Ads.txt Validator

Purpose: ensure ads.txt integrity and prevent misrepresentation in programmatic buying. Mechanism: parse the ads.txt content, tokenize lines, ignore comments and whitespace, and validate each line against IAB Tech Lab specifications. The tool checks required fields (domain, seller_account_id, relationship) and validates the relationship values DIRECT or RESELLER; it also validates the optional cert_id when present. It cross-references the domain and seller with known resellers databases, flags unknown or suspicious entries, and detects duplicates and conflicting lines. Outputs include per-line status, detected anomalies, and an overall compliance score with remediation guidance.
Audience: publishers managing domains, ad ops teams, agencies, and developers integrating validation into CI/CD pipelines or deployment workflows. Value: reduces misattribution, prevents unauthorized selling, speeds remediation with actionable fixes, and provides automation-ready outputs for audits and governance. Core features: multi-domain validation, syntax and field validation, duplicate detection, reseller verification, configurable allowlists, ignore patterns, and exportable reports in JSON or CSV for downstream systems. Handling variations: supports canonical domains and subdomains, treats comments and whitespace gracefully, flags missing fields, and tolerates minor whitespace differences while preserving strict validation when required.
Use cases: pre-deployment checks in content management systems, post-publish audits after reseller changes, ongoing governance for large programmatic networks, and CI integrations that halt builds on critical violations. Unique differentiators: explicit cross-reference against known reseller databases, machine-readable outputs designed for automation, versioned validation results, and clear remediation guidance tailored to common ads.txt errors.