Upload a creative

A creative is the ad a reader sees. Most advertisers upload an image. For an ad that takes on each newsletter's look, see Create a native creative.

Before you start

• Have the image ready, sized to one of the sizes below.
• Have the landing page live, on HTTPS. The Advertising Policy requires HTTPS for all assets and click-through URLs.

Steps

1. Open Creatives and select New Creative.
2. Enter a Creative Name and choose the Advertiser.
3. Keep Creative Type on Image.
4. Enter the Click-Through URL. This is where a click goes.
5. Choose an IAB Category. It's optional on the form, but the Advertising Policy requires the correct category for restricted products, and publishers use it to block categories.
6. Select Upload File and drop in your image.
7. Under Ad Size, choose the size that matches your image.
8. Under Assign to Line Item (optional), pick a line item if you have one ready.
9. Select Create Creative.

Sizes

Size name	Pixels
Leaderboard	728×90
Medium Rectangle	300×250
Newsletter Rectangle	350×250
Billboard	970×250
Hero / Showcase	970×550

A banner runs only in slots that accept its exact size. New ad units accept all five by default, but publishers can remove sizes or add their own.

Custom lets you enter any size. A custom size runs only where a publisher has added that exact size, so it reaches far fewer newsletters. It doesn't change to the nearest standard size, whatever the hint on the form says.

To reach more slots, upload the same ad in more sizes. Each size is its own creative, on its own line item.

File rules

• PNG, JPEG, GIF or WebP.
• Up to 5 MB each.
• The file's contents must match its type.

The upload box also mentions SVG, but SVG files are refused.

Use an image on your own server

Select External URL and enter the Image URL. We fetch the image from your server when ads are served, so if your server is slow or the file moves, the ad may not show. Uploading is safer.

Upload several at once

1. On Creatives, select Batch Upload.
2. Choose Advertiser (all files).
3. Enter a Default Click-Through URL.
4. Drop in your images. Each one gets its own row.
5. Set each file's name and size. Every file starts on Leaderboard, so check this.
6. Select Upload N Creatives.

Use Apply to all to overwrite the URL on every file still waiting.

HTML Snippet creatives

Track impressions with your own pixel

3rd-Party Impression Pixel URL is optional. We call this URL from our side each time the ad is shown. You can use ${CACHEBUSTER}, ${TIMESTAMP}, ${CREATIVE_ID}, ${LINE_ITEM_ID}, ${PLACEMENT}, ${GEO} and ${DEVICE} in it.

What happens next

The creative appears with the approval Pending Review. MailAdx reviews it before it can serve. See Get a creative approved and what ads are allowed.

You can click a creative's row at any time to preview it.

For agencies

Choose the client under Advertiser. The creative belongs to that client.

For publishers

There's no advertiser to choose. Owner shows Your direct-sold inventory, and the creative goes through the same review.

If something goes wrong

• "Unsupported file type". Use PNG, JPEG, GIF or WebP.
• "File too large". The limit is 5 MB.
• "File contents do not match type". The file isn't really what its name says. Export it again.
• The Create Creative button is greyed out. It needs a name, a click-through URL and an image.
• The Advertiser list says "Add an advertiser first". Agencies add clients on the Advertisers page.
• The image can't be replaced. An uploaded image stays as it is. Delete the creative and upload a new one.