will be hosted.

Step 2: Create the App-ads.txt File

Create a text file called app-ads.txt and upload it to the root directory of your developer website. For example, if your website is example.com, the file should be accessible at example.com/app-ads.txt.

Step 3: List Your Authorized Sellers

In the app-ads.txt file, list all of the ad networks and exchanges you’re working with. You’ll need to include the following information for each authorized seller:

• The domain of the ad network (e.g., google.com).
• Your unique publisher ID for that network (e.g., pub-0000000000000000).
• Whether you have a direct or reseller relationship with the ad network. For most publishers, this will be DIRECT if you are working directly with the network.

Here’s an example of what one line in your app-ads.txt file might look like:

google.com, pub-0000000000000000, DIRECT

This line means that Google is an authorized ad network for your app, and you have a direct relationship with them.

Step 4: Upload the File

Once your file is ready, upload it to your developer website. The app-ads.txt file should be accessible at the URL you provided in Step 1 (e.g., example.com/app-ads.txt).

Ongoing Challenges

While App-ads.txt can significantly help reduce ad fraud, it’s not without challenges. Some publishers struggle with maintaining accurate app-ads.txt files, which can cause errors that disrupt ad serving. Incomplete or outdated files can result in ad networks being unable to verify the legitimacy of your ad inventory.

Some publishers also haven’t yet adopted this standard, which means they’re missing out on the fraud protection and revenue benefits that App-ads.txt provides. It’s important to regularly update your app-ads.txt file and ensure it contains accurate, up-to-date information about your authorized ad sellers.

Conclusion

App-ads.txt is a simple but powerful tool to help app publishers protect their ad inventory and ensure they’re working with legitimate ad networks. By creating and uploading an App-ads.txt file to your developer website, you can block unauthorized ad serving, prevent fraud, and improve transparency in the mobile ad ecosystem.

The process is straightforward, and the benefits are clear: increased trust from advertisers, better protection from fraud, and the potential for higher revenue. If you haven’t already implemented App-ads.txt, it’s time to do so and start reaping the rewards of a cleaner, more transparent mobile ad environment.

By staying proactive and ensuring that your App-ads.txt file is always up to date, you’ll be better positioned to protect your brand and increase your ad revenue.