How to Update Your ads.txt or app-ads.txt File

Keeping your ads.txt (for websites) or app-ads.txt (for apps) file up to date is essential for maintaining proper ad serving and ensuring that only authorized partners can sell your inventory.

Outdated or incomplete files may lead to lost revenue opportunities and reduced ad demand.

Clickio provides an ads.txt validator on the platform that helps you check your current ads.txt status, receive automatic alerts when an issue is detected, and quickly fix any problems.

Please follow the steps below to update your ads.txt:

1. Sign in to your Clickio account and open the Ads.txt tab.

2. Look for sites or apps with the status Need to fix.

3. Click on the site or app name to open the Ads.txt Site Dashboard.

4. Check the current status:

  • If you see Ads.txt was found but it doesn’t contain all required data, follow the steps below.
  • If you see No ads.txt found,  follow this guide to create a new ads.txt or app-ads.txt file.

5. Copy the missing lines displayed in your dashboard and add them to your existing ads.txt or app-ads.txt file. Alternatively, you can download the complete file with all required entries directly from the Clickio platform.

IMPORTANT! Do not delete or replace existing lines, as this may interrupt ad serving and affect revenue.

6. Upload the updated file to your domain:

  • For websites, upload to the root domain, e.g. https://domain.com/ads.txt.
  • For apps, upload to your developer website domain, as listed in your app store profile, e.g. https://yourappdomain.com/app-ads.txt.

7. Go back to the Ads.txt Site Dashboard and click Update.

8. When the status changes to Ads.txt is correct, your file has been successfully updated.

Best Practices for Maintaining Your ads.txt / app-ads.txt
  • Review your file regularly to ensure all active ad partners (e.g., Clickio, Google AdSense, AppLovin) are listed.
  • Verify that your file is publicly accessible in a browser, for example:
    • https://domain.com/ads.txt
    • https://yourappdomain.com/app-ads.txt
  • If you remove an ad network or add a new one, update the file immediately.
  • Missing or incorrect lines can cause ads not to serve or reduce fill rates from demand partners.