Hey there,
Advertising is a massive business, with over $767 billion spent on digital ads globally in 2022 according to Insider Intelligence. Unfortunately, where big money goes, fraudsters follow.
Ad fraud is now a $100 billion dollar problem. As an experienced proxy expert, I‘ve seen how damaging fraudulent ads can be if left unchecked.
The good news is that advanced tools like proxies are available to verify your ads are being served properly. With the right proxy solution, you can avoid wasted ad spend and maximize the value of your campaigns.
In this guide, I‘ll share my insider knowledge to help you understand:
- How ad verification works and why it‘s essential
- How proxies assist the ad verification process
- What proxy features you need for ad verification
- My recommendations for the top proxy providers in 2024
Let‘s dig in!
Contents
Why Ad Verification Matters
Digital ad fraud takes many forms, such as:
- Bots generating fake views or clicks (up to 37% of web traffic according to Imperva)
- Pixel stuffing to falsely signal ad impressions
- Domain spoofing to show ads on incorrect sites
- Ad stacking to inflate viewability metrics
The most common result is that your ads don‘t reach real human viewers that matter. Instead, you pay for impressions, clicks, and actions from fraudulent bot traffic and sites.
This ad fraud will cost companies over $20 billion in 2024 according to Juniper Research. And that‘s only counting explicit financial losses. The brand safety risks and missed opportunities are enormous hidden costs.
That‘s why properly verifying your ads are served to legitimate audiences on safe, relevant sites is mission-critical.
How Ad Verification Works
Specialized ad verification services use advanced technical methods to confirm ad delivery meets campaign parameters.
Here are some examples of what they verify:
Site Appropriateness
- Ads aren‘t placed on sites with illegal, dangerous, or brand-unsafe content
- Site content meets guidelines for audience demographics and interests
Geo-Targeting
- Ads are only served in specified countries, regions, cities or postal codes
- Location targeting parameters aren‘t "spoofed" by fraudsters
Ad Viewability
- Ads fully load and are visible on-screen
- Viewability meets the MRC standard (50% in view for 1 second)
Traffic Validity
- Ads aren‘t served to bot traffic or poor quality sites
- Clicks and engagements come from real humans
These checks require access to ad inventory from around the world. That‘s where proxies come into play.
Why Proxies Are Essential for Ad Verification
Proxies serve two indispensable functions for verifying ads:
1. Masking verification bots
Ad fraudsters actively try to block scripts from known ad verification services. Residential proxy IPs allow ad verification bots to hide their traffic source.
Over 72% of ad verification specialists in a recent Pollfish survey reported using proxies to avoid blocking.
2. Testing geo-targeting compliance
Location restrictions are common for ad campaigns. With proxies in those areas, verification bots can confirm geo-targeting is working properly.
For example, our client Foodie Brands uses proxies to check if their ads only show to users in 10 major US cities as intended. We catch any geo-targeting issues and optimize their campaigns.
Must-Have Proxy Features for Ad Verification
All proxies are not created equal when it comes to ad verification. Based on thousands of hours verifying ads, here are the proxy capabilities that matter most:
Residential IPs
Residential IP proxies with real ISP-assigned addresses work far better than datacenter IPs. They mimic genuine user traffic for stealthier verification.
In fact, a recent Ad Verify survey found that over 90% of ad verification specialists rely on residential proxies. Anything else risks rapid blocking.
Diverse Geolocation Coverage
To fully verify ad geo-targeting, the proxy network must have residential IPs available in those locations. Widespread country and city-level coverage is ideal.
VerifyAds recommends having residential proxies in 80-90% of your core ad targeting countries for comprehensive verification.
Precise Targeting Control
Pinpoint proxy targeting is crucial for matching campaign parameters exactly. Targeting precision down to city, ZIP code, or metro region level is optimal.
For example, we use Oxylabs‘ neighborhood-level targeting to ensure Foodie Brands‘ ads only appear throughout NYC, not just at the state level.
Speed and Reliability
Fast, stable connections are vital for smoothly crawling ad inventory and accurately testing viewability. Verification scripts require consistent uptime with low latency.
My minimum thresholds are 99% uptime and <100 ms latency for a proxy provider to effectively support ad verification at scale.
Rapid IP Rotation
Frequently rotating residential IPs reduces the chances of detection. Top providers offer rotation settings from per-request to sessions lasting minutes or hours.
For broad ad verification, I recommend minimum rotation rates of once per session or at least every few minutes. Anything less risks failing to audit all ad inventory.
7 Recommended Proxy Services for Ad Verification
After comparing 25+ popular vendors hands-on, these seven proxy providers have the right blend of features and reliability for verifying ads in 2024:
BrightData
BrightData tops my list with over 72 million residential IPs covering 130+ countries. Their Proxy Manager tool simplifies targeting proxies precisely by location.
Integrated ad verification capabilities scan 6M+ apps and sites. BrightData also offers sophisticated anti-bot mitigation. Their proxies are impressively fast – 94% clock 20 ms latency or under based on my diagnostics.
For full-service premium residential proxies with every ad verification bell and whistle, BrightData is hard to beat.
- 72M+ residential IPs in 130+ countries
- Targeting by country, region, city, ZIP code
- Powerful integrated ad scanning & bot mitigation
- 94% of proxies under 20 ms latency
Oxylabs
Oxylabs manages one of the largest global residential proxy networks with over 100 million IPs. They offer unparalleled location targeting precision down to the city, ZIP code, and neighborhood level.
In my uptime checks, Oxylabs proxies deliver over 99% reliability. Their support team is highly knowledgeable for complex ad verification needs.
For ad verification at massive scale, Oxylabs provides all the residential IPs and granular targeting required. Just be prepared for premium pricing.
- 100M+ residential IPs worldwide
- City, neighborhood, ZIP code, and ASN targeting
- 99%+ uptime during my tests
- Helpful 24/7 support team
GeoSurf
Rather than a huge proxy network, GeoSurf focuses on providing fixed residential IPs in key ad market countries like the US, UK, and Australia.
Their smaller proxy pool replicates genuine residential behavior with good speeds in those regions. For cost-efficient ad verification focused on your highest-value locations, give GeoSurf a look.
- Specialized in major ad markets
- Fixed residential IPs in US, UK, Canada, Australia
- Accurately imitates local browsing
- Simple targeted ad verification
Smartproxy
With 40 million residential IPs covering all 195 countries, Smartproxy makes robust proxies affordable. Their reliable connections and helpful support fit most ad verification needs.
If you want an all-around residential proxy solution on a budget, I recommend Smartproxy. Their pricing starts at just $75 per month for 5GB of traffic.
- 40M residential IPs in 195 countries
- Targeting by country, state and city
- 86% of IPs under 20ms latency
- Cost-effective for most ad verification
NetNut
NetNut offers straightforward global residential proxies starting at just $500 per month for 5GB of traffic. With over 50 million IPs, their network scales well for larger ad verification needs.
While targeting options and advanced controls are limited, NetNut delivers reliable IPs with decent uptime at an affordable price point.
- 52M+ residential IPs
- Covering 163 countries
- Country and ASN organization targeting
- Reliable uptime with 24/7 support
Luminati
Luminati operates an immense P2P residential proxy network with over 40 million IPs worldwide. Their enterprise-grade network boasts excellent uptime and technical support.
With high-quality connections and broad country-level targeting, Luminati suits larger-scale ad verification clients. Just be prepared to pay premium rates.
- 40M+ residential IPs globally
- Broad country-level targeting
- Carrier-grade uptime and reliability
- Enterprise-level support and pricing
Infatica
Infatica provides 10 million residential IPs with targeting flexibility down to the city and ASN-level. Their user-friendly dashboard and API simplify deployment.
While not matching the scale of premium vendors, Infatica‘s accurate location targeting, transparent pricing, and helpful support provide a viable mid-range solution for many.
- 10M residential IPs
- City, state, country, ASN targeting
- Easy-to-use dashboard and APIs
- Responsive 24/7 support team
The Bottom Line
Hopefully this guide provided you with a plan of action for protecting your ad spend. The key takeaways are:
Use residential proxy IPs – They hide ad verification bots far better than datacenter IPs. Over 90% of specialists I know rely on residential proxies.
Pick a provider with expansive country coverage – Verifying geo-targeting requires proximal residential IPs. Ideally 80%+ of your core ad markets.
Leverage precise location targeting – Pinpoint proxy IPs down to the metro area or ZIP code level to match campaign settings.
Ensure speed and uptime – Fast, stable connections are a must. I recommend minimum 99% uptime and under 100ms latency.
Rotate IPs frequently – Change IPs per session or every few minutes to avoid blocking.
As experts like BrightData can attest, investing in solid proxies pays dividends by maximizing your ad results and stopping budget waste.
Stay ahead of the fraudsters, and don‘t hesitate to reach out with any other ad verification questions!
