FAQ

AOL Advertising Specs, Guidelines and Policies - Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q: What are AOL Advertising "specs" and guidelines?
A: AOL Advertising specifications (specs) and guidelines are the approved technical requirements for all forms of online advertisements across the AOL network. AOL ad specs and guidelines encompass components such as file size, animation length, flash coding, creative guidelines, approved ad servers, etc. AOL ad specs and guidelines insure maximum performance of advertisements across the various platforms of the AOL network while maintaining the best experience for our users.

Q: Are AOL Ad Specs and Guidelines compliant with IAB standards?
A: Yes. AOL is a member of the Internet Advertising Bureau (IAB). AOL's ad specs and guidelines are in line with the IAB's suggested online advertising standards and in many areas, exceed the IAB's general requirements. AOL strives to maintain ad specs and guidelines that provide a competitive advantage while preserving the user experience.

Q: Where can I find AOL Ad Specs and Guidelines?
A: AOL Ad Specs and Guidelines may be found internally on ARC or externally on the AOL Advertising Ad Specs site.

Q: Do AOL Ad Specs, Guidelines and Policies apply to AOL, Ad.com, Ad Portal and other areas of AOL?
A: Yes. AOL's Ad Specs, Guidelines and Policies are "universally" applied across all platform/business areas of the AOL network. Special sections have been designated to indicate technical specification differences for Ad Portal, AOL Homepage, Video and Mobile that require unique functionality considerations beyond AOL O&O, .

Q: What is the difference between the Ad Spec information page located on ARC and the section located on Advertising.aol.com?
A: The internal AOL Ad Spec page located on ARC includes points of contact, a direct link to the Ad Specs section on the trade site and a listing of downloadable AOL Ad Policy documents. The AOL Ad Policy docs outline AOL's advertising policies for such key areas as alcohol, political, religious, targeted advertising and more.

The Ad Specs section located on the trade site includes a complete listing of technical specs, demos, guidelines, approved ad serving partners and general ad policies. This information is listed on AOL's external facing advertising site for the benefit and use of both internal AOL Advertising teams as well as existing and potential advertisers, agencies, and ad serving partners, to provide them with an overview of the AOL's creative advertising requirements.

Q: How should I proceed if a client would like to run an advertisement that falls outside of AOL's advertising specs & guidelines?
A: The sales lead should submit a Unified Request Form for Ad Spec/Policy Exceptions (URF) via Salesforce.com. URFs must be submitted at least 48 hours prior to the launch of the advertisement's intended launch date. The Sales lead will be contacted via email by their regional Launch & Traffic manager with approval, denial or request for additional information. Review time of a URF varies based on the complexity of the exception request. Note: Submission of a URF should be considered a last resort for potential AOL advertisers.

Q: Where can a potential advertiser find AOL Adverterising rates and general brand information?
A: Advertisers may visit the AOL Advertisting site at: http://advertising.aol.com. For ad rate inquiries visit: http://advertising.aol.com/contact-us/advertiser-info-request

Q: Who are the points of contact if I have additional questions?
A: Please reach out to the following contacts: 

• For all questions related to AOL Advertising Technical Specifications and Guidelines and/or AOL Advertising Policies please send to adspecs@teamaol.com.