New BiddingStack Feature Lets Publishers Block Unwanted Ads

As programmatic advertising continues to develop, ad delivery has become faster and more extensive, which also makes managing ad quality more challenging. Bad programmatic ads can affect user experience, reduce revenue, and potentially impact a publisher's brand. To address this, BiddingStack introduced the Blocking Control feature, helping publishers proactively manage ad content and maintain a more reliable ad environment.

Why Bad Programmatic Ads Appear

Bad programmatic ads are common in automated ad delivery systems, and there are several reasons they occur. Programmatic platforms fetch creatives in real time from multiple networks, each with varying standards and capabilities, which can lead to inconsistencies.

Some creatives are generated using templates or automated tools, resulting in visual defects, misaligned text, missing assets, or incomplete information. For example, an ad might display a blank image where the product photo should be, or a banner might have overlapping text that is unreadable. Dynamic creative generation and frequent content updates increase the risk that such errors slip through.

Manual review is limited, especially for large-scale campaigns, allowing some misleading or inappropriate ads to reach users. This could include ads promoting fake discounts, misleading click-to-win games, or low-quality mobile pop-ups. Even when technically correct, an ad's design or content may not match a site's style, disrupting the browsing experience. The complexity of cross-network delivery and real-time bidding further contributes to the presence of bad programmatic ads.

How Bad Programmatic Ads Affect Users and Publishers

Bad programmatic ads can impact both users and publishers in multiple ways. For users, intrusive, misleading, or poorly designed ads interrupt browsing, reduce engagement, and lower time spent on site. For instance, auto-playing video ads with sound, poorly formatted mobile banners, or misleading "Download Now" buttons can frustrate users and increase bounce rates. Repeated exposure can diminish trust in the platform, reducing return visits and overall satisfaction.

For publishers, such ads occupy valuable inventory, limiting space for higher-quality creatives and potentially affecting revenue. A site showing broken image banners or ads that crash on mobile devices can experience lower ad engagement and reduced monetization. These ads can also harm brand perception, as users may question the professionalism of the site, leading to lower click-through rates and conversions.

In addition, these ads may carry security risks, such as fraudulent links, malware, or false promotions, posing potential threats to users and compliance concerns for publishers. For example, an ad might appear to offer a free product but actually redirect users to a phishing page.

Bad problematic ads can influence revenue, user trust, and long-term brand reputation, making it crucial to manage them effectively.

How to Address Bad Programmatic Ads

BiddingStack's Blocking Control offers a simple and flexible way to manage unwanted ads. By defining ad domains or creative IDs, publishers can block specific creatives and keep their inventory clean. This helps maintain ad quality, reduce intrusive or misleading content, and protect brand safety.

Rules can be created and applied across campaigns from a single interface, saving time and simplifying workflow. Once set, these rules automatically filter incoming ad requests so that only approved creatives appear. This ensures a smoother user experience and gives more visibility to high-quality ads.

For a detailed overview and tutorial, visit: How to Block Bad Programmatic Ads