Epom Platform Help

Step 1 — Gather context

If references/learnings.md exists, read it first for accumulated platform knowledge.

1. What are you trying to do?
   - A) Set up Epom Ad Server to serve ads on my website or newsletter
   - B) Configure the white-label DSP for programmatic buying
   - C) Integrate via the REST API (campaigns, analytics, targeting)
   - D) Troubleshoot ad delivery, targeting, or reporting issues
   - E) Compare Epom to other ad servers (AdButler, Kevel, GAM)
   - F) Set up the RTB/SSP module to sell inventory programmatically

2. Which product are you using?
   - A) Epom Ad Server (publisher/network — managing your own inventory)
   - B) Epom DSP (advertiser — buying programmatic traffic)
   - C) Both (white-label ad server + DSP stack)

3. Current setup (if applicable): monthly impressions, current ad server, direct vs programmatic split

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 Epom-specific, continue to Step 3.

Step 3 — Epom platform reference

Read references/platform-guide.md for the full platform reference — capabilities, pricing, data model, integration recipes, code examples.

Read references/epom-api-reference.md for API endpoint details, authentication, and working 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 advertisers, campaigns, and banners. Set up zones on your site or newsletter. Configure targeting rules. Start with direct-sold campaigns, then add RTB for backfill.
• Email newsletters: Create zones for email placement — image-only ads. Generate ad tags and paste into your ESP template. Monitor impressions via Analytics API.
• White-label DSP: Start with Light plan ($250/mo or 5% spend). Connect SSPs, set up audience targeting with Lotame data, configure bidding autopilot. Brand the interface with your domain and logo.
• API integration: The REST API is included on all plans (no add-on fee). Auth uses username + hash + timestamp as URL path segments (endpoints end in .do); the hash is MD5(MD5(password) + timestamp) and the timestamp is UNIX milliseconds. Use the Analytics API for custom dashboards, Campaign API for automation, Targeting API for rule management.
• Choosing Epom vs alternatives: Epom includes the REST API and dedicated support on all plans, with feature parity across tiers (pricing scales by impressions). Note that full white-labeling, premium support, advanced analytics, and the SSP module are paid Ad Server add-ons. Best for mid-market publishers/networks wanting customization. For API-first custom builds, use Kevel. For managed self-serve portal with MCP, use AdButler. For free/open-source, use Revive Adserver.

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 plan-gated features and integration gotchas that may be outdated.

1. UI is complex for newcomers — the admin console has 800+ features and can feel overwhelming. Ask Epom support for a guided setup session (included on all plans) to identify which features matter for your use case.
2. Auth uses MD5 signatures in the URL path, not Bearer tokens — API auth requires username, hash, and timestamp as path segments (endpoints end in .do). The hash is MD5(MD5(password) + timestamp) for analytics/management endpoints, and the timestamp is UNIX milliseconds (not seconds). Not a simple API key, and not HMAC — see the API reference for the signing pattern.
3. DSP minimum spend — while the Light plan starts at $250/mo, Epom recommends $2,000+/mo ad spend for optimal programmatic results. Below that, you won't get enough data for auto-optimization.
4. Email ads are image-only — like all ad servers, email zones only support image creatives (no HTML/JS). Gmail caches images across recipients — append unique subscriber IDs to image URLs.
5. 14-day trial caps at 30M impressions — generous for testing but verify your production volume fits your plan before trial ends.
6. White-label is a paid add-on — on the Ad Server, full white-label branding ($250/mo), premium support ($250/mo), advanced analytics ($500/mo), and the SSP module ($0.001/1k requests) are paid add-ons, NOT bundled into the base Light/Growth/Pro plans. Budget for them separately. (On the DSP, white-labeling is included from the Light plan.)

Related skills

• /sales-newsletter — Newsletter monetization strategy (paid subscriptions, sponsorships, ad sales, pricing)
• /sales-adbutler — AdButler full-stack ad server (managed dashboard, self-serve portal, email ad zones, REST API + MCP)
• /sales-kevel — Kevel API-first ad server infrastructure (build custom ad platforms, Decision API)
• /sales-admailr — Admailr programmatic email ad server (automated ad insertion, CPM+CPC, no setup)
• /sales-passendo — Passendo email ad server + SSP (programmatic exchange, direct-sold campaigns)
• /sales-postapex — PostApex newsletter ad network (500+ publishers, CPC, free for publishers)
• /sales-buysellads — BuySellAds contextual advertising marketplace (managed ad sales, Carbon Ads)
• /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: Publisher setting up ad server

User says: "I run a niche tech blog with 2M monthly pageviews. How do I set up Epom to serve display ads?"
Skill does: Walks through creating a publisher account, setting up zones for different ad placements (header, sidebar, in-content), creating advertisers and campaigns with CPM pricing, configuring geo and device targeting, and enabling the RTB module for programmatic backfill
Result: User has Epom ad server running with direct-sold campaigns and programmatic demand

Example 2: API integration for automated reporting

User says: "How do I pull campaign analytics from Epom's API into my custom dashboard?"
Skill does: Shows the Analytics API endpoint with MD5 path-parameter auth, required parameters (range/customFrom/customTo, groupBy, statisticType), response format with 40+ metrics, and a working cURL + Python example
Result: User has working API scripts to pull ad performance data programmatically

Example 3: Choosing between ad servers

User says: "Should I use Epom, AdButler, or Kevel for my ad network? I have 10M monthly impressions."
Skill does: Compares all three: Epom (Light from $250/mo covers 8.5M impr, Growth from $1000/mo covers 40M; REST API included on all plans, 40+ metrics — but white-label, premium support, advanced analytics, and the SSP module are paid add-ons), AdButler (~$682/mo for 10M, API is paid add-on, self-serve portal), Kevel (custom pricing, API-only, requires engineering). Notes the REST API is included on every Epom plan while several power features are billed separately.
Result: User has a clear comparison with pricing and feature trade-offs for their scale

Troubleshooting

Complex UI — don't know where to start

Symptom: Admin console feels overwhelming with too many features and menus
Cause: Epom has 800+ customizable features designed for ad networks — most publishers don't need all of them
Solution: Contact Epom support (included on all plans, <24hr reply) for a guided setup session. Focus on: Advertisers > Campaigns > Banners > Zones. Ignore the DSP, RTB, and advanced targeting modules until you need them.

API auth errors (401/403)

Symptom: API calls return 401 Unauthorized or 403 Forbidden
Cause: MD5 hash computed incorrectly, timestamp in seconds instead of milliseconds, auth placed in query string instead of the URL path, or insufficient permissions
Solution: Verify your hash computation: hash = MD5(MD5(password) + timestamp) (MD5, not HMAC). Ensure the timestamp is a current UNIX milliseconds value and that username/hash/timestamp are in the URL path with a .do suffix (not the query string). Check that your account role has API access permissions. Test with the simplest GET endpoint first (e.g., the Analytics report).

Analytics numbers don't match third-party tracking

Symptom: Epom reports different impression/click counts than Google Analytics or your ESP
Cause: Different counting methodologies — Epom counts server-side ad requests, GA counts page loads, ESPs count email opens
Solution: Use Epom's pixel tracking for conversion attribution. For email ads, note that cached images don't re-trigger impressions. Compare click counts (more reliable than impressions) across platforms. Use the Analytics API to export raw data for reconciliation.

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