We work hard to keep bad ads off your site 

At Raptive, we use conservative, family-friendly ad filters by default. We also work continuously to keep unwanted or inappropriate ads off your site.

While rare, an advertiser may occasionally mislabel an ad, and something slips through. If you ever see an ad that seems unsafe, inappropriate, misleading, or just doesn’t fit your brand, let us know right away. We’ll work to block it across all Raptive sites as quickly as possible.

Important to note: Some ads may not be “bad” but might belong to a sensitive category you’ve chosen to allow. You can check which ad categories are enabled for your site in the Ad preferences section of your Raptive dashboard.

In this article:

• How to report a bad ad
• Why am I still seeing an ad after reporting it?
• Can I block ads or specific brands based on my personal preferences?
• What if I hear audio autoplaying in an ad?

How to report a bad ad

When reporting a bad ad, the two most important things to send us are:

• The ad’s URL (destination link)
• A clear screenshot showing the ad in context

These help us correctly identify and block the source. Blocking the actual URL is the only reliable way to keep the ad from showing again.

Step 1: Capture the ad’s URL

This is the most important part of your report. Ad blocks are URL-specific, so each unique URL must be submitted.

Here’s how to capture it:

• Mouse over the ad: Many ads show the destination URL in the browser’s bottom-left corner.
• Right-click the ad: Some ads let you “Copy link address” or similar.
• Tap and hold on mobile: This often reveals the ad’s landing page URL.

Tip: Ads that look the same often have different URLs—each one needs to be submitted separately.

Step 2: Take a screenshot

A good screenshot helps us track down the ad’s source. Make sure it’s:

• Large and clear
• Includes page context around the ad (surrounding content, header, sidebar, etc.)

Step 3: Submit a support ticket

Include:

• The ad URL
• The screenshot
• Any extra notes—how often you’ve seen it, which pages, device type, etc.

Once we get your ticket, we’ll work quickly to block the advertiser across all Raptive sites.

Why am I still seeing an ad after I reported it?

Even after we block a bad ad, you might still see something similar. Here's why that happens:

1. Mislabeling by advertisers 

Ad filtering depends on accurate categorization by the advertiser. If the creative is mislabeled, it can bypass filters.

2. New URLs for the same ad 

Ad blocks are tied to specific URLs. If the advertiser changes the URL but keeps the same image or video, the original block won’t catch it.

If that happens, send us the new URL so we can block that one too.

Can I block ads or specific brands based on my personal preferences?

In many cases, yes, but there are some limits.

What we can block 

We can submit requests to block specific advertisers or categories, as long as our ad partners allow site-level blocks.

What we can’t guarantee 

Some ad partners don’t support site-specific blocks. When that's the case, a block applies to all Raptive sites or not at all. That means:

• We’ll do our best to honor personal requests
• We can’t guarantee a brand or ad will never appear again
• Programmatic ads may reappear through different URLs or channels

Still, if it’s technically possible, we’ll try to block it.

What if I hear audio autoplaying in an ad?

We block audio-autoplay ads across the Raptive network. If you’re hearing one, there are two likely reasons:

1. You're logged into WordPress 

When you're logged in, filters may not apply the same way. You could see test or unfiltered ads that your visitors won’t.

Try this:

• Open your site in a private/incognito window
• Make sure you're logged out of WordPress
• Check if the audio ad still appears

2. An advertiser is bypassing filters 

If the ad still plays audio:

• Right-click the ad (or tap and hold on mobile)
• Copy the ad’s URL
• Send it to us in a support ticket with a screenshot

We’re always here to help. If something looks off, send it our way and we’ll do our best to track it down.