Traffic Sources

• Site vs Link
• Create a Site Source
• Create a Link Source
• Site/App Approval
• Placement Rules
• Traffic Quality

Site vs Link

Summary

DAO.AD supports two traffic source types: Site and Link.

Choose Site when you own a website and can install DAO.AD ad code directly on the page.

Choose Link when you want to monetize traffic without direct access to a website, such as traffic from social networks, messengers, redirects, or other external sources.

Before You Begin

• Role: Webmaster
• Estimated time: 1 minute

Source Types

Site

A Site source is used when you own or manage a website.

You will need to:

• Add your website URL
• Verify website ownership
• Provide traffic statistics
• Install DAO.AD ad code on your website

Typical examples:

• News websites
• Blogs
• Content portals
• Forums
• Entertainment websites

Link

A Link source is used when traffic is sent from external platforms and you can not install code directly on a website.

You will need to:

• Specify a traffic source name
• Select a category
• Provide traffic statistics

Typical examples:

• Social media traffic
• Messenger traffic
• Redirect traffic
• Purchased traffic
• Arbitrage traffic

Comparison

Feature	Site	Link
Website required	Yes	No
Website verification	Yes	No
Traffic statistics required	Yes	Yes
Ad code installation	Yes	No
Suitable for website owners	Yes	No
Suitable for external traffic	No	Yes

When to Choose Site

Choose Site if:

• You own the website
• You can modify website code
• You want to monetize website visitors directly

When to Choose Link

Choose Link if:

• You buy traffic from external sources
• You use social media traffic
• You use redirect or arbitrage traffic
• You do not have direct access to website code

Related

• Create a Site Source
• Create a Link Source
• Site/App Approval
• Placement Rules

Create a Site Source

Summary

A Site source allows you to monetize traffic from a website that you own or manage. To create a Site source, you must provide your website URL, verify ownership, select the appropriate category, and submit the source for approval.

Before You Begin

• Role: Webmaster
• Required information:
  - Website URL
  - Website traffic statistics
  - Access to website files or source code
• Estimated time: 3-5 minutes

Steps

1. Navigate to the Sources section and select the desired ad format.
2. Click Create Source.
3. Enter the Source name and choose Site as the source type.
4. Select a Landing ID and specify your website URL.
5. Select the appropriate category:
   - Mainstream
   - Racy
   - Adult
6. Verify website ownership.
   DAO.AD requires website ownership verification before a source can be approved.
   You can verify ownership by:
   - Uploading the verification file to your website root directory, or
   - Adding the provided meta tag to your website header.
   
   1. Provide traffic statistics
      Enter your website traffic information.
      Supported statistics sources:
      - Google Analytics (provide traffic statistics to the moderation team for Approval)
      - LiveInternet (to approve source, share your site visits statistics Only URL to detailed statistic)
      - Other analytics platforms
      Provide:
      - Daily Visits
      - Statistics URL
      - Statistics access details (if required)
      
7. Click Save to submit the source for moderation.
   After submission, the moderation team will verify the provided information and approve or decline the source.

Troubleshooting

Issue: Website ownership verification fails.

Solution: Make sure that:

• The verification file is accessible from your website root directory, or
• The verification meta tag has been added correctly.

After updating the website, try saving the source again.

Related

• Site vs Link
• Site/App Approval
• Create a Link Source
• Traffic Type

Create a Link Source

Summary

A Link source allows you to monetize traffic without owning a website. It is designed for webmasters who use social media, redirect traffic, arbitrage traffic, or other external traffic sources.

Note: Link sources do not require website ownership verification or code installation. They are intended for traffic sources that do not have a dedicated website.

Before You Begin

• Role: Webmaster
• Required information:
  - Source name
  - Traffic category
  - Traffic statistics URL
• Estimated time: 1-2 minutes

Steps

1. Navigate to the Sources section and select the desired ad format.
2. Click Create Source.
3. Enter the Source name and choose Link as the source type.
   
4. Choose one of the available landing pages that matches your traffic source.
5. Select the appropriate category:
   - Mainstream
   - Racy
   - Adult
6. Configure Postback (Optional)
   If you use a tracker or external system, you can configure a postback URL to receive conversion events.
   Available postback types:
   - CPA
   - RevShare
   - All Events
   Enter your Postback URL and select the appropriate postback type.
7. After submission, the moderation team will verify the provided information and approve or decline the source.

Troubleshooting

Issue: Source was declined during moderation.

Solution: Make sure that:

• The selected category matches your traffic.
• The landing page is appropriate for your audience.
• Traffic statistics are available upon request.
• The provided information accurately describes the traffic source.

After updating the website, try saving the source again.

Related

• Site vs Link
• Site/App Approval
• Create a Link Source
• Traffic Type

Site/App Approval

Summary

Every new traffic source submitted to DAO.AD is reviewed before it becomes active. The moderation team verifies ownership, traffic quality, content compliance, and technical requirements to ensure the source meets platform policies.

Note: Link sources do not require website ownership verification or code installation. They are intended for traffic sources that do not have a dedicated website.

Before You Begin

• Role: Webmaster
• Required information:
  • Approved Site or Link source
  • Working website or traffic source
  • Correct traffic category
• Accessible traffic statistics

Estimated time: Usually a few minutes (may take longer depending on workload)

Approval Process

After submitting a new traffic source, DAO.AD performs a moderation review before activation.

During the review, moderators verify:

• Website ownership (for Site sources)
• Website availability
• Traffic quality
• Selected category
• Content compliance
• Technical requirements
• Policy compliance

If everything meets the requirements, the source status changes to Approved and traffic monetization becomes available.

Possible Source Statuses

Status	Description
Pending	The source is waiting for moderation.
Approved	The source has been approved and is ready for monetization.
Rejected	The source was declined because it doesn't meet one or more requirements.
Disabled	The source has been manually disabled or suspended.

Common reasons for rejection

A source may be rejected for several reasons, including:

• Website cannot be accessed.
• Verification failed.
• Incorrect or misleading category.
• Invalid or insufficient traffic statistics.
• Unsupported website content.
• Low-quality or prohibited traffic.
• Violation of DAO.AD policies.

If your source is rejected, review the provided information, correct any issues, and submit it again.

How to Speed Up Approval

To reduce moderation time:

• Make sure your website is publicly accessible.
• Verify website ownership correctly.
• Select the appropriate category.
• Provide accurate traffic statistics.
• Submit complete information.
• Ensure your website complies with DAO.AD policies.

Troubleshooting

Issue: My source is still pending.

Solution: Approval usually takes only a few minutes, but may require additional review during periods of high moderation activity.

Issue: My source was rejected.

Solution: If you believe the rejection was made by mistake, contact your account manager or DAO.AD Support.

Related

• Site vs Link
• Create a Site Source
• Create a Link Source

Placement Rules

Summary

Follow these placement guidelines to maximize performance while providing a positive user experience. Proper ad placement also helps your traffic pass moderation more quickly.

Before You Begin

• Role: Webmaster
• Required information:
  • Approved Site Source
  • Installed JavaScript Tag
• Estimated time: 5 minutes

Recommended placement

1. Install DAO.AD tags only on pages that receive real visitor traffic.
Examples:

• News websites
• Blogs
• Forums
• Entertainment websites
• Utility websites

2. Avoid placing ads
Do not place advertising tags on:

• Login pages
• Payment pages
• Checkout pages
• Error pages
• Empty pages
• Hidden pages
• Pages with no content

3. User experience

For best performance:

• Avoid excessive advertising.
• Do not cover important page elements.
• Ensure ads do not block navigation.
• Keep page loading fast.

4. Popunder recommendations

• Trigger only after user interaction.
• Avoid multiple popups on the same page.
• Configure reasonable delay intervals.

5. In-Page Push recommendations

• Do not cover menus or buttons.
• Place notifications where they do not interfere with reading.
• Use moderate animation settings.

6. Video recommendations

• Keep the video player visible.
• Avoid overlapping page controls.
• Choose an appropriate player size for desktop and mobile devices.

Troubleshooting

Issue: Low CTR or reduced revenue.

Solutions: Review your ad placement and verify that advertisements are visible without negatively affecting the visitor experience.

Related

• JavaScript Tag (Push)
• JavaScript Tag (Inpage Push)
• JavaScript Tag (Video)
• Site/App Approval

Traffic Quality

Summary

This page explains how DAO.AD evaluates traffic quality and which types of traffic are not allowed.

Before You Begin

• Role: Webmaster
• Required information:
  • Active DAO.AD account
• Estimated time: 2 minutes

How DAO.AD Checks Traffic Quality

DAO.AD uses multiple methods to monitor traffic quality, including:

• proprietary anti-fraud systems;
• additional traffic analysis services;
• automated checks;
• manual reviews.

Traffic quality is continuously monitored to ensure that traffic meets DAO.AD requirements and advertiser standards.

Prohibited Traffic

The following types of traffic are not accepted:

• Bot traffic - traffic generated by bots or automated systems.
• Incentivized traffic - traffic generated by offering users rewards or other incentives for performing actions.
• Artificial clicks - artificially generated clicks that do not represent genuine user activity.
• Fraudulent traffic - any traffic generated through fraudulent or deceptive methods.
• VPN and Proxy traffic - DAO.AD does not accept traffic generated through VPNs or proxies, as it may be rejected by advertisers.
• Any traffic that violates the DAO.AD platform rules.

Why Traffic Quality Matters

High-quality traffic is important for maintaining stable monetization and advertiser demand.

Traffic quality can affect:

• advertising demand;
• CPM and CPC rates;
• overall revenue;
• the availability of advertising campaigns.

Maintaining genuine user traffic helps ensure better monetization performance.

Account Restrictions

Accounts may be restricted or blocked in cases of:

• prohibited traffic;
• violations of DAO.AD platform rules;
• attempts to manipulate traffic or advertising activity;
• systematic fraud.

If suspicious or fraudulent activity is detected, DAO.AD may take action against the traffic source or account.

What Should I Do If My Traffic Quality Is Questioned?

If you believe your traffic has been incorrectly classified or you need clarification about traffic quality:

• Review your traffic sources and traffic-generation methods.
• Make sure your traffic does not include prohibited or artificial sources.
• Check whether VPN or Proxy traffic is being used.
• Contact your personal manager or DAO.AD Support for assistance.

Related

• Site/App Approval
• Placement Rules
• Traffic Statistics
• Create a Site Source
• Create a Link Source
• Terms of Use