According to our data gathered for the latest edition of AdSecure’s Violations Report Q2 2024, Landing-page-error was the top 1 in the top 10 detection ranking, amassing 18.90% of all violations detected during the quarter, worldwide. This detection can not only represent a security threat for the end user, but also seriously damage the reputation of the website where the ad with the compromised or broken link has been placed. In this article we tell you how Landing-page-error violations impact end user experience and how to detect landing page errors on an ad campaign:
How Landing-page-error violations impact end user experience
This is how Landing-page-error violations impact end user experience: an alert is shown to the end user explaining that a broken link (404 Error, 5xx, timeouts, etc.) has been identified in the path (intermediate redirect links inside the chain) between the click URL and the landing page. These errors could be due to:
#1 A broken link by an oblivious Advertiser: Most of the times, Landing-page-error violations happen because the Advertiser has made a mistake, or has changed URLs on their landings but forgot to do so on their campaigns, and this ends up with 404 errors or 5xx alerts. These alerts can make the end user feel unsafe when clicking on ads on a Publisher website, which can damage the site’s reputation with the end user. On the other hand, this also results in Advertisers paying for campaign impressions, but because of the broken flow from ad to landing page, their offers will not convert.
#2 A hijacked link by the hands of a Malvertiser: Sometimes Landing-page-error violations are actually caused by a Malicious Advertiser, who has changed the link in order to redirect the end user to a different location. Whether it be a landing page with illegitimate and annoying but harmless advertising of their own, or a malicious landing containing scam content, viruses, or more. For instance, the redirect link could lead to landings containing:
- Malware downloads, Auto-downloads and Malicious APK Files
- Unwanted-programs, such as Browser hijackers, Spyware, Adware, Keyloggers, and more.
- Phishing links, Ransomware and Scareware
- Cryptojacking or Drive-by mining exploits
- And more.
When a Landing-page-error is detected due to a Malvertiser’s doing, this could represent a huge threat for the end user’s security. It could lead to their bank details or other sensitive personal information being exposed, stolen or swindled out of them, and their devices damaged, sometimes beyond repair. This is how Landing-page-error violations impact end user experience when there is malicious intent.
How does Landing-page-error affect your website?
At this point you may be wondering, "Remove 404 landing page errors from my Ad Network or website?". And you would be right to wonder! Because aside from knowing how Landing-page-error violations impact end user experience, it is also important to understand that this violation can heavily impact website performance. Landing-page-error poses a significant threat to Publishers because the broken links can lead end users to associate the website with low-quality or dangerous content, making them click off and potentially never come back. Ad Networks may face Publishers pulling out of partnerships, worried and asking themselves how can a broken ad link impact my website? And sometimes even Advertisers, if they have not been made aware that there was an issue on their campaigns and they have been paying for wasted impressions. Unfortunately, when spread with malicious intent, this detection can also violate user privacy by stealing sensitive information or displaying unwanted content, even downloading threats onto the end user’s device! This could potentially lead to Google blocking or penalizing the Publisher, impacting the website authority and Google ranking, heavily reducing the company's reach.
Landing-page-error and IAB Standards violations go hand in hand
If you are wondering how to detect landing page errors on ad campaigns or how to remove 404 landing page errors from your Ad Network, bear in mind that several ad violations on same ad supply chain can happen, especially when the ad supply chain has already been compromised. Landing-page-error being a violation that in some cases is caused by human error or lack of knowledge, it is often the case that one same ad chain contains Landing-page-error and IAB Violations. To refresh your memory, The IAB (Interactive Advertising Bureau) Standards are a set of guidelines and best practices established to ensure consistency and quality in digital advertising. These standards cover ad formats, placements, measurement and weight, and creatives. Following them helps ensure a better end user experience, aiding you in protecting your brand reputation and that Advertiser campaigns function properly. There are 4 distinct IAB violations:
Iab-ad-compression: To optimize the file size for delivery of an ad to a browser, the assets within the ad should be delivered in compressed formats such as gzip. This detection will flag ads that are not compliant with the IAB standards within this category, which means they are not delivered in a compressed format.
Iab-ad-request-count: Ads consist of multiple resources. The number of requests made to fetch these resources has a significant impact on the load performance of the ad as well as on the page where the ad is displayed. This detection will flag ads that are not compliant with the IAB standards in terms of ad request count. IAB recommends a maximum of 10 requests.
Iab-ad-weight: This detection flags ads that are not compliant with the IAB standards in terms of ad weight and according to what are standard IAB sizes.
Iab-ad-dimensions: The IAB recommends certain ad dimensions that contribute to the majority of revenue and are sufficient to advertise across multiple screen sizes. This detection will flag ads that are not compliant with the IAB standards in terms of ad dimension.
How Landing-page-error violations impact end user experience gets even worse when this violation coexists with other user experience detections on the same ad supply chain! Same as with Landing-page-error, it is the responsibility of Ad networks to inform their Advertiser and Publisher clients when the IAB guidelines have not been followed. As well as educating Advertisers on how to optimize their ad resources' quality and efficiency, in order to provide the best possible experience for the end user, also avoiding problems for the Publisher whose website displayed their ads, and ensuring ad effectiveness at all times.
How to protect my website against Landing-page-error?
So now, how to detect landing page errors on ad campaigns? As an Ad Network, you are probably already Googling "How to remove 404 landing page error from my Ad Network"! The best way to make sure that your Ad Network or website is free of violations or mistakes and avoid how Landing-page-error violations impact end user experience, is by implementing ad security practices and using tools such as AdSecure for real-time threat detection scans, security audits, and monitoring. The AdSecure platform offers advanced scanning and ad security solutions designed to identify and eliminate potential risks. This helps you ensure a secure online experience for the end user, also protecting the reputation of your brand, while enhancing cybersecurity within your organization.
It is also worth investing in an efficient compliance team who checks ad supply chains manually in order to make sure that every element within them isn’t broken or hasn’t been compromised, to ensure the safety and proper functioning of Advertiser ad campaigns. This way, the end user and the Advertiser’s investment are both safe. In fact, the combination of both elements is generally the best solution. AdSecure is used as an everyday ad security tool by Ad Network in-house Compliance teams across the globe, helping them automate their tasks and giving them an extra reliable security layer where human capabilities end.
Conclusion: How Landing-page-error violations impact end user experience
Malvertisers persistently refine their tactics to mislead end users and breach their online and device security. But also, a lot of Advertisers are not entirely aware of Advertising best practices and guidelines. Sometimes, they are simply too busy making their business grow! So, it is the responsibility of Ad Networks and Publishers to educate them on Industry standards in order to keep the online environment a safe and pleasant one, always guaranteeing the end user’s safety above it all.
Do you want more information on how Landing-page-error violations impact end user experience or how to detect landing page errors on an ad campaign? Are you worried about finding several ad violations on same ad supply chain in your Ad Network? We are here to help! Get in touch with our team to learn how AdSecure can help you protect your end users from Landing-page-error and other violations, or why not sign up with AdSecure today!