Monetize your Ghost newsletter with MailAdx ads
Ghost supports custom HTML in email templates via Handlebars. Add MailAdx ad tags to your Ghost newsletter sends and earn from every open with open-time ad serving.
Why add MailAdx to Ghost?
How to integrate MailAdx with Ghost
- 1
Create your MailAdx publisher account
Sign up for a free MailAdx account and create your ad placement in the Publisher Portal.
- 2
Access Ghost's email customization settings
In Ghost Admin, go to Settings → Email. Ghost Pro allows custom email templates. You can also use Ghost's newsletter content sections with custom HTML cards.
- 3
Add the MailAdx ad tag to your Ghost template
In your Ghost email template (or as a recurring HTML card in each issue), paste the MailAdx ad tag. Ghost exposes member properties — use the email hash field if available, or contact MailAdx support for the recommended Ghost-specific setup.
- 4
Test with a preview member
Ghost's email preview lets you test with a specific member. Confirm the ad loads and the impression appears in your Publisher Portal.
Ghost editor tips
Ghost Pro allows email customization under Settings → Email newsletter. You can also add a recurring HTML card in the post editor that flows into the email edition. Member-specific variables depend on your Ghost version — verify with a test member send.
<!-- MailAdx ad tag — decision runs at open time -->
<a href="https://mailadx.com/api/v1/serving/click?pub=YOUR_PUB&pk=header&eh={{EMAIL_SHA256}}"
target="_blank">
<img src="https://mailadx.com/api/v1/serving/display?pub=YOUR_PUB&pk=header&eh={{EMAIL_SHA256}}&w=600&h=100"
width="600" height="100" alt="" />
</a>
<!-- Replace {{EMAIL_SHA256}} with your ESP's email hash merge tag -->Ghost + MailAdx: common questions
Does Ghost expose a SHA-256 email hash for subscribers?
Ghost exposes member data in templates via Handlebars variables. The specific hash variable depends on your Ghost version and hosting setup. Contact MailAdx support for the recommended configuration.
How does billing work when I send through Ghost?
You pay Ghost for email delivery as usual. MailAdx charges only when a subscriber opens and the ad image is requested — not when Ghost sends the email. A 10,000-recipient send with a 35% open rate generates roughly 3,500 billable impressions, not 10,000.
Can I use multiple ad placements in one Ghost template?
Yes. Create separate ad units in MailAdx (e.g., header, mid-roll, footer) and paste each tag in a different HTML block. Each placement has its own floor CPM and reporting in the Publisher Portal.
Does the Ghost integration work on mobile email clients?
Yes. MailAdx serves standard HTML image tags that render in Gmail iOS/Android, Apple Mail, Yahoo, and Outlook mobile. No JavaScript runs inside the inbox — the ad is a plain image request at open time.
Billing with Ghost
MailAdx bills publishers a flat platform fee per impression served — typically $0.30–$0.50 CPM — regardless of which ESP you use. Your Ghost subscription fee is separate; MailAdx does not charge per send or per subscriber. Advertisers pay you directly (or via programmatic demand) above the platform fee. Top up credits in the Publisher Portal before going live; impressions pause gracefully when credits reach zero.
Troubleshooting Ghost + MailAdx
Ad image shows as broken or blank
Confirm the email-hash merge field substitutes in a real Ghost test send — not just the editor preview. An empty hash causes MailAdx to skip the auction. Re-send a test to yourself, view the raw HTML source, and verify the eh= parameter is populated.
Impressions not appearing in Publisher Portal
Open the test email in a client that loads remote images (Gmail web, Apple Mail with images enabled). Some corporate Outlook configs block external images by default. Wait 60 seconds and refresh the portal — reporting is near-real-time.
Merge field syntax error in template
Each ESP uses different personalization syntax. Double-check you replaced {{EMAIL_SHA256}} in the MailAdx tag with Ghost's exact variable from the setup steps above. A typo in the merge tag will break the URL at open time.
Related resources
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