You can inspect webpage ads that show on desktop or laptop browsers with Ad Manager's delivery tools or Google Publisher Console. For mobile web, you can only use Ad Manager.
The webpage ads inspector helps you see which ads are eligible to deliver to your content. Inspecting eligible ads can help you troubleshoot or understand ad selection. You can inspect ads that appear in browsers that are used on desktops, laptops, or mobile devices (also referred as mobile web).
Some common questions that can be answered by the webpage ads inspector are:
- Which ads delivered on my page?
- Why these ads and not others?
- Are my line items and creatives set up correctly?
- Were any protections or pricing rules applied to a given request?
- Why is my line item behind schedule or not delivering at all?
Details can be shared with other users in your network to help collaborate and troubleshoot.
Jump to a specific section
Inspect your webpage with Ad Manager delivery tools
- Sign in to Google Ad Manager.
- Click Delivery
Delivery tools.
- Click Webpage ads to inspect desktop or laptop browser delivery, or click Mobile web ads to inspect mobile browser delivery.
- Enter the URL of the webpage to inspect.
- (Optional) Select a specific line item to troubleshoot.
- Click Continue.
The URL opens in a separate window. You can return to Ad Manager to see delivery details.
Inspect your webpage with Google Publisher Console
The information displayed in the Google Publisher Console is not part of Ad Manager delivery tools. Return to Ad Manager to see all of the details for each ad delivered.
To inspect with the Google Publisher Console:
- Open the webpage in a desktop or laptop browser.
- Open the Google Publisher Console.
- Click Open in Delivery Tools.
See delivery details in Ad Manager
Once your webpage opens, Ad Manager displays information about each request and what ad delivered. Each row on the page represents an ad slot and request.
In the "Action" column of Ad Manager delivery tools, click Inspect for delivery details about a row, and to simulate the request to see why a different ad may have delivered than expected.
When you inspect ad delivery, you are shown an overview of the request. You can click to see creative details, troubleshooting (Beta), and auction details.
Overview
Details about the ad request
- Time that the request was made
- Div: Identifies where on the page the ad slot appears, such as "
top". - Ad unit associated with the request
- Requested sizes: All sizes defined in the ad request.
- Key values: All key-values defined in the ad request. Click See all to review the full list.
Information about what delivered
- Demand channel: The method used to select the ad, such as "Open Bidding" or "Ad server".
- Advertiser, order, line item, and creative, each with their associated IDs. To open each in Ad Manager, click their names.
- Line item type and priority
- Creative size
- Creative type
Creative details
The "Creative details" tab includes information such as the creative that served, creative type, advertiser, associated line item and suggestion.
For Ad Exchange or AdSense creatives only, the "Creative details" tab also allows you to:
- Block ad: Prevent the creative from serving. The blocked ad appears in the "Blocked" tab of Creative review.
- Report to policy: Submit a creative that may have potential policy issues for review.
Troubleshooting (Beta)
The "Troubleshooting" tab gives you information about:
- Ad request targeting: The targeting that was passed in the ad request.
- Line item targeting: The targeting that is set up on the line item.
- Targeting comparison: Any differences between targeting that existed in the request versus targeting that was set up on the line item.
The information gives you a quick glance into potential targeting differences that may have led to ads not being served.
Auction details
The "Auction details" tab shows pricing rules and protections applied to the ad request, and any programmatic delivery channels that were eligible to serve.
Share details
You can share the details with users who have access to your network. This helps you collaborate with others to help determine a plan for troubleshooting your line items.
- Above the details on the Troubleshoot page, click Share this session.
- Click Copy URL. The URL is now copied to your clipboard and ready to be pasted.
- Send the URL to a user with access to your network to paste the URL into their browser.
Simulate ad requests
A simulation shows which line item would win if you were to request the ad slot again. If an unexpected line item wins the simulation, you can see why. Change targeting and tag information to try and get the desired line item to win the simulation.
When you click Simulate request, Ad Manager runs a simulation and provides the details outlined below.
Original request
This section recreates how the ad request you selected on the Troubleshoot page actually delivered. It includes:
- Ad request details: The request and targeting information for the winning line item.
- Winning line item details: The delivery details for the winning line item.
- View non-delivery reasons: Click this button to see reasons why other line items were selected to serve over this one in cases that this line item was eligible. Here are details of the possible non-delivery reasons.
Simulation
Shows what would happen if you were to request this ad slot again.
Ad request details
The request and targeting information for the simulation, which defaults to the current settings.
Winning line item
The delivery details for the line item that wins the simulation.
Search for the line item you were expecting to win
If an unexpected line item wins the simulation, you can search for the line item you thought would win and click Go. Details for the winning line item and the reasons for non-delivery of the line item you searched for are shown.
Learn more about causes for line item non-delivery
Rerun simulation
You can change the targeting and tag information under "Ad request details" and then click Rerun simulation to see if the winning line item changes. If you eventually find a simulation that provides the desired winning line item, you can go back and update the actual targeting and tag information.
Why is the simulated winning line item different from the original?
There are several possible reasons for this. Here are a few:
- Every run request, whether actual or simulated, happens dynamically. As a result, several things can change from one request to the other, including run time, goals, new line items to compete against, and so forth.
- The ad selection process can result in different line items serving to requests.
- The simulation only considers one ad slot at a time. Therefore, if original winning line item is part of a request with multiple ad slots, like a roadblock, it won't win the simulation.
- The line item reached a frequency cap.
- The line item met its delivery goal.
Why did my line item not deliver 100%?
Ad Manager distributes impression delivery based on both the Deliver impressions setting for the line items and Ad Manager pacing rules that attempt to optimize delivery. Changes to pacing may affect traffic and delivery.
If your think your line item isn't delivering properly, try the line item delivery troubleshooter or learn more about delivery pacing.