Driving CTV Transparency and Speed with Your Ad Server

In recent years, the rise of video streaming platforms has brought new challenges in transparency and quality control. Reports from Adalytics on YouTube brand safety and from the ANA on supply chain transparency highlight the growing need for stricter standards in programmatic services. It has led CTV media owners to offer customers transparency on the content level, enabling them to understand where their ads are being displayed, with ad servers being a significant element. These are the most important questions to consider when evaluating the ability of video ad servers to deliver transparent and high-quality advertising experiences.

How to Choose the Right Video Ad Server for Your Needs

Ad servers must provide control over ad creatives and locations, abide by high-quality standards, and offer reports that show where advertisements appeared as well as how they worked.

Alongside tools to assess the relevance and quality of ads’ content, we offer targeting safeguards that

 help businesses to achieve competitive differentiation, stop the repetition of ads, and ensure that ads are seen within brand-safe, high-impact settings.

How Do Ad Servers Detect Ad Viewability?

Ad servers work with verification partners that specialize in confirming that ads are seen. We offer a variety of verification partner integrations that allow publishers to analyze their inventory and refine it in line with customer requirements, such as visibility.

In this case, though not required by default, when the owner of the media agrees, we can inform targeted buyers that the purchaser’s advertisement was shown on an event that was specific to particular platforms. Buyers can use the information to tailor their ads, providing the appropriate context and improving campaign performance, which in turn increases revenue.

A reliable video ad server should confirm whether an ad is viewable and provide detailed reporting on frequency and reach. These metrics help media owners track the number of unique viewers receiving ads from the server. On Performoo, for instance, measures like advertising domain reports are available in real-time, and they are simple to modify.

How does an ad server assist in optimizing your ads’ user experience?

Ad servers enable media owners to make decisions about the available ad slots. Ad servers have the responsibility of making decisions about when and where to place an advertisement by a variety of targeted parameters that affect the experience of users. The research shows that the overexposure of ads can be detrimental to streaming platforms just as it harms companies. According to a report, the effects of ad exposure are eroding purchasing intent. There’s one-third less purchasing intent for those who see an ad at least six times. A well-set frequency cap ensures ads stay fresh and user-friendly.

To limit repetitive ads, we introduced a global frequency cap that can be integrated with any ad server, ensuring the limit applies across the entire advertising stack.

How to Protect Ads for the Right Audience and Content?

Ad servers can establish security safeguards to stop ads from being displayed next to content that encourages controversial subjects like drug use, gambling, and political issues of politics. Media owners can also set audience restrictions to prevent ads from targeting specific age groups or demographics.

We enable owners to allow selected IAB categories while restricting ads by blocking specific domains. As an example, if the publisher broadcasts an advertisement for Diet Coke, they may limit the Pepsi domain to ensure an adequate competitive segregation.

How Ad Servers Help Block Fraudulent and Low-Quality Ads

Ad server providers should offer automated software to analyze the metadata associated with ads, determining factors such as image size, clarity, and language used to enhance effectiveness. Our tools enable publishers to examine the entire history of their ad’s creative and view every company involved in its creation or alteration. BingeWatcher from SpringServe simplifies the review of innovative workflow, offering an automated, easily scalable and highly flexible alternative to manual review to identify poor quality content, which results in greater efficiency.

We verify the authenticity of ads bought and sold through its system, making it a valuable partner in achieving transparency. We created the features necessary to achieve this goal, including complete transparency of marketplace transactions, Ads.txt & Ads.cert compliance with third-party verification tools, filters for invalid traffic before bids, and post-impression identification.

Ultimately, an ad server is more than just a delivery tool—it’s a key ally in building trust, protecting brand safety, and maintaining quality in connected TV advertising. To create brand-friendly affinity, advertisers must be able to offer superior ads with a well-lit, clean, secure, and brand-safe space. To achieve this, advertising servers are crucial as they can engage in a variety of ways by asking the most appropriate questions for improving ad quality and effect.

FAQs – Driving CTV Transparency and Speed with Your Ad Server

Question 1. What is a video ad server, and why is it important for CTV?
Answer-  A video ad server is a platform that manages and delivers video ads across streaming platforms. It ensures that ads are placed in brand-safe, relevant, and high-quality environments, improving transparency, viewability, and user experience while helping media owners track performance metrics like frequency and reach.

Question 2. How do video ad servers improve ad transparency?
Answer-  Ad servers provide detailed reports that show where ads are displayed, how they perform, and whether they are viewable. Integration with verification partners and compliance tools like Ads.txt & Ads.cert ensures transparency in transactions and viewability metrics.

Question 3. What is viewability, and how do ad servers track it?
Answer-  Viewability refers to whether an ad was actually seen by the target audience. Ad servers work with third-party verification partners to measure viewability, ensuring that ads are not only served but effectively viewed. Publishers can use these insights to optimize campaigns.

Question 4. How do ad servers help in preventing ad fraud and low-quality content?
Answer-  Ad servers analyze ad metadata, check for invalid traffic, and ensure compliance with industry standards. Features like Ads.txt, Ads.cert, and automated review workflows help block fraudulent or low-quality ads, enhancing trust and brand safety.

Question 5. Can ad servers help in avoiding repetitive ads?
Answer-  Yes, ad servers can set frequency caps to control how often an ad is shown to the same viewer. This prevents overexposure, which can lead to decreased purchasing intent, and helps maintain a fresh and user-friendly viewing experience.

Question 6. How do ad servers ensure that ads are placed next to appropriate content?
Answer-  Ad servers allow media owners to set content restrictions based on categories like gambling, drugs, or political issues. Audience targeting rules and domain filters help ensure that ads are placed next to content aligned with brand values.

Question 7. How can ad servers improve targeting and campaign performance?
Answer-  By integrating with verification tools and analyzing user data, ad servers enable better audience segmentation and contextual targeting. Advertisers can tailor campaigns to specific platforms and viewers, resulting in higher engagement and increased revenue.

Question 8. What role does Ads.txt and Ads.cert compliance play in video advertising?
Answer-  Ads.txt and Ads.cert ensure that ad inventory is legitimate and protected from unauthorized resellers or fraudulent activity. This compliance boosts trust in the advertising ecosystem and ensures safe and efficient ad delivery.

Question 9. Are ad servers scalable and adaptable for growing CTV networks?
Answer-  Yes, modern ad servers offer flexible, automated, and scalable workflows that can easily adapt to growing inventory and new partnerships, making them suitable for expanding streaming platforms and evolving market demands.

Question 10. How do ad servers help build brand safety?
Answer-  By offering tools for content and audience targeting, viewability tracking, and fraud prevention, ad servers create a secure and trustworthy environment where brands can confidently reach their audience without risking association with inappropriate or harmful content.