Ad Guidelines

Ad Formats & Sizes

FifthBoston Ad Network supports all IAB standard display sizes, plus native and video formats. All sizes must be submitted as the exact pixel dimensions listed below.

Format	Dimensions	Common Placement	Status
Leaderboard	728 × 90	Page top / header	Active
Medium Rectangle	300 × 250	Sidebar / in-content	Active
Large Rectangle	336 × 280	In-content	Active
Half Page	300 × 600	Sidebar	Active
Billboard	970 × 250	Page top	Active
Wide Skyscraper	160 × 600	Sidebar	Active
Mobile Banner	320 × 50	Mobile header/footer	Active
Mobile Interstitial	320 × 480	Between content	Active
Native	Variable	In-feed	Beta
Pre-roll Video	16:9 aspect	Before video content	Beta

Technical Specifications

Display Ads

Property	Requirement
File formats	JPEG, PNG, GIF, WebP, HTML5
Max file size	150KB (static), 200KB (animated)
Animation	Max 3 loops, 15 seconds total, no auto-sound
Frame rate (GIF)	24 fps maximum
Color space	sRGB
Border requirement	1px solid border required on white/light backgrounds
Click destination	Must be functional, HTTPS only

HTML5 / Rich Media

Property	Requirement
Initial load	Max 200KB
Total weight (with subload)	Max 2.2MB
User-initiated sound	Allowed (button required)
Auto-initiated sound	Not allowed
CPU usage	Max 50% initial, 30% subsequent
Expansion	User-initiated only, must include close button

Native Ads

Native ads must include all of the following components:

• Headline: 25 characters maximum
• Body text: 90 characters maximum
• Image: 1200 × 627px minimum, JPEG or PNG
• Brand name / advertiser name: clearly labeled
• "Sponsored" or "Ad" disclosure label (applied automatically)

Content Policy

All creatives must comply with applicable laws and the following content standards. Ads that violate these policies will be rejected or taken down without refund.

Required Elements

• Clear identification of the advertiser or brand name
• Honest representation of the product, service, or offer
• Landing page must match the ad's offer and creative
• All claims must be substantiated and not misleading
• Pricing, terms, and conditions must be clearly disclosed

Language & Tone

• No excessive capitalization, excessive punctuation, or clickbait language
• No false urgency or manufactured scarcity ("Only 2 left!" without basis)
• No deceptive framing designed to mimic system alerts or OS notifications
• Calls to action must accurately describe the destination action

Prohibited Categories

The following categories are not permitted on FifthBoston Ad Network under any circumstances:

• Adult content, pornography, or sexually explicit material
• Illegal products or services (drugs, weapons, counterfeit goods)
• Gambling and online betting without jurisdiction-specific approval
• Tobacco, e-cigarettes, and vaping products
• Prescription pharmaceuticals and unapproved health claims
• Payday loans and predatory financial products
• Get-rich-quick schemes, pyramid structures, and MLM recruitment
• Malware, spyware, or any software designed to harm devices or users
• Political advertising without prior written approval
• Content targeting children under 13 without COPPA-compliant consent flows
• Hate speech or content that discriminates by race, gender, religion, or national origin
• Shock content, graphic violence, or disturbing imagery

Review Process

All creatives are reviewed before serving on the network. Here is what to expect:

1. Submit your creative through the campaign dashboard. Accepted formats: JPEG, PNG, GIF, WebP, HTML5 ZIP.
2. Automated checks run immediately for file size, format, and basic content flags. Most are complete in under 60 seconds.
3. Human review is completed within 24 hours on business days. Creatives submitted after 5pm EST are reviewed the following morning.
4. Approved creatives are marked Active and begin serving immediately. Rejected creatives receive a reason code and revision guidance via email.
5. Revised creatives re-enter the queue and are typically reviewed within 12 hours.

Expedited Review

Growth and Enterprise plan advertisers may request expedited review (under 4 hours) by contacting ads@fifthboston.services with their campaign ID. This is available for time-sensitive campaign launches, subject to availability.

Best Practices

Creatives that follow these guidelines consistently outperform those that don't. These are recommendations, not requirements.

Visual Design

• Use high-contrast text on backgrounds -- minimum 4.5:1 contrast ratio
• Keep the primary message and CTA visible in the first frame if animated
• Avoid overly busy backgrounds that compete with your core message
• Use your brand's primary color prominently for recognition and recall
• Test light and dark background variants -- performance varies by publisher

Copy

• Lead with the benefit, not the feature ("Save 40%" beats "New pricing available")
• One clear call to action per creative -- avoid multiple competing actions
• Short, active verbs outperform passive descriptions in most verticals
• Personalization tokens (geo, device) improve CTR when used correctly

Landing Pages

• Match the headline and offer exactly between ad and landing page
• Mobile-optimized landing pages are mandatory -- over 60% of traffic is mobile
• Page load time under 3 seconds dramatically improves conversion rates
• Include a clear, above-the-fold call to action on the landing page

Questions?

If you have questions about whether your creative meets these guidelines, contact the review team before submitting. We would rather help you get it right the first time than reject a campaign mid-flight.

Email: ads@fifthboston.services
Response time: under 24 hours on business days, under 4 hours for Growth and Enterprise accounts.