Epom platform help — hosted ad server and white-label DSP for managing direct and programmatic advertising across web, mobile, and CTV with 40+ analytics metrics, auto-optimization, and REST API included on all plans. Use when setting up Epom Ad Server to monetize your website or newsletter with display ads, white-label DSP campaigns aren't delivering or spend is off target, Epom analytics reports don't match third-party tracking numbers, API calls to campaign or advertiser endpoints are failing with auth errors, ad targeting rules aren't applying correctly or geo-targeting is inaccurate, trying to decide between Epom and AdButler or Kevel for your ad server, or setting up the RTB module to sell inventory programmatically. Do NOT use for general newsletter monetization strategy (use /sales-newsletter) or newsletter sponsorship marketplace transactions (use /sales-paved or /sales-hecto).
Epom platform help — hosted ad server and white-label DSP for managing direct and programmatic advertising across web, mobile, and CTV with 40+ analytics metrics, auto-optimization, and REST API included on all plans. Use when setting up Epom Ad Server to monetize your website or newsletter with display ads, white-label DSP campaigns aren't delivering or spend is off target, Epom analytics reports don't match third-party tracking numbers, API calls to campaign or advertiser endpoints are failing with auth errors, ad targeting rules aren't applying correctly or geo-targeting is inaccurate, trying to decide between Epom and AdButler or Kevel for your ad server, or setting up the RTB module to sell inventory programmatically. Do NOT use for general newsletter monetization strategy (use /sales-newsletter) or newsletter sponsorship marketplace transactions (use /sales-paved or /sales-hecto).
/sales-paved [question] or /sales-hecto [question]
Sponsor intelligence (brands that sponsor newsletters)
/sales-sponsorgap [question]
Building a custom ad platform from scratch (API-first)
/sales-kevel [question]
Email deliverability (SPF/DKIM/DMARC)
/sales-deliverability [question]
Managed ad server with self-serve portal and MCP
/sales-adbutler [question]
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
14-day trial caps at 30M impressions — generous for testing but verify your production volume fits your plan before trial ends.
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.)
/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.
