This article describes how to create and manage ads.txt and app-ads.txt files using Google Ad Manager. An ads.txt file specifies which sellers are authorized to sell ad inventory for a website, while an app-ads.txt file does the same for apps.
You can create ads.txt/app-ads.txt files for your network on Ad Manager. Ad Manager generates content for the file based on seller information for your network, provides validation of file syntax, and allows you to view which sellers are authorized to sell your inventory.
If you're creating an ads.txt file for a website, skip ahead to Step 1: Create your ads.txt/app-ads.txt file. Otherwise, if you're creating an app-ads.txt file, continue with the prerequisite of establishing a developer website.
Prerequisite for app-ads.txt file: establish a developer website
A developer website lets your users learn more about your apps and other content. It’s also how the app-ads.txt standard establishes who owns an app. Your developer website must be linked in your store listings in Google Play or the App Store for Ad Manager and other ad platforms to establish your app’s ownership.
You don’t need to list the full app-ads.txt URL in the app store listing.
If you add or update a developer website within a store listing, it will take some time before Ad Manager detects those changes:
| Store | Detection delay |
| Google Play | Allow up to 24 hours |
| Apple App Store | Allow up to 7 days |
To add your developer website in your app store listing:
Google Play store
Add the website URL in the contact information of your app listing:
- Sign in to your Play Console.
- Select an app.
- On the left menu, click Store presence, then Store settings.
- Scroll to Store listing contact details.
- Add your developer website URL.
Apple App Store
Add your developer website in the marketing URL field of your store listing.
Connected TV app stores
For some Connected TV (CTV) app stores, you might not be able to associate your app-ads.txt to an app through the developer portal of the app store because the app store might not be available in certain regions. For example, Samsung TV app stores currently only include US apps and do not include CTV apps in Europe. Ad Manager will work with buyers to make sure that they do not enforce app-ads.txt authorization status for CTV platforms that do not currently support this workflow.
Step 1: Create your ads.txt/app-ads.txt file in Ad Manager
app-ads.txt file will apply to both platforms. Please update your app-ads.txt file accordingly.-
Sign in to Google Ad Manager.
- Click Admin, then Ads.txt management.
To view this page, your Ad Manager network must have at least one linked Ad Exchange account and your user must be assigned to a role with the "Ads.txt management" permission enabled.
- Decide whether to create a file for web or apps.
- To create an ads.txt file for web: Click the Web ads.txt tab, and then click Create an ads.txt file.
- To create an app-ads.txt file for apps: Click the Web ads.txt tab, click Create an ads.txt file, and then rename the file from
ads.txttoapp-ads.txt.
- In the dialog window, review the automatically generated text that Google provides.
Each row represents a separate seller account that can be authorized to sell your inventory. To omit a seller and remove its authorization, delete the row containing its information from the dialog window.
Learn how to validateads.txt/app-ads.txtsyntax.Ourads.txt/app-ads.txtgenerator can only supply information for Google seller accounts. If you work with other SSPs/exchanges, you're responsible for adding information from seller accounts on those exchanges to ensure that queries on those domains are authorized.By default, automatically generated rows may include a value of '
DIRECT' in field #3, indicating that there's a direct relationship with the seller account. If you don't own and operate the domain, update this value to 'RESELLER'.
Step 2: Publish your ads.txt/app-ads.txt file on your website
- Click one of the following buttons:
- Copy text to clipboard to copy the text and paste it into your own
ads.txt/app-ads.txtfile. - Download ads.txt file to download it as a new text (
.txt) file.
- Copy text to clipboard to copy the text and paste it into your own
- Send the file to your webmaster and have them upload it to your root domain (for example,
https://example.com/ads.txtorhttps://example.com/app-ads.txt).
Step 3: Check that your ads.txt/app-ads.txt file is verified
- After 24 hours, ensure the
ads.txt/app-ads.txtfile can be crawled. - Check back regularly to review the authorization status of your domains.
You are responsible for ensuring your ads.txt/app-ads.txt file is correct and up to date. We provide syntax validation, but can't prevent you from uploading a file that is incorrectly formatted or contains unlinked accounts.
The app-ads.txt files are publicly available and crawlable by exchanges, supply-side platforms (SSP), and other buyers and third-party vendors.
