Adserver.Online platform help — cloud-hosted ad server for building ad networks with display, video, native, email, and programmatic (OpenRTB/Prebid) ad serving, multicurrency bidding, retargeting, white-label customization, and REST API v2 at api.adsrv.net/v2 with Bearer token auth. Use when setting up Adserver.Online to serve ads on your website or email newsletter, campaigns aren't delivering or pacing is off and you need to check budget or throttling settings, email ad tags aren't rendering because you used the wrong code type instead of the Email format, trying to automate ad ops with the Adserver.Online API but Bearer token auth isn't working, programmatic RTB or Prebid adapter setup isn't filling inventory, or comparing Adserver.Online to AdButler, Epom, or Kevel for a publisher ad server. Do NOT use for general newsletter monetization strategy (use /sales-newsletter) or free self-hosted ad server setup (use /sales-revive).
Adserver.Online platform help — cloud-hosted ad server for building ad networks with display, video, native, email, and programmatic (OpenRTB/Prebid) ad serving, multicurrency bidding, retargeting, white-label customization, and REST API v2 at api.adsrv.net/v2 with Bearer token auth. Use when setting up Adserver.Online to serve ads on your website or email newsletter, campaigns aren't delivering or pacing is off and you need to check budget or throttling settings, email ad tags aren't rendering because you used the wrong code type instead of the Email format, trying to automate ad ops with the Adserver.Online API but Bearer token auth isn't working, programmatic RTB or Prebid adapter setup isn't filling inventory, or comparing Adserver.Online to AdButler, Epom, or Kevel for a publisher ad server. Do NOT use for general newsletter monetization strategy (use /sales-newsletter) or free self-hosted ad server setup (use /sales-revive).
argument-hint
[describe your Adserver.Online question or ad serving goal]
license
MIT
version
1.0.0
tags
["sales","advertising","ad-server","platform"]
github
https://github.com/adserver-online
Adserver.Online 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 Adserver.Online to serve ads on my website
If the question is Adserver.Online-specific, continue to Step 3.
Step 3 — Adserver.Online platform reference
Read references/platform-guide.md for the full platform reference — capabilities, pricing, email ad setup, API overview, data model, 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:
: Create a site and zones (display/email/video), create campaigns with ads, assign ads to zones, generate ad code and paste into your site. Ads rotate automatically.
Publisher getting started
Email newsletter ads: Requires Premium plan ($199/mo). On the zone page, select "Email" as the code type, choose your ESP, copy the generated <a> + <img> tag into your template. Image banners only — no JavaScript in email. Each message needs a unique ID via ESP macro.
API automation: Create a Bearer token in Account > API tokens. Make requests to https://api.adsrv.net/v2/{endpoint}. Owner, publisher, and advertiser tokens access different endpoint sets. 100 req/min rate limit.
Choosing Adserver.Online vs alternatives: Best for ad network operators and publishers wanting email + video + REST API in one platform at competitive pricing (Premium $199/mo for 10M). Note: programmatic OpenRTB, Prebid, Google RTB, and multicurrency bidding require the Ultimate plan ($599/mo) — not Premium. For self-serve portal, use AdButler. For API-first custom builds, use Kevel. For free self-hosted, use Revive.
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.
Email ads require Premium plan — Starter ($49/mo) does not include email banner support, video, or API access. You need Premium ($199/mo) minimum.
Image banners only in email — no JavaScript, iframes, or HTML5 in email zones. Use JPG/GIF/PNG image banners.
Unique message ID is mandatory — each email send must include a unique per-message identifier via your ESP's merge tag. Without it, impression/click tracking breaks.
No webhooks — Adserver.Online has no webhook or push notification system. Poll the API for data changes.
Free plan discontinued — previously offered a free tier, but it has been removed. New users get a 14-day free trial.
No CORS support — API calls from browsers will fail. Use server-side proxying or backend integrations.
/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 email newsletter using Adserver.Online. How do I set it up?"
Skill does: Confirms Premium plan is required, walks through creating a campaign with an image banner, creating a banner zone, selecting "Email" code type on the zone page, choosing the ESP, and pasting the generated <a> + <img> tag into the template. Explains the unique message ID requirement.
Result: User has newsletter ads serving with proper click and impression tracking via static tags
Example 2: Automating ad management via the API
User says: "How do I use the Adserver.Online API to create campaigns and pull stats?"
Skill does: Shows Bearer token creation in Account > API tokens, demonstrates POST /campaign and GET /stats endpoints with cURL examples, explains owner vs publisher vs advertiser token scopes, pagination headers, and rate limits
Result: User has working API integration for campaign management and reporting
Example 3: Choosing between ad servers
User says: "I'm building an ad network. Should I use Adserver.Online, AdButler, or Epom?"
Skill does: Compares all three: Adserver.Online (Premium $199/mo for 10M with email + video + API; RTB, multicurrency, and white-label gated to Ultimate $599/mo), AdButler ($682/mo for 10M, self-serve portal, MCP, programmatic SSP), Epom ($250/mo, white-label DSP, RTB included on all plans). Notes Adserver.Online's competitive pricing and ad network builder focus, and that programmatic on Adserver.Online is Ultimate-only.
Result: User picks the right ad server based on budget, self-serve needs, and RTB requirements
Troubleshooting
Email ad tags not rendering
Symptom: Newsletter ads show broken images or nothing
Cause: Used JavaScript or iframe zone code instead of Email code type, or missing unique message ID
Solution: On the zone page, select "Email" as the code type. Choose your ESP from the dropdown (or Custom). The generated code is a static <a> + <img> tag. Ensure the unique message ID macro from your ESP is included — without it, tracking won't work.
API authentication failing
Symptom: API requests return 401 Unauthorized
Cause: Missing or invalid Bearer token, or using the wrong token scope
Solution: Create a new API token in Account > API tokens. Include it as Authorization: Bearer <token> in the header. Owner tokens access /user, /campaign, /ad, etc. Publisher tokens only access /publish/* endpoints. Advertiser tokens only access /advert/* endpoints.
Campaigns not delivering
Symptom: Campaign is active but ads aren't showing
Cause: Budget exhausted, scheduling dates not started, no zones assigned, or throttling mode too aggressive
Solution: Check budget_daily and budget_total haven't been reached. Verify start_date/finish_date include today. Ensure ads are assigned to zones (POST /ad/assign). Check th_mode — mode 1 (spend evenly) may restrict delivery during low-traffic hours.
