Ad Fraud

Domain Spoofing — Definition & Explanation

A form of ad fraud where a low-quality or fraudulent site misrepresents itself as a premium publisher's domain to attract higher CPM bids. Ads.txt and sellers.json were created to combat domain spoofing.

How Domain Spoofing Works

Fraudsters inject a premium publisher's domain into bid requests for their own low-quality inventory. Buyers believe they're purchasing premium inventory and pay premium CPMs, but the ad actually runs on the fraudster's site.

Why Domain Spoofing Matters for Publishers

Domain spoofing harms both publishers (lost revenue, reputation damage) and advertisers (wasted spend). Implementing ads.txt and working with a reputable SSP like Stellor Media protects publishers from spoofing-related issues.

Frequently Asked Questions

How does ads.txt prevent domain spoofing?

Buyers check ads.txt before bidding to verify that the seller in the bid request is authorized to sell the stated domain's inventory. Unauthorized sellers are filtered out.

Can domain spoofing happen to any publisher?

Yes. Any premium publisher domain can be spoofed. Keeping ads.txt up-to-date and working with reputable SSPs with sellers.json implementation are the best defenses.

How does Stellor Media prevent domain spoofing?

Stellor maintains accurate sellers.json and works only with verified publishers in our supply chain to ensure inventory authenticity.

Related Terms

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