BidSwitch and app-ads.txt

app-ads.txt is an initiative to replicate ads.txt’s success at verifying approved sellers of inventory. Using it, app publishers can list their authorized digital Suppliers and Buyers can ensure that they only buy in-app inventory from them.

As part of supporting this, BidSwitch offers a cross-store app-ads.txt information mapping service, which combines the information from the Apple and Google app stores into a unified search index containing all of the relevant information to implement app-ads.txt validation as part of real-time bidding.

Mapping Service Overview

1. BidSwitch obtains a complete list of all active applications, in both the Apple app store and the Google Play app store.

2. Each individual App on this list will be crawled regularly to update/validate their app-ads.txt information. As part of this, BidSwitch augments the list with each app’s bundle ID, app name, store URL, and Developer Domain.

3. If possible, BidSwitch will merge the two App store records into one. The merge only occurs if the application’s records have an exact, case sensitive, match in both the app_name and dev_url fields

4. BidSwitch makes this mapping information available in JSON format, here: https://appadstxt.bidswitch.com/apps.json

Example File Format

{
    "app_count":4,
    "apps":[
        {
            "dev_url":"https://www.rovio.com/",
            "app_name":"Angry Birds Classic",
            "google_play":{
                "bundle":"com.rovio.angrybirds",
                "store_url":"https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.rovio.angrybirds&hl=en"
            },
            "iTunes":{
                "bundle":"343200656",
                "store_url":"https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/ab-classic/id343200656"
            }
        },
        {
            "dev_url":"https://king.com",
            "app_name":"Candy Crush Saga",
            "google_play":{
                "bundle":"com.king.candycrushsaga",
                "store_url":"https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.king.candycrushsaga"
            }
        },
        {
            "dev_url":"www.gameloft.com",
            "app_name":"MY LITTLE PONY: MAGIC PRINCESS",
            "iTunes":{
                "bundle":"533173905",
                "store_url":"http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/id533173905"
            }
        },
        {
            "dev_url":"www.gameloft.com",
            "app_name":"MY LITTLE PONY: Magic Princess",
            "google_play":{
                "bundle":"com.gameloft.android.ANMP.GloftPOHM",
                "store_url":"https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.gameloft.android.ANMP.GloftPOHM"
            }
        }
    ]
}