Documentation
Create your first advertiser on ad:personam — the foundation for campaigns, creatives, conversion pixels, and targeting lists.
The advertiser is the top-level object in ad:personam. Everything else — campaigns, line items, creatives, conversion pixels, and targeting lists — lives underneath it. Creating an advertiser is the first step before you can launch any campaign.
What an Advertiser Contains
Each advertiser acts as an isolated container for a single brand or business. The assets you create under one advertiser cannot be shared with or accessed by another.
Advertiser
├── Campaigns
│ ├── Creatives (banners, video, HTML5, audio)
│ └── Line Items (budget, bidding, targeting, pacing)
├── Conversion Pixels (tracking filters for CPA optimisation)
├── Targeting Lists (domain allowlists & blocklists, app lists)
└── Inventory Source Lists (exchanges, deals, bid multipliers)
This isolation is important for agencies managing multiple clients — each client gets their own advertiser with complete data separation.
Prerequisites
Before you can create an advertiser, two requirements must be met:
1. Active Subscription
An active subscription (Starter or PRO) is required to create an advertiser. If you are still in Planning Mode, you can explore the platform's media planning tools, but advertiser creation is available only after subscribing. Every new subscription includes a 30-day free trial.
2. Complete Your Profile
Your user profile must include:
- Company Name
- VAT ID
If either is missing, the advertiser creation form will display a prompt directing you to the Profile page to add the required details. These are necessary for billing and EU Digital Services Act compliance.
Go to Profile from the user menu in the top-right corner to update these fields.
Creating an Advertiser
Step 1: Open the Form
From the dashboard or the sidebar, click "Create New Advertiser" to open the creation form.
Step 2: Fill in the Advertiser Details
The form includes the following fields:
Advertiser Name
Enter the brand or business name as you want it to appear across the platform — in campaign reporting, the advertiser switcher, and billing. Minimum 2 characters.
Industry Vertical
Select the industry category that best describes the advertiser's business. There are hundreds of options organised by sector (e.g. Automotive, Technology & Computing, Health & Fitness, Travel, Food & Drink). This classification helps with compliance and contextual relevance.
Timezone
Choose the timezone for reporting and scheduling. This becomes the default for campaigns created under this advertiser. Campaigns can override the timezone at creation time if needed.
Currency
Select the default currency for budgets and billing: EUR (€), USD ($), or GBP (£). Like timezone, this sets the advertiser-level default — individual campaigns can use a different currency if required.
Tracking Domain
Select the tracking region closest to your target audience's geographic location. The tracking domain determines which server processes your ad-serving and analytics requests. Choosing the right region improves tracking accuracy and response times.
| Domain | Region |
|---|---|
track.adform.net | EMEA (Europe, Middle East, and Africa) — default |
a1.adform.net | Global |
a2.adform.net | Americas |
asia.adform.net | APAC (Asia-Pacific) |
track.adfnet.cn | China |
For example, if your campaigns primarily target European audiences, keep the default EMEA domain. If you are running campaigns in the US or Latin America, select Americas.
Website URL
Enter the advertiser's primary website (must start with https:// or http://). Used for compliance verification and as a reference for the brand.
Legal Entity
The official legal name of the business. Required for EU Digital Services Act compliance and proper attribution on advertisements.
Advertiser Policy Agreement
Review and accept the advertiser policy by checking the box. This is required before the form can be submitted.
Step 3: Submit
Click "Create Advertiser" to submit. On success, a confirmation message appears and you are redirected to the Advertiser Overview page after a few seconds.
After Creation: The Setup Checklist
Once your advertiser is created, the Advertiser Overview page displays a Setup Checklist on the right-hand side. This tracks your progress through the essential setup steps:
| Checklist Item | What it means |
|---|---|
| Universal Pixel | Automatically generated on advertiser creation. Click "Get Code" to copy the tracking snippet for your website. |
| Conversion Pixels | Create at least one conversion pixel to track events like purchases or sign-ups. |
| Targeting Lists | Set up domain allowlists or blocklists for brand safety control. |
| Campaigns | Create your first campaign to start organising line items and creatives. |
The checklist shows a progress bar and marks each item as complete once the corresponding asset exists.
Next Steps
1. Install the Universal Pixel
The universal pixel is ready as soon as the advertiser is created. Copy it from the checklist and install it on your website to start collecting page-view data for retargeting.
2. Create Your First Campaign
Campaigns are containers for creatives and line items. You set the campaign's flight dates, brand safety presets, and optionally override the advertiser's timezone or currency.
Creatives (banner images, video files, HTML5, audio) are uploaded and managed at the campaign level — they are then published to one or more line items via tags.
Follow the campaign creation guide
3. Set Up Conversion Tracking (Recommended)
If you plan to optimise campaigns for conversions (CPA bidding), create conversion pixels from the Pixels page and install the generated code snippets on your website.
4. Configure Targeting Lists (Optional)
Control where your ads appear by creating domain or app lists:
- Allowlists — restrict delivery to approved websites or apps only
- Blocklists — prevent ads from appearing on specific sites
Follow the targeting lists guide
Managing Multiple Advertisers
For agencies: Create a separate advertiser for each client. Assets, campaigns, and data are fully isolated between advertisers — there is no cross-contamination of targeting lists, pixels, or creatives.
For multi-brand businesses: Use one advertiser per brand, product line, or geographic market to keep reporting and budgets cleanly separated.
You can switch between advertisers at any time using the Advertiser Switcher in the sidebar.
Key Points to Remember
- Subscription required — An active subscription (Starter or PRO) is required to create an advertiser. Every new subscription includes a 30-day free trial.
- Profile requirements — Company Name and VAT ID must be set in your profile before creating an advertiser.
- Currency and timezone defaults — The values you set at advertiser level become the default for new campaigns, but each campaign can override them independently.
- Tracking domain — Choose the region closest to your audience for optimal tracking performance.
- Asset isolation — Creatives, pixels, and targeting lists belong exclusively to one advertiser and cannot be shared across advertisers.