app-ads.txt support

Implement the app-ads.txt file on your developer website to declare authorized ad sellers, enhance transparency, and prevent revenue loss from unauthorized inventory.

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Last updated 6 hours ago

The app-ads.txt file is an Interactive Advertising Bureau IAB standard for mobile apps designed to prevent ad fraud by verifying the legitimacy of sellers authorized to monetize a publisher's inventory. It protects advertisers from buying invalid traffic and gives greater assurance that their purchases are legitimate impressions from authorized sellers. The

app-ads.txt

file improves publishers’ ad revenue potential since many advertisers prioritize inventory with verified

app-ads.txt

files. It also helps avoid revenue loss by blocking unauthorized or misrepresented domains. The

app-ads.txt

file provides the same functionality as ads.txt, except that developers must host the

app-ads.txt

file in the root of the developer website. Brand advertisers and demand-side platforms (DSPs) scrape this file and cross-reference it when they buy ad inventory programmatically by using exchanges, supply-side platforms (SSPs), and ad networks. Implement

app-ads.txt

support to combat fraud and create more transparency for mobile advertising. In return, app developers connect with more premium advertisers and higher revenue. Here are additional reasons to implement app-ads.txt support in your mobile app:

DSPs use this file to understand the supply chain of inventory they buy.
Some DSPs and brand advertisers only buy from authorized inventories from developers who correctly implement this file.
Developers who properly declare their authorized sellers help advertisers reduce the risk of counterfeit inventory, which directs more advertising dollars to quality developers over time.

Important

Unity Ads requires you to implement

app-ads.txt

to display banner ads. If you don’t implement

app-ads.txt

, banner demand is significantly decreased.

For more information, read the IAB Tech Lab spec and Unity's blog on elevating inventory quality.

Set up app-ads.txt file

To set up an

app-ads.txt

file from the Unity Ads Monetization dashboard for the first time, follow these steps:

Select Setup > Organization Settings from the secondary navigation menu.
Locate the Developer Website field in the Organization info and select the edit icon.
Enter the root URL of the website where your game is listed . Ensure it matches the domain in your app store listing, for example: https://www.unity3d.com.

Note

This field must contain only the root domain without any paths. You can find this domain on your Developer page in Google Play or in the Apple store Settings.

Go to the App-ads.txt section. The App-Ads URL field automatically displays a list of authorized digital sellers in the correct file format. If it doesn't, refer to this website root directory guide for more information.
Select Show full list to view all the values for your
```
app-ads.txt
```
file, then copy this list.
Use a text editor to create an
```
app-ads.txt
```
and paste the list from the Monetization dashboard into the file.
Copy the
```
app-ads.txt
```
file into the root of the developer website so that it’s findable in the location listed in the app-ads URL field.

If the

app-ads.text

file is configured correctly, a message will display to inform you that no action is needed at this time.

Important

If the app-ads.text file is configured correctly, a message will display to inform you that no action is needed at this time.

Maintain your app-ads.txt file

It's important to visit the

app-ads.txt

setting regularly to confirm if anything has changed, or to respond to error messages or notifications that you receive. The following are some issues that can happen, and how to fix them.

Missing or incorrect website

Unity can't find your

app-ads.txt

file at the given App-Ads URL. Solution: Review your Developer Website field in the Organization Info section to make sure it is accurate. Ensure that the correct root is listed as well.

Missing some app-ads.txt entries

You're missing some app-ads.txt entries. Solution: Navigate to the App-ads.txt section in your Organization settings to refresh the list, then copy andpaste the entire updated list into your file.

Publisher transparency with OwnerDomain

As part of the

ads.txt

framework, you must include the

OwnerDomain

field in your

app-ads.txt

file.

Purpose of the OwnerDomain field

The IAB's

OwnerDomain

framework enhances publisher transparency and accountability in the digital advertising ecosystem. It plays a key role in clarifying the use of first-party and third-party data in programmatic advertising. The

OwnerDomain

field identifies the business domain of the publisher that owns the media property, establishing a direct link between the ads.txt and

sellers.json

files.

sellers.json

files.

Implement OwnerDomain in your ads.txt file

To support

OwnerDomain

, ensure your

app-ads.txt

ads.txt

files include the following required variable:

Type	Variable	Description
`OwnerDomain`	ownerdomain=yourdomain.com	For publishers, an `OwnerDomain` entry must be added to `ads.txt` to specify the business domain of the site owner. The domain must align with the seller’s domain in `sellers.json` files and resolve in a browser without redirects. If no business domain exists, the site’s domain can be used.

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