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app-ads.txt not found: how to fix it

Updated Oct 7, 2026 · data from 12 App Store genres · top free + top grossing charts · US · iOS + Android

Short answerBuyers look for app-ads.txt at the root of the developer website listed in your app's store page. If the file isn't there (or the URL returns a web page instead of a text file), buyers that require app-ads.txt won't bid on your inventory.

64 of 883 ad-monetized top US apps in this index have this finding (7%)

Why it matters

Most programmatic buyers enforce app-ads.txt for in-app inventory. Without it, ad partners' requests for your app can be treated as unauthorized.

How to fix it

Check the developer website URL in App Store Connect and Google Play Console.
Publish a plain-text file at https://<that domain>/app-ads.txt, with the lines your ad partners give you.
Make sure the URL returns the file itself (HTTP 200, text/plain), not a homepage or a redirect to one.

Apps with this finding

Each report lists the exact lines involved.

Cleanup: Phone Storage Cleaner · Deep Flow Apps
Zillow: Homes for Sale & Rent · Zillow Group
CARROT Weather · Grailr LLC
HuntStand: GPS Maps & Tools · GSM Outdoors
Deepstash: Smarter Every Day! · Deepstash
Topps® BUNT® MLB Card Trader · The Topps Company, Inc.
Taimi: LGBTQ+ Dating & Meet Up · Social Impact Inc.
Hily Dating app: Meet & Date · Hily Corp.
SCRUFF · Perry Street Software
Islandwide Weather · USDSC
Airbrush: Face & Photo Editor · PIXOCIAL TECHNOLOGY (SINGAPORE) PTE. LTD.
Kismia: Dating App & Chat · Kismia Group

All apps →

Questions

Our developer URL is a subdomain or a page. Where does the file go?

At the root of the domain buyers derive from your developer URL. Placing it at the root of the registered domain covers the most common crawler behavior.

Do apps without ads need app-ads.txt?

No. Apps that don't sell ads programmatically don't need it.

Based on the IAB Tech Lab ads.txt/app-ads.txt and sellers.json specifications. Numbers are automated observations of public files on the date above.