ads.txt stands for "Authorized Digital Sellers," and is a simple, flexible, and secure method that publishers and distributors can use to publicly declare the companies they authorize to sell their digital ad inventory. An initiative created by IAB Technology Laboratory, the mission of the ads.txt project is straightforward: increase transparency in the programmatic advertising ecosystem. You can find more information on ads.txt here.
As the advertising industry continues to champion greater transparency and safety for publishers, IAB has officially released ads.txt Version 1.1.
There are two additional variables that have been introduced in this update:
- OWNERDOMAIN (Recommended): This variable specifies the business that owns the domain. In case a domain is owned by a publishing group, publishers need to specify that parent company's domain. It’s recommended that this value is included in every ads.txt file, even if the OWNERDOMAIN does not differ from the domain on which the ads.txt file is hosted.
Example: OWNERDOMAIN=mediacompany.co - MANAGERDOMAIN (Optional): This variable is used to specify the primary or exclusive monetization partner. The MANAGERDOMAIN should be the most direct path to purchase a publisher’s inventory. If a publisher has multiple monetization partners per country, they can use the country extension.
Example: MANAGERDOMAIN=adprovider.com, USA
To ensure that your ad inventory is only sold through authorized sellers, we kindly ask you to update the ads.txt file with the aforementioned variables. Using RebelMouse’s Ad Manager dashboard, you can add content from any .txt file digital sellers have sent to you.
Here’s how to update your ads.txt file with the new variables:
First, click the hamburger menu (☰) in the top-left corner of your Posts dashboard. Next, scroll down to Ad Manager and click on it. Alternatively, you can type the following into your browser’s address bar:
{Your Site’s Domain}/core/dashboard/a_manager
Then, click on the ads.txt tab. Add the new variables as new lines in the text box labeled Ad ads.txt code. It should look like this:
OWNERDOMAIN=mediacompany.com MANAGERDOMAIN=adprovider.com
Finally, click the Save button.
Once completed, you can see the new variables by adding /ads.txt after your domain in your browser’s address bar. Here’s an example:
{Your Site’s Domain}/ads.txt
Ads as a Service: Take Advantage of RebelMouse’s Modern Monetization Methods
Securing recurring revenue in the current climate of the open web isn’t easy. Between content creation, SEO strategy, and performance optimization, little time is left for optimizing the right revenue streams.
That’s why RebelMouse offers ads as a service. This means our traffic and revenue experts can take over your ad management through a revenue-sharing arrangement. We can work alongside your existing AdOps team to optimize your current ad setup and agree on new KPIs.
We can control both programmatic and direct-sold ads, completely eliminating the need for an external ads provider. Not only can we set up the campaigns for you, but we’re also able to test them in real environments to eliminate any stress or surprises along the way. Plus, you won’t ever be left in the dark — we'll also monitor the results of your campaigns every day and provide transparency through a real-time performance dashboard for you to reference at any time.
Rake in Results With RebelMouse
Taking advantage of our ad services can deliver quick increases in ROI. Here are a few insights from one of our new media clients after we took over and optimized their ad placements and overall setup.
Check out how much better ads performed after just 30 days.
Ad revenue increased by 28 times after optimizing the existing ad placements and introducing new ad units.
CPM increased by three times after optimizing the demand sources and implementing header bidding.
Viewability increased by over 40%.
CTR increased by over 25%.
If you’re interested in letting RebelMouse take the stress and hassle of revenue management off of your hands, email support@rebelmouse.com or your account manager today.
Not on RebelMouse yet? Request a proposal and let’s start working together.
