If you run a WordPress website with ad placements, you may have come across the term “ads.txt.” But what exactly is it, and why should you care? Ads.txt is a simple but essential tool for improving ad transparency and fighting fraud in the online advertising ecosystem. Let’s break down what an ads.txt file is, why you need one, and how you can create and manage it within WordPress.
What is Ads.txt?
Ads.txt stands for Authorized Digital Sellers and was introduced by the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) to prevent unauthorized inventory sales. It is essentially a text file that you place on your website, listing the companies authorized to sell your ad space. This ensures that only authorized parties are selling your ads, reducing the risk of ad fraud, which occurs when unauthorized actors sell ad placements without the website owner’s knowledge.
If you monetize your website through ads (Google AdSense, Media.net, etc.), having an ads.txt file is highly recommended, and some ad platforms will require it. This simple file can help boost your ad revenue by ensuring advertisers that their ad placements are legitimate.
Why Should You Use Ads.txt?
Here are the key reasons why you should use an ads.txt file on your WordPress site:
- Prevent Ad Fraud: Ads.txt helps combat fraudulent actors who try to sell your ad inventory without authorization.
- Increase Trust with Advertisers: By listing only authorized sellers, you provide more confidence to advertisers, leading to better ad revenue.
- Comply with Ad Networks: Many ad networks, such as Google AdSense, now require websites to have an ads.txt file to ensure transparency and fair practices.
- Better Ad Performance: Reducing fraud helps ensure that the ads appearing on your site are genuine and more relevant, potentially improving click-through rates.
How to Create an Ads.txt File in WordPress
Now that you know the importance of ads.txt, let’s walk through how to create and add this file to your WordPress site.
Step 1: Create the Ads.txt File
Creating an ads.txt file is straightforward. It’s just a text file that lists authorized ad sellers.
- Open a Text Editor: Use any basic text editor on your computer (such as Notepad for Windows or TextEdit for Mac).
- Format Your Ads.txt File: Inside the file, each line will contain the details of an authorized seller. The format for each line is:phpCopy code
<domain>, <publisher ID>, <relationship type>, <certification authority>For example, if you’re using Google AdSense, your ads.txt file might look like this:rustCopy codegoogle.com, pub-0000000000000000, DIRECT, f08c47fec0942fa0Replace “pub-0000000000000000” with your own AdSense publisher ID.
Step 2: Upload Ads.txt to WordPress
Once your ads.txt file is ready, it’s time to add it to your WordPress site.
- Using an FTP Client:
- Connect to your website using an FTP client (e.g., FileZilla).
- Navigate to your root directory (usually labeled “public_html” or similar).
- Upload your ads.txt file directly into the root folder.
- Using a Plugin:
If you’re not comfortable with FTP, you can use a plugin to manage your ads.txt file:- Install the “Ads.txt Manager” plugin from the WordPress plugin repository.
- Once installed, go to Settings > Ads.txt from your WordPress dashboard.
- Enter your ads.txt information in the provided text box and click Save Changes. The plugin will automatically create the ads.txt file and place it in the right directory.
Step 3: Verify Your Ads.txt File
After uploading or creating the ads.txt file, you can verify it to ensure everything is working correctly.
- Open your browser and go to
http://yourdomain.com/ads.txt. - If your file was uploaded correctly, you should see the contents of the ads.txt file displayed on your screen.
This step confirms that advertisers and ad networks can now find your ads.txt file.
How to Manage and Update Ads.txt in WordPress
Ad networks often update their requirements or change how they manage authorized sellers, which means you’ll occasionally need to update your ads.txt file. Here’s how you can manage it:
- Manually via FTP:
Whenever there’s a change, simply edit the ads.txt file on your computer, then use an FTP client to replace the existing file with the updated version. - Through the Plugin:
If you’re using the Ads.txt Manager plugin, just go to Settings > Ads.txt in your WordPress dashboard. Edit the file contents as necessary, and click Save Changes. The plugin will update the file on your site. - Regular Checks:
It’s good practice to periodically check your ads.txt file to ensure it’s up to date with the latest information from your ad networks.