What is App-Ads.txt ?
Ads.txt, or Authorized Digital Sellers, is an initiative by the IAB Technology Laboratory (Interactive Advertising Bureau) designed to increase transparency and prevent online ad fraud in programmatic advertising.
The app-ads.txt file can be used by app publishers to show which ad networks and sources have been authorized to sell their inventory. App publishers can do this by adding the app-ads.txt file to their website, and linking their app store listing to their website. DSPs can check the app-ads.txt listings on app publishers’ sites, and only support bids from authorized sources specified in the app-ads.txt file.
How to Implement App-Ads.Txt: Step by Step
1. Link your app store listing to your website
Include the URL of your developer website in your app store listing. Advertising networks will use the address to verify the app-ads.txt file.
2. Contact all relevant ad sources
Request the app-ads.txt lines from your advertising networks. According to the IAB, the structure follows this outline:
Ad source domain:
For Start.io, this value is start.io
Publisher ID:
This is Start.io (formerly StartApp)'s unique ID for each developer website of a publisher. It can be found in the app-ads.txt interface in the portal.
Type of account/relationship:
The app-ads.txt file should only include providers who work directly with you, or third-party resellers who have a relationship with your direct partner. If the partner is direct, it needs to be listed as DIRECT. For third party resellers, it should be listed as RESELLER.
Certification authority ID:
This is the ad source TAG ID. For Start.io, leave this empty.
3. Create the App-Ads.txt file
- If your app is published on Google Play, please read here how to create an App-ads.txt file.
- If your app is out-of-store, there are free tools for App-ads.txt hosting that will help you create an App-ads.txt file.
- After creating your App-ads.txt file, go to App-ads.txt interface in the portal via two optional locations:
Analytics Dashboard:
App-ads.txt tab on the left menu:
App-ads.txt list will be shown:
- You can either copy the list or download the txt file.
4. Publish and upload your app-ads.txt file
Create an app-ads.txt file using any text editor you choose (for example, Notepad) and include all the lines you received from your ad providers. Upload it to your domain website (example: www.example.com/app-ads.txt).