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app-ads.txt can't be fetched by crawlers: common causes

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

Short answerThe developer website answered with an error, a rate limit or a bot-protection page instead of the file. Crawlers that verify app-ads.txt, including buyers', may be blocked the same way.
0 of 883 ad-monetized top US apps in this index have this finding (0%)

Why it matters

Bot protection and CDN firewalls often block automated requests by default, including requests for app-ads.txt, which is meant to be read automatically.

How to fix it

  1. Exempt /app-ads.txt from bot challenges and rate limits in your CDN or firewall.
  2. Check that the server returns HTTP 200 for the file from outside your network.

Questions

Is my app penalized for this?

No. Apps whose file can't be fetched aren't graded.

Related

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.