Require AUTH_DIRECT and AUTH_RESELLER

ads.txt authorization is a targeting key on this seat. We have almost never used it. This page is a plan for requiring authorized inventory. It is not a judged result.

GET /rest/v2/ref/ads-txts returns four values: AUTH_RESELLER id 6, AUTH_DIRECT id 7, UNAUTHORIZED id 8, UNKNOWN id 9. The key lives in the environment module. There is no ads.txt field on the campaign or line-item object.

As of September 4, 2026, 0 of 142 targeting_sets mentioned it. The live portfolio's environment module was null, which means those campaigns accepted unauthorized and unknown-authorization inventory. That matters because domain-grain waste was the largest bucket on the first Supply Audit run (45 findings, $48.82).

What we will not claim yet

On September 9, 2026 we applied a 5/5 test: five campaigns received ads_txt any-of AUTH_DIRECT and AUTH_RESELLER on their existing exchange expressions. Five controls were left untouched. The product compiler still does not emit ads_txt, so this change is exchange-side only. A later compile from stored targeting would drop it.

The deciding metric is treatment versus control strict IVT after one complete UTC day, read from Beeswax performance_agg, not from Neon. Secondary: did the treated half still deliver its share of the daily budget. We will not decide on CTR. If treatment IVT is not lower and delivery held, revert. If delivery collapsed, revert immediately.

Until that decision is written, do not treat authorized-only targeting as a proven quality fix. ads.txt did not save this buy already showed that unauthorized spend on an earlier pull was $0.48 of hundreds of dollars. Authorization is necessary and not sufficient. Authorized inventory can still be junk is that reading.

One trafficking change per day still holds. Compiler support is a second change and was not shipped with the test. One trafficking change per day is the rule.