All of our content is generated by subject matter experts with years of ad tech experience and structured by writers and educators for ease of use and digestibility. Learn more about our rigorous interview, content production and review process here.

Implementing ads.txt on your website or app can feel rather complicated if you’re a publisher with little to no coding or development experience. But as it has for most things in ad tech, Google has created a method that makes the process a little easier.

Google allows publishers to generate ads.txt AdSense code directly in their AdSense dashboards. This handy feature lets you skip the first couple of parts of the ads.txt file creation process — the ones that have you creating a blank text document and manually adding the bits of code to authorize AdSense to sell your ad inventory.

If you’re working with Google AdSense, you already have access to this feature. Here’s how it’s done.

If the ads.txt Google AdSense code is an easier form of the ads.txt process, that makes Playwire the absolute easiest. Why? Because we handle every part of ads.txt for you, as well as dozens of other revenue-amplification strategies. Contact us to learn more.

-- Article Continues Below --

Ads.txt Pillar

Read the Complete Ads.txt Guide

How to Create an Ads.txt File in Google AdSense

From the early days of ads.txt, Google has bought in big. Adding transparency to programmatic advertising and preventing ad fraud are attractive prospects for the advertising giant that Google has become. To that end, if you’re among the more than 2 million publishers who use AdSense, Google has made it very easy to generate a personalized ads.txt AdSense code.

 

 

Step-by-step process for creating an ads.txt file in Google AdSense:

  1. Sign in. Sign in to your AdSense account. If you haven’t been using ads.txt, you might have triggered an error in your account that will prompt you to create an ads.txt file. Look for an alert on your homepage and, if you see one, click “Fix now.” That will take you to step two. If you don’t see an alert, find the Sites tab and click the arrow pointing down.
  2. Create the file. You should see an option that reads, "Create an ads.txt file for [your site]."
  3. Download it. Click the Download button, and your ads.txt AdSense code should download to your device.
  4. Upload it. After verifying that the file is complete and error-free, upload it to your site at the root directory level, meaning it should be in a folder directly under your top-level domain. The URL should look like this: https://yourwebsite.com/ads.txt/. 

Troubleshooting: Missing Publisher ID

Sometimes, when you download your Google AdSense ads.txt file, you’ll notice that the publisher ID is missing from the line that authorizes Google AdSense to sell your ad inventory. This is an essential element of the ad code — without it, you may encounter errors that prevent AdSense from selling your inventory, meaning your ad revenue drops significantly or stops altogether.

Fortunately, there’s an easy fix. To get your publisher ID in AdSense, navigate to Sites from your dashboard. Click the down arrow next to the message that says "Add your publisher ID to these ads.txt files." There, click Copy. 

Go to your ads.txt file and paste your publisher ID immediately after the comma following “google.com.” Add a comma after your newly pasted publisher ID.

-- Article Continues Below --

Google AdSense Pillar

The Complete Guide to Google AdSense

Ads.txt with Google AdSense: Limitations

Google has made downloading and implementing your ads.txt AdSense code relatively straightforward, but you should know that this feature has some limitations. The most important one to note is that the ready-for-download ads.txt file in AdSense only authorizes one seller: AdSense.

That means that, if you’re working with any other supply-side platforms (SSPs) or ad networks, you will have to add them to the ads.txt file to authorize them. In other words, AdSense provides a done-for-you ads.txt file up to a point, but to get access to demand outside of Google’s sphere, you’ll still have to add the other sellers to your ads.txt file.

Do You Have to Use Ads.txt for Google AdSense?

Ads.txt is by no means required when you use Google AdSense. However, the platform says it “strongly” recommends using ads.txt. The reason for that strong recommendation follows the basic logic behind ads.txt: all publishers and advertisers have a vested interest in reducing ad fraud, and ads.txt helps with that.

Although you don’t have to use ads.txt with AdSense, here’s something else to keep in mind: lacking an ads.txt file will sometimes trigger an error in AdSense, and you resolve it by creating and uploading your ads.txt AdSense code. So, you may not have a choice if you want to continue using Google AdSense.

Understanding the Importance of Ads.txt for Website Owners

When it comes to programmatic advertising, transparency is everything. That's why the ads.txt initiative (which stands for Authorized Digital Sellers) has become so crucial for website owners looking to protect their digital ad inventory. At its core, ads.txt helps prevent ad fraud by clearly listing which companies are authorized to sell ads on your site.

Many publishers work with multiple ad networks beyond just Google AdSense. Without proper implementation of an ads.txt file, you risk having unauthorized sellers access your ad space, potentially leading to counterfeit inventory issues. This not only hurts your revenue but also damages advertiser confidence in the advertising system as a whole.

The beauty of the ads.txt standard is its simplicity. It's just a basic txt file that sits in your root domain, containing data records of all authorized sellers for your site. Yet this simple solution has had a tremendous impact on the programmatic advertising ecosystem since its introduction. Buyers can now verify that the ad inventory they're bidding on comes from legitimate sellers, reducing fraud dramatically.

For website owners using Google AdSense, maintaining an up-to-date ads.txt file is particularly important. Your unique publisher ID needs to be correctly formatted within this file to ensure all ad requests flow properly through the system. Even a small error in your ads.txt configuration can lead to significant revenue loss if AdSense can't properly identify your site as part of their network.

Advanced Ads.txt Management for Multiple Ad Networks

While Google AdSense makes it easy to generate a basic ads.txt file, many publishers find themselves working with multiple ad networks to maximize their ad revenue. In these cases, you'll need to add additional entries to your ads.txt file for each company authorized to sell your ad inventory.

Each entry in your ads.txt file follows a similar format: the domain of the advertising system, your account ID or publisher ID with that system, the type of relationship, and an optional certification authority ID. For Google AdSense, this typically looks like: google.com, pub-0000000000000000, DIRECT, f08c47fec0942fa0 where the long number after "pub-" is your unique publisher ID.

When adding entries for other ad networks, you'll need similar information from each network. Many authorized digital sellers will provide you with the exact line that needs to be added to your ads.txt file. It's critical that these entries are formatted correctly – even a small syntax error can prevent proper implementation.

One common mistake publishers make is overwriting their existing ads.txt file when updating it to add new sellers. Instead, always download your current file first, make your additions, and then upload the updated version to your root directory. This ensures you don't accidentally remove authorized sellers during updates.

Remember that the ads.txt file must be accessible at https://yourdomain.com/ads.txt – placing it in any subdirectory will render it ineffective. The top level domain accessibility is essential for the ads.txt system to function as intended, as this is where buyers will look to verify authorized sellers before placing bids on your ad inventory.

If you work with resellers who don't have direct relationships with advertisers but are still authorized to sell your inventory, you'll need to use the RESELLER designation instead of DIRECT in your ads.txt entries. This transparency helps maintain the integrity of the digital advertising supply chain and ensures only authorized sellers can access your valuable ad space.

Beyond AdSense: Managing Ads.txt for Your Complete Ad Stack

While Google AdSense provides a straightforward way to generate your initial ads.txt file, most serious publishers work with multiple ad networks to maximize their ad revenue. Managing your ads.txt file becomes more complex as your monetization strategy evolves beyond a single partner.

Each advertising system you work with will need its own entry in your ads.txt file to be recognized as one of your authorized digital sellers. This creates a comprehensive record that helps prevent ad fraud by clearly identifying which companies can legitimately sell ads on your behalf.

When adding additional networks to your ads.txt file, you'll need to gather specific information from each partner:

  • The domain name of the ad network
  • Your unique publisher ID or account ID with that network
  • Whether they have a DIRECT or RESELLER relationship with your site
  • Any certification authority ID they provide

For example, while your Google AdSense entry might look like google.com, pub-1234567890123456, DIRECT, f08c47fec0942fa0, entries for other networks will follow a similar format but with their specific information. Always ensure these entries are formatted correctly to avoid disrupting your ad serving capabilities.

Many publishers find it valuable to keep a separate record of all their authorized sellers, including contact information and the specific ad inventory each partner is permitted to sell. This documentation proves invaluable when updating your ads.txt file and ensures you don't accidentally remove important partners during routine maintenance.

Remember that advertisers increasingly filter their bids to only purchase from sites with properly implemented ads.txt files, making this simple txt file crucial to maintaining your ad revenue. By clearly listing only authorized sellers, you protect your website from counterfeit inventory issues while giving buyers confidence in the legitimacy of your ad space.

Maximize Revenue with Proper Ads.txt Management

Maintaining an up-to-date and accurate ads.txt file does more than just prevent ad fraud—it can actually help optimize your ad revenue. When properly implemented, your ads.txt file ensures that all legitimate demand has access to your inventory while blocking unauthorized sellers who might undervalue your ad space.

Publishers who regularly audit and update their ads.txt files typically see more consistent revenue streams, as they're protecting their digital ad inventory from unauthorized reselling that often occurs at lower rates. By controlling exactly which companies can sell ads on your site, you maintain pricing integrity across your entire ad stack.

Some advanced publishers even use different authorized sellers for different sections of their website, allowing specialized ad networks to focus on the inventory types where they excel. In these cases, your ads.txt implementation becomes a strategic tool for routing specific ad requests to the partners best positioned to maximize their value.

When Google AdSense is part of a broader monetization strategy, it's crucial that your ads.txt file properly lists all partners while maintaining the correct publisher ID for each. This ensures seamless access to your AdSense account demand without disrupting other revenue sources. With the click download and click copy features in AdSense, you can easily capture your core information, then expand it to include your complete seller list.

Website owners who properly manage their root directory implementation of ads.txt often report higher CPMs from premium advertisers, who increasingly filter their buys to focus exclusively on inventory with proper seller authentication. This represents a win-win scenario where taking steps to prevent fraud also enhances your revenue potential.

For publishers concerned about the complexity of managing multiple entries and keeping their ads.txt file up to date, solutions like Playwire offer comprehensive management as part of their broader revenue optimization services. This ensures you never miss out on revenue due to an incorrectly configured ads.txt file while removing the technical burden from your team.

Playwire: All the Benefits of Ads.txt and AdSense, Plus Much More

AdSense is an important source of demand for millions of publishers, but it isn’t the only one. And, adding tons of sellers to your ads.txt file is both time-intensive and difficult to do without making mistakes that harm your ad revenue. Playwire can solve this problem for you.

Playwire handles everything from ads.txt to header bidding for publishers, always with the singular goal of maximizing your revenue. It’s a win-win! You don’t have to deal with ads.txt, and you get more revenue.

Want the win-win? Simply contact Playwire online.

Apply Now