sales-adserver-online

What this skill does

# Adserver.Online 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 Adserver.Online to serve ads on my website
   - B) Serve ads in my email newsletter
   - C) Manage campaigns, ads, or zones via the API
   - D) Set up programmatic RTB (OpenRTB / Prebid)
   - E) Configure targeting (geo, device, retargeting, custom)
   - F) Compare Adserver.Online to other ad servers

2. **Your role?**
   - A) Publisher (monetizing my own site/newsletter)
   - B) Advertiser (placing ads on publisher sites)
   - C) Ad network operator (managing publishers + advertisers)

3. **Current plan**: Free trial, Starter ($49/mo), Premium ($199/mo), or Ultimate ($599/mo)?

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 about... | Route to... |
|---|---|
| Newsletter monetization strategy (subscriptions, pricing models) | `/sales-newsletter [question]` |
| Self-serve advertiser portal | `/sales-adbutler [question]` |
| Direct-sold ad management for local publishers | `/sales-broadstreet [question]` |
| Free self-hosted ad server | `/sales-revive [question]` |
| Email deliverability (SPF/DKIM/DMARC) | `/sales-deliverability [question]` |
| API-first custom ad platform | `/sales-kevel [question]` |

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:

- **Publisher getting started**: 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.
- **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 RTB + email + video in one platform at competitive pricing ($199/mo for 10M). 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.*

1. **Email ads require Premium plan** — Starter ($49/mo) does not include email banner support, video, or API access. You need Premium ($199/mo) minimum.
2. **Image banners only in email** — no JavaScript, iframes, or HTML5 in email zones. Use JPG/GIF/PNG image banners.
3. **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.
4. **No webhooks** — Adserver.Online has no webhook or push notification system. Poll the API for data changes.
5. **Free plan discontinued** — previously offered a free tier, but it has been removed. New users get a 14-day free trial.
6. **No CORS support** — API calls from browsers will fail. Use server-side proxying or backend integrations.

## Related skills

- `/sales-newsletter` — Newsletter monetization strategy (paid subscriptions, sponsorships, ad sales, pricing)
- `/sales-adbutler` — AdButler full-stack ad server (self-serve portal, email ad zones, REST API + MCP)
- `/sales-epom` — Epom hosted ad server + white-label DSP (API included, RTB free for publishers)
- `/sales-revive` — Revive Adserver free open-source self-hosted ad server (email zones, XML-RPC API)
- `/sales-adspeed` — AdSpeed affordable hosted ad server (email newsletter zones, REST API, from $9.95/mo)
- `/sales-advertserve` — AdvertServe hosted ad server (email IMG tags, video + display, header bidding, white-label, API)
- `/sales-kevel` — Kevel API-first ad server infrastructure (build custom ad platforms, Decision API)
- `/sales-adglare` — AdGlare cloud-based ad server (display/native/VAST video/CTV, REST API v2)
- `/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: 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 ($199/mo for 10M, RTB + email + video, multicurrency, white-label on Ultimate), 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.
**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 hou