How to Update ads.txt file for Mediavine Users
The Mediavine ad network uses an ads.txt file to enhance security and authenticate publishers' sites. Occasionally it sends out emails to clients notifying them that their ads.txt file needs updating, and the tone can make it a bit scary if you aren't familiar with this issue.
As Mediavine points out, not updating your ads.txt file is very bad, as they will eventually halt your advertising revenue. It's important to stay on top of this, but luckily updating your ads.txt file is quick and easy to do.
How to update ads.txt:
- Log in to your WordPress dashboard.
- If your ads.txt file needs updating, a notice will usually appear on the main page of your WP dashboard.
- The link in the notice will take you to the Mediavine Settings page (which can also be accessed through the Plugins menu).
- About two-thirds down the page there is a button to click that says "Update ads.txt". Click the button.
- After you click that, an alert should appear above it that says "updated."
- Scroll down and click the Save Changes button.
- You're all done!
Remember, although the tone of the email can sound alarming, it's really easy to resolve this -- just a normal part of ongoing maintenance of your site.
Do I have to clear the cache?
In the past, some users found that it was necessary to clear the cache for the changes to come into effect. However, from June 2018, there is no cache for Mediavine ads.txt files, so cache clearing is no longer required.
If you'd like to confirm that the ads.txt file has been updated correctly, we're happy to check for you. Just email support@performancefoundry.com with the subject line "Confirm update of ads.txt file."
Related Articles
Robots.txt errors
The robots.txt file is a text file that instructs web robots (like search engine bots) how to crawl pages on your site. One main use for it is to tell robots not to visit certain pages of your site. An error in the robots.txt file can be a big ...Google says to fix my Adsense code
Occasionally Google sends out emails similar to the text below: "We've noticed that the ads.txt file on one or more of your sites that you monetize through this AdSense account is missing the correct publisher code. From mid-October, Google will stop ...Editing your hosts file on Windows to preview your site
From time to time, we might ask you to set up virtual hosts on your machine, so you can see a development site before the world can. We 'trick' your browser into seeing the new site, while the rest of the world is still looking at the old one! It ...How to file a support ticket
Need some help? We're here for you! 1. Search First Take a look at https://support.performancefoundry.com/ -- try a search for what you are after. We're always happy to hear from you, but we also want to keep our service as economical as possible: ...Performance Foundry affiliate programme
We love it when people refer clients to us! If you tell someone about us, and they sign up for one of our services, we'd like to give you something back to say thanks. That's why we set up our affiliate programme. You'll get a $100 bonus for each new ...