Getting Started with ad:personam Self-Serve DSP

ad:personam is an AI-powered Self-Serve Demand-Side Platform (DSP) that makes programmatic advertising accessible to everyone. Launch display, video, Connected TV (CTV), audio, and in-app campaigns across premium inventory — with no minimum spend, transparent pricing, and tools built for non-experts and agencies alike.

Planning Mode

Every new account starts in Planning Mode — full access to the ad:personam media planning toolkit with no subscription and no payment required.

Planning Mode is designed to let you explore the platform, research your markets, and build confidence before committing to a plan. You can stay in Planning Mode for as long as you need.

What You Can Do in Planning Mode

• AI Media Planner — Generate tailored campaign strategies with AI assistants specialised for programmatic, LinkedIn, and Google Ads
• Forecast — Simulate a campaign setup against live marketplace data to estimate reach, impressions, win rates, and available inventory
• Domain Query — Look up any domain to see its available channels, ad types, countries, and creative sizes
• Domain Discovery — Generate domain lists from our database of premium inventory domains for targeting
• Inventory Sources — Browse the full network of SSPs and exchanges available on the platform
• Private Marketplace Deals — Explore available PMP deals across publishers
• Data Marketplace — Research audience segments with pricing and reach data

Planning Mode uses ad:personam's preset currency and timezone. Advertiser-specific objects (targeting lists, conversion pixels) are not available until you subscribe and create an advertiser.

Subscribe and Start Your Free Trial

When you are ready to launch campaigns, choose a subscription plan. Eligible new subscriptions include a 30-day free trial with full platform access until the trial ends. Past subscribers are not eligible for another free trial.

Starter Plan

Built for display advertising. Launch banner campaigns with all essential targeting, optimisation, and reporting tools across premium inventory.

PRO Plan

Unlock every channel — display, video, audio, Connected TV (CTV), and in-app. Designed for agencies and advertisers running multimedia campaigns at scale, with advanced features and priority support.

Compare plans in detail

Billing Essentials

• Stripe securely collects your payment method during checkout
• Plans renew monthly after the free trial, when applicable — cancel anytime with no penalties
• Upgrade or downgrade through the Billing Portal at any time
• All payments processed securely through Stripe
• Campaign media spend is invoiced separately from your subscription

Complete Your Profile

Before you can create an advertiser, your profile must include:

• Company Name
• VAT ID

Go to Profile from the user menu to add these details. They are required for billing and EU Digital Services Act compliance. Without them, the advertiser creation form will prompt you to complete your profile first.

Advertiser Policy

ad:personam maintains strict content and compliance standards. Before creating campaigns, review the Advertiser Policy to understand what is and is not allowed on the platform.

Prohibited content includes:

• Illegal products, services, or activity
• Hate speech, harassment, and exploitative content
• Graphic violence and explicit sexual material
• Weapons, illegal drugs, and counterfeit goods
• Malware, deceptive software, and cloaking
• Misleading claims, fake scarcity, and bait-and-switch tactics
• Incentivized clicks, bot traffic, and non-organic traffic schemes

High-risk verticals — such as gambling, sweepstakes, Medicare, and finance campaigns — require prior approval and compliance documentation.

Policy violations can trigger immediate enforcement, including creative rejection, campaign suspension, or account suspension. Review the full Advertiser Policy and the Policy FAQ for details.

Launch Your First Campaign

Once your subscription is active and your profile is complete, follow these steps to go live:

1. Create an Advertiser

The advertiser is the top-level container for everything — campaigns, creatives, line items, conversion pixels, and targeting lists. Set your brand name, timezone, currency, and website URL.

Follow the advertiser creation guide

2. Set Up Conversion Tracking (Recommended)

Install the Universal Pixel on your website to start collecting page-view data for retargeting. Create Conversion Pixels for specific events (purchases, sign-ups) to enable CPA optimisation.

3. Create a Campaign

A campaign groups your creatives and line items. Set flight dates, brand safety presets, and optionally override the advertiser's timezone or currency.

Follow the campaign creation guide

4. Build Your Line Items

The line item is where your strategy lives — budget, bidding, targeting, pacing, and inventory selection. Each line item runs independently within its parent campaign.

5. Upload Creatives and Publish

Upload your ad files (banners, video, HTML5, audio) at the campaign level, then publish them to line items via tags. One creative can serve across multiple line items with different landing pages and tracking.

6. Review, Invoice, and Pay

Once your campaign is built, you receive an automated invoice for the media budget. Pay by credit card, bank transfer, or digital wallet through Stripe. Optionally, pre-fund your credit balance to cover future campaigns automatically.

Platform at a Glance

Next Steps

• Explore in Planning Mode — Use the Forecast and Domain Query tools to research your markets
• Understand the platform structure — Read the Platform Overview to learn how advertisers, campaigns, and line items work together
• Compare plans — Review Subscription Plans to find the right fit
• Get answers — Check the Billing FAQ for common questions about trials, upgrades, and payments