Ads.txt/App-Ads.txt Version 1.1 To Support Owner and Manager Domains is Ready to Implement
The update includes two new values for publishers to declare within their ads.txt files, “OWNERDOMAIN” and “MANAGERDOMAIN” which helps increase the transparency into seller relationships via sellers.json and further strengthens ads.txt as a tool to reduce fraud in buying and selling of advertisements on websites, mobile apps and connected TV. Read the press release here.
| Version | Release Date |
Ads.txt 1.1 Adds OWNERDOMAIN and MANAGERDOMAIN variables | August 2022 |
Ads.txt 1.0.3 Adds INVENTORYDOMAIN variable | March 2021 |
Ads.txt 1.0.2 Adds differentiation between ads.txt and app-ads.txt as well as guidance for PLACEHOLDER record | March 2019 |
Ads.txt 1.0.1 Adds SUBDOMAIN and CONTACT variables | August 2017 |
Ads.txt 1.0 | June 2017 |
IAB Tech Lab released app-ads.txt version 1.0 as the next step to fight inventory fraud for apps. The app-ads.txt specification is an extension of the original ads.txt standard to meet the requirements for applications distributed through mobile app stores, connected television app stores, or other application distribution channels. The app-ads.txt final version 1.0 is now available for industry adoption.
IAB Tech Lab offers “ads.txt aggregator” – a critical tool to support its ads.txt anti-fraud initiative. This service provides regular updates on publishers’ approved ad sellers, making it easier for marketers, agencies, and platforms to eliminate fraudulent inventory sources, and fight against domain misrepresentation. This tool provides subscribers with access to structured aggregate data files.
View an open source crawler for ads.txt. This prototype example crawler is given a list of URLs or domains etc and saves them to a SQLite DB table. Please note, this is only an example prototype crawler and would be suitable for a very modest production usage – read more on the github repository.
Additionally, a reference implementation of app store HTML parsing and app-ads.txt developer URL canonicalization libraries can be found here:
As part of a broader effort to eliminate the ability to profit from counterfeit inventory in the open digital advertising ecosystem, ads.txt provides a mechanism to enable content owners to declare who is authorized to sell their inventory.
Previous Version: ads.txt spec version 1.0.2 | ads.txt Spec Version 1.0 | Blogpost
The mission of the ads.txt project is simple: Increase transparency in the programmatic advertising ecosystem. 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 inventory.
By creating a public record of Authorized Digital Sellers, ads.txt will create greater transparency in the inventory supply chain, and give publishers control over their inventory in the market, making it harder for bad actors to profit from selling counterfeit inventory across the ecosystem. As publishers adopt ads.txt, buyers will be able to more easily identify the Authorized Digital Sellers for a participating publisher, allowing brands to have confidence they are buying authentic publisher inventory.
Read more:
The IAB Tech Lab OpenRTB Working Group has developed the ads.txt spec. Questions can be sent to support@iabtechlab.com
For more information:
Were you looking for information on sellers.json? Click here to learn more about sellers.json and the OpenRTB SupplyChain Object