In the typical top US app, 22% of "DIRECT" seller lines conflict with public supply-chain data.
The ads.txt specification defines DIRECT as an account the publisher directly controls. We found 3,505 accounts marked DIRECT in the files of 3 or more unrelated companies, and DIRECT accounts that ad systems' own sellers.json lists as intermediaries. Everything here comes from public files, with line-level evidence.
Grade distribution
1417 graded apps. Grades scale with the share of problem lines, so big files aren't punished for size.
Most common issues
Share of graded apps with at least one occurrence.
By genre
Median share of an app's DIRECT lines that are inconsistent with public data. Genres with 5+ graded apps.
Every graded app, with its findings and evidence, is in the full list.
Ad systems without a complete public sellers.json
Of 1204 ad systems authorized by 3+ developers, only 748 publish a complete, readable sellers.json. Lines for the rest can't be fully verified from public data. All ad systems →
| Ad system domain that doesn't resolve | Developers listing it | Lines |
|---|---|---|
| spotxchange.com | 389 | 3,958 |
| engagebdr.com | 302 | 2,256 |
| districtm.io | 298 | 736 |
| gamoshi.io | 210 | 892 |
| ylhglobal.com | 190 | 213 |
| reforge.in | 151 | 381 |
| showcaesad.com | 66 | 69 |
| antipodesdigital.live | 62 | 76 |
| dmixer.co.kr | 59 | 66 |
| acex.adprime.com | 48 | 49 |
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