sales-skills/sales-advertserve

AdvertServe 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 AdvertServe to serve ads on my website
   • B) Serve ads in my email newsletter
   • C) Manage campaigns and advertisers via the API
   • D) Configure targeting (geo, keyword, weather, contextual)
   • E) Set up header bidding with Prebid.js
   • F) Compare AdvertServe to other ad servers

2. Your role?

   • A) Publisher (monetizing my own site/newsletter)
   • B) Advertiser (placing ads on publisher sites)
   • C) Ad agency (managing multiple clients)
   • D) Ad network operator

3. Current plan: 45-day free trial or paid ($299/mo base)?

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] | | Programmatic/RTB ad serving | /sales-epom [question] or /sales-adbutler [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] |

If the question is AdvertServe-specific, continue to Step 3.

Step 3 — AdvertServe platform reference

Read references/platform-guide.md for the full platform reference — capabilities, pricing, email ad setup, API overview, 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 zones (Banner/Text/VAST Video/Dynamic), create campaigns with media, assign campaigns to zones via tiers (1-100 priority), generate ad tags via Code Wizard, paste into your site. Ads rotate automatically.
• Email newsletter ads: Use the Code Wizard to generate "E-mail" code (Banner type). This produces a static <a> + <img> tag (no JavaScript). Paste into your ESP template. Image-only creatives — no HTML5 or rich media in email.
• API automation: Enable API in Settings > Basic > API. Get your secret key. Make HTTP GET/POST requests to /servlet/control/api/{module}/{action} with the secret parameter. Responses in JSON (output=json) or XML (default).
• Choosing AdvertServe vs alternatives: AdvertServe is best for mid-to-large publishers wanting a feature-rich hosted ad server with video, header bidding, and white-label. For budget hosting, use AdSpeed ($9.95/mo). For self-hosted free, use Revive. For self-serve portal, use AdButler.

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 integration gotchas that may be outdated.

1. Email ads must use the E-mail code format — the Code Wizard generates JavaScript tags by default. For newsletters, explicitly select the "E-mail" code type to get static IMG tags. JavaScript won't render in email clients.
2. Image format restrictions — code-based images are not accepted. Creatives must be JPEG, GIF, or PNG files. If a client provides HTML5 or code-based images, you'll need to convert them.
3. Click tags can be confusing — understanding how to use tracking pixels and click tags has a learning curve. Use the Code Wizard's generated tags rather than building manually.
4. API documentation is technical — the docs assume familiarity with HTTP APIs and programming. Non-technical users should use the web dashboard instead.
5. No webhooks — AdvertServe has no webhook or push notification system. You must poll the API for changes.

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-broadstreet — Broadstreet ad manager for local/B2B publishers (newsletter ad zones, sponsored content, WordPress plugin)
• /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-adplugg — AdPlugg budget ad server (free-$79/mo, WordPress/Ghost plugins, email ad tags)
• /sales-adglare — AdGlare cloud-based ad server (display/native/VAST video/CTV, REST API v2)
• /sales-kevel — Kevel API-first ad server infrastructure (build custom ad platforms, Decision API)
• /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 newsletter using AdvertServe. How do I set it up?" Skill does: Walks through creating a Banner zone, uploading image creatives, linking campaigns to the zone, using the Code Wizard to generate E-mail code (not JavaScript), and pasting the static IMG tag into the ESP template Result: User has newsletter ads serving with proper click tracking via static tags

Example 2: Automating ad management via the API

User says: "How do I use the AdvertServe API to create zones and pull reports?" Skill does: Shows API setup (Settings > Basic > API), secret key auth, demonstrates /servlet/control/api/zones/create and /servlet/control/api/reports/general/summary endpoints with cURL examples, explains JSON output option Result: User has working API integration for automated zone management and reporting

Example 3: Choosing between ad servers

User says: "I'm a publisher with 5M monthly impressions. Should I use AdvertServe, AdButler, or Epom?" Skill does: Compares all three: AdvertServe ($449/mo for 5M, feature-rich, header bidding, white-label), AdButler ($682/mo, self-serve portal, MCP, programmatic SSP), Epom ($250/mo, white-label DSP, RTB included). Recommends based on whether the publisher needs header bidding (AdvertServe), self-serve portal (AdButler), or white-label DSP (Epom). Result: User picks the right ad server for their needs and budget

Troubleshooting

Ads not showing on site

Symptom: Zone ad tags placed on the page but no ads appear Cause: No active campaigns assigned to the zone, campaign scheduling dates not started, or ad blocker interfering Solution: Check the zone has campaigns assigned at active tiers (1-100). Verify campaign scheduling includes today. Test with ad blockers disabled. Check the Code Wizard generated the correct code type (JavaScript for web, not E-mail).

Email ad tags not rendering

Symptom: Newsletter ads show broken images or nothing Cause: Used JavaScript or IFRAME code instead of E-mail code format Solution: In the Code Wizard, select "E-mail" under the Banner module. This generates a static <a href> + <img src> tag that works in all email clients. JavaScript and IFRAME tags will not render in email.

API authentication failing

Symptom: API requests return 500 error with authentication message Cause: Missing or incorrect secret parameter, or API not enabled Solution: Enable API in Settings > Basic > API. Copy the secret key. Pass it as the secret parameter in every private API request. Use HTTPS. Configure IP firewall if needed.