Ads.txt validation results for the top 5k sites by traffic
Using Quantcast’s data, we analyzed the ads.txt validation results (via Ads.txt Pro) for the top 5k sites by traffic. We’ll spare you marketing fluff, here’s what we found 😉 →
Note: 8.3% of the top 5k sites are listed as “hidden profile” in Quantcast’s list. We removed these from our analysis since we can’t do much with them, bringing the total down to 4,587 sites.
File not found or failed to load: 56.8% 🤔
This is to be expected, as many top sites don’t need an ads.txt file (banks, some e-commerce sites, etc.)
File has errors (i.e. the file is invalid): 3.7% 😭
This has decreased since we first started testing last year, most likely due to the use of validation tools and the increased importance of staying compliant.
Considering only the sites with an ads.txt file, this increases to 8.7%
File has the wrong content type: 10.3% ☹️
These files weren’t properly declared as plain text, which could be considered invalid since the IAB spec clearly states:
The HTTP Content-type should be ‘text/plain’, and all other Content-types should be treated as an error and the content ignored.
If that’s the case, the total invalid files would increase to 14%. Considering only sites that have an ads.txt file, this would become 32.6%.
Considering only the sites with an ads.txt file, this increases to 23.9%
File has warnings (and no errors): 12.2% 😕
Warnings tend to focus on things we spot that aren’t listed in the IAB wiki normalization mappings, or the domains listed aren’t canonical according to those same mappings. They could be issues, but warrant further investigation first.
Considering only the sites with an ads.txt file, this increases to 28.3%
File is valid: 16.9% 🎉
Of the top 4.5k+ sites we analyzed, just 776 had valid ads.txt files.
Considering only the sites with an ads.txt file, this increases to 39%
So there you have it: ~61% of the top 4.5k sites that have an ads.txt file (1,982) have either an error, a warning, or an invalid content type 😳
So what can publishers and their ad partners do to ensure their files are valid?
For publishers: (check out our best practices blog for more)
- Designate an ads.txt owner
- Build a cross-departmental team
- Test your files early and often
- Document any changes
For ad partners:
- Designate an ads.txt owner
- Create documentation for how publishers should format your record in their files
- Monitor the ads.txt files of your customers (pubs) for issues
