How do we calculate the Transparency Score?

The Sellers.guide Transparency Score is a cumulative result based on the insights we gather from an analyzed domain. It provides a quick overview of how safe the domain is, or how susceptible it is to dubious activity and fraudulent behavior.

We have 17 flags that inform publishers and buyers of the current state of an ads.txt file for any given domain. Each flag is weighted according to its significance to the domain’s safety. Flags that don't have an immediate threat (non-existing seats, for example) get a weight of 3% each. Flags that pose a medium-level threat get a 7-8% weight, and those that pose a more immediate threat get a 13% weight.

Our analysis page considers two separate paths of calculation: if your domain has an OwnerDomain value versus if it does not. Your Transparency score will differ as a result of the inclusion or exclusion of this field. Domains with OwnerDomain and ManagerDomain values will have a score comprised of 14 flags, while domains without these fields will have scores comprised of 12. The additional flags are associated with the ads.txt 1.1 update and the relationships related to these two fields.

This is our list of flags and the weights associated with each one:

No OwnerDomain Calculation

OwnerDomain Calculation:

We give each flag a score ranging from 0-100, according to the results of the scans we run. A flag that has a weight of 8% contributes between 0-8 points of the total score for the domain.

Take a look at the example below to see what we mean:

The weight for the “Non-Transparent Sellers” flag is 8%, so if…

To improve your score, we recommend you review the descriptions under the flags on the analysis result page that have yellow or red results. You can also read our blog on "Quick Wins for Cleaning Your Ads.txt" for more information on how to maintain your file with ease.