Ads.txt stands for Authorized Digital Sellers, and it’s an initiative by the IAB (Interactive Advertising Bureau) to make programmatic advertising more transparent, fraud-free, and brand-safe.
With ads.txt, publishers (websites or apps) publicly list who is authorized to sell their ad inventory. This helps buyers — like you — avoid fake or misrepresented traffic.
How It Works
Each publisher adds an ads.txt file (for websites) or app-ads.txt file (for apps) to their domain or app store profile.
This file is publicly available and can be read by ad buyers and platforms to verify if a seller is legit.
For example, if you’re buying ad space on a sports app, app-ads.txt helps confirm that the seller actually has permission to sell ad space in that app — not a spoofed or fake version.
Is Ads.txt a Brand Safety Tool?
Yes — ads.txt is a strong layer of brand safety. It helps answer an important question:
“Am I buying from the real publisher, and not a fraudster pretending to be them?”
You can check this easily inside Targetoo’s platform by generating a report filtered by ads.txt status.
What the Ads.txt Report Shows
When you generate an ads.txt report, you might see the following traffic categories:
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Unknown: The ads.txt file couldn’t be read.
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Mismatch: The publisher’s ads.txt exists, but the publisher ID doesn’t match — red flag! 🚫
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All: You’re buying through indirect resellers.
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Direct: A direct relationship exists, but not verified.
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Verified: Best of all — a direct, verified relationship between publisher and seller.
How to Target Only Ads.txt Inventory in Targetoo
If you want full transparency and safety, you can choose to only target inventory that uses ads.txt or app-ads.txt in your campaign settings.
How to Do It:
- In the Publishers section of your campaign, switch on “Only inventory with Ads.txt”.
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You’ll see a dropdown where you can choose from:
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Direct: Authorized sellers, not verified
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Resellers: Indirect, authorized sellers
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Verified: Direct AND verified sellers (most trustworthy)
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Select All
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Note on Reach
Not all supply partners support app-ads.txt, especially on mobile apps.
So choosing only verified or direct sources may reduce the scale of your campaign.
Use the Campaign Monitor to check how this setting affects delivery.
Final Thought
Ads.txt is your ally in the fight against ad fraud and low-quality inventory.
Use it to gain confidence in where your ads appear and ensure your brand is always seen in the right places.