AdvertServe Platform Help
Step 1 — Gather context
If references/learnings.md exists, read it first for accumulated platform knowledge.
-
What are you trying to do?
- A) Set up AdvertServe to serve ads on my website
- B) Serve ads in my email newsletter
- C) Manage campaigns and advertisers via the API
- D) Configure targeting (geo, keyword, weather, contextual)
- E) Set up header bidding with Prebid.js
- F) Compare AdvertServe to other ad servers -
Your role?
- A) Publisher (monetizing my own site/newsletter)
- B) Advertiser (placing ads on publisher sites)
- C) Ad agency (managing multiple clients)
- D) Ad network operator -
Current plan: 45-day free trial or paid ($299/mo base)?
Skip-ahead rule: if the user's prompt already contains enough context, skip to Step 2.
Step 2 — Route or answer directly
| If the question is about... | Route to... |
|---|---|
| Newsletter monetization strategy (subscriptions, pricing models) | /sales-newsletter [question] |
| Programmatic/RTB ad serving | /sales-epom [question] or /sales-adbutler [question] |
| Self-serve advertiser portal | /sales-adbutler [question] |
| Direct-sold ad management for local publishers | /sales-broadstreet [question] |
| Free self-hosted ad server | /sales-revive [question] |
| Email deliverability (SPF/DKIM/DMARC) | /sales-deliverability [question] |
If the question is AdvertServe-specific, continue to Step 3.
Step 3 — AdvertServe platform reference
Read references/platform-guide.md for the full platform reference — capabilities, pricing, email ad setup, API overview, integration recipes, code examples.
Answer the user's question using only the relevant section. Don't dump the full reference.
Step 4 — Actionable guidance
Focus on the user's specific situation:
- Publisher getting started: Create zones (Banner/Text/VAST Video/Dynamic), create campaigns with media, assign campaigns to zones via tiers (1-100 priority), generate ad tags via Code Wizard, paste into your site. Ads rotate automatically.
- Email newsletter ads: Use the Code Wizard to generate "E-mail" code (Banner type). This produces a static
<a>+<img>tag (no JavaScript). Paste into your ESP template. Image-only creatives — no HTML5 or rich media in email. - API automation: Enable API in Settings > Basic > API. Get your secret key. Make HTTP GET/POST requests to
/servlet/control/api/{module}/{action}with thesecretparameter. Responses in JSON (output=json) or XML (default). - Choosing AdvertServe vs alternatives: AdvertServe is best for mid-to-large publishers wanting a feature-rich hosted ad server with video, header bidding, and white-label. For budget hosting, use AdSpeed ($9.95/mo). For self-hosted free, use Revive. For self-serve portal, use AdButler.
If you discover a gotcha, workaround, or tip not covered in references/learnings.md, append it there.
Gotchas
> Best-effort from research — review these, especially items about integration gotchas that may be outdated.
- Email ads must use the E-mail code format — the Code Wizard generates JavaScript tags by default. For newsletters, explicitly select the "E-mail" code type to get static IMG tags. JavaScript won't render in email clients.
- Image format restrictions — code-based images are not accepted. Creatives must be JPEG, GIF, or PNG files. If a client provides HTML5 or code-based images, you'll need to convert them.
- Click tags can be confusing — understanding how to use tracking pixels and click tags has a learning curve. Use the Code Wizard's generated tags rather than building manually.
- API documentation is technical — the docs assume familiarity with HTTP APIs and programming. Non-technical users should use the web dashboard instead.
- No webhooks — AdvertServe has no webhook or push notification system. You must poll the API for changes.
Related skills
/sales-newsletter— Newsletter monetization strategy (paid subscriptions, sponsorships, ad sales, pricing)/sales-adbutler— AdButler full-stack ad server (self-serve portal, email ad zones, REST API + MCP)/sales-broadstreet— Broadstreet ad manager for local/B2B publishers (newsletter ad zones, sponsored content, WordPress plugin)/sales-epom— Epom hosted ad server + white-label DSP (API included, RTB free for publishers)/sales-revive— Revive Adserver free open-source self-hosted ad server (email zones, XML-RPC API)/sales-adspeed— AdSpeed affordable hosted ad server (email newsletter zones, REST API, from $9.95/mo)/sales-adplugg— AdPlugg budget ad server (free-$79/mo, WordPress/Ghost plugins, email ad tags)/sales-adglare— AdGlare cloud-based ad server (display/native/VAST video/CTV, REST API v2)/sales-kevel— Kevel API-first ad server infrastructure (build custom ad platforms, Decision API)/sales-deliverability— Email deliverability strategy (SPF, DKIM, DMARC, warmup)/sales-do— Not sure which skill to use? The router matches any sales objective to the right skill. Install:npx skills add sales-skills/sales --skill sales-do
Examples
Example 1: Setting up email newsletter ads
User says: "I want to serve ads in my newsletter using AdvertServe. How do I set it up?"
Skill does: Walks through creating a Banner zone, uploading image creatives, linking campaigns to the zone, using the Code Wizard to generate E-mail code (not JavaScript), and pasting the static IMG tag into the ESP template
Result: User has newsletter ads serving with proper click tracking via static tags
Example 2: Automating ad management via the API
User says: "How do I use the AdvertServe API to create zones and pull reports?"
Skill does: Shows API setup (Settings > Basic > API), secret key auth, demonstrates /servlet/control/api/zones/create and /servlet/control/api/reports/general/summary endpoints with cURL examples, explains JSON output option
Result: User has working API integration for automated zone management and reporting
Example 3: Choosing between ad servers
User says: "I'm a publisher with 5M monthly impressions. Should I use AdvertServe, AdButler, or Epom?"
Skill does: Compares all three: AdvertServe ($449/mo for 5M, feature-rich, header bidding, white-label), AdButler ($682/mo, self-serve portal, MCP, programmatic SSP), Epom ($250/mo, white-label DSP, RTB included). Recommends based on whether the publisher needs header bidding (AdvertServe), self-serve portal (AdButler), or white-label DSP (Epom).
Result: User picks the right ad server for their needs and budget
Troubleshooting
Ads not showing on site
Symptom: Zone ad tags placed on the page but no ads appear
Cause: No active campaigns assigned to the zone, campaign scheduling dates not started, or ad blocker interfering
Solution: Check the zone has campaigns assigned at active tiers (1-100). Verify campaign scheduling includes today. Test with ad blockers disabled. Check the Code Wizard generated the correct code type (JavaScript for web, not E-mail).
Email ad tags not rendering
Symptom: Newsletter ads show broken images or nothing
Cause: Used JavaScript or IFRAME code instead of E-mail code format
Solution: In the Code Wizard, select "E-mail" under the Banner module. This generates a static <a href> + <img src> tag that works in all email clients. JavaScript and IFRAME tags will not render in email.
API authentication failing
Symptom: API requests return 500 error with authentication message
Cause: Missing or incorrect secret parameter, or API not enabled
Solution: Enable API in Settings > Basic > API. Copy the secret key. Pass it as the secret parameter in every private API request. Use HTTPS. Configure IP firewall if needed.
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