A Behind-the-Scenes Look at Why Do Bad Ads Slip Through?
Ever wonder how an unwanted ad ends up on your site, despite all the filters and blocks in place? Unfortunately, blocking ads isn’t a perfect science. While we do everything we can to prevent bad ads from appearing, programmatic advertising is a complex system with occasional slip-ups. Here’s why—and what we do about it.
How Ads Get Served
Every time a page loads, an automated auction takes place in real time. Advertisers bid for the chance to show an ad and the highest bidder wins. The ad they serve is based on various factors, including browsing history, demographic data, and trial-and-error targeting. If you’ve recently searched for boots, you might see boot ads—because advertisers know targeted ads perform better.
The Role of Filters & Blocks
We have strict filtering in place to block inappropriate or unwanted ads. For instance, if a gambling site wins an auction, the ad server will detect that it falls into a prohibited category and prevent it from being displayed.
But here’s the catch: ad categorization is self-reported. Advertisers must label their ads correctly (e.g., “I am a gambling ad!”). If they don’t—or worse, mislabel it—the system won’t recognize it as something to block. That’s how an unwanted ad can slip through.
How Often Does This Happen?
Rarely—about 0.001% of all ads served. But when it does happen, we take it seriously. If you spot a bad ad, a screenshot or URL helps us track it down and block it immediately. If that’s not available, we analyze recent advertisers in that category and place broad blocks to prevent future occurrences.
How Monumetric Ensures a Family-Friendly Experience
At Monumetric, we are committed to providing a family-friendly advertising experience. We work diligently to ensure that publishers and their audiences are served high-quality, appropriate ads. Our strict content filters help protect against intrusive or unsuitable advertisements, so publishers can focus on their content without concern.
Additionally, we partner with Confiant, the leading ad security and quality platform, to further safeguard against malicious and low-quality ads. Confiant provides real-time ad scanning and threat detection, helping us proactively prevent deceptive or harmful ads from reaching our publishers’ sites. This partnership strengthens our ability to maintain a safe, high-quality ad environment.
What You Can Do
If you see an ad that doesn’t belong, let us know! Your feedback helps us keep your site clean and brand-safe. While no system is foolproof, we’re committed to making your ad experience as seamless as possible.
Thanks for partnering with us to keep ads relevant, high-quality, and appropriate!
