Publishers are becoming more selective about who gets access to their advertising inventory. According to DataBeat’s October 2026 Sellers Report, the programmatic market recorded a net decline of 65,200 ads.txt entries, the sharpest contraction in the report’s series. While reseller relationships accounted for most of the decline, direct seller entries also fell for the first time.
Yet some monetization providers are gaining ground. Adapex ranked #2 in DataBeat’s Emerging tier for direct domain growth, adding 189 direct domains and climbing 46 positions in the direct-coverage rankings. The findings raise an important question for publishers:
Is every monetization partner delivering enough value to justify its place in your ad stack?
Key Takeaways
- 65,200 net ads.txt entries were removed in October, with reseller relationships accounting for approximately 73% of the decline.
- Auction duplication remains a challenge. Removing authorized sellers doesn’t necessarily eliminate overlapping supply paths or improve auction efficiency.
- Adapex ranked #2 for direct domain growth among Emerging-tier SSPs, adding 189 direct domains and improving its ranking by 46 positions.
A More Selective Programmatic Marketplace
DataBeat analyzed ads.txt files across the top 50,000 U.S. publishers and found that approximately 397,000 entries were added while 462,100 were removed. Reseller entries declined by 47,800, compared with a 17,400 decline in direct entries. The sharper reduction in reseller relationships is consistent with increased attention to supply path optimization (SPO), as publishers and buyers seek to reduce unnecessary intermediaries and improve transparency.
But the decline in direct entries is particularly noteworthy. It suggests that scrutiny may be extending beyond reseller relationships to the broader monetization stack. That doesn’t mean fewer partners automatically lead to better results. Some intermediaries provide valuable access to specialized demand, geographic markets, or advertising formats.
The objective is to maintain the right partners, not simply the fewest.
Related reading: [Supply Path Optimization for Publishers]
Fewer Partners Doesn’t Necessarily Mean Better Auctions
One of the most useful findings in DataBeat’s report concerns auction duplication. An SSP may access the same publisher inventory through both direct and intermediary relationships, creating overlapping supply paths and potentially redundant auction participation.
DataBeat found that duplicated domains accounted for:
- 46% among Tier 1 (Established) SSPs
- 39% among Tier 2 (Scaling) SSPs
- 36% among Tier 3 (Emerging) SSPs
Although reseller-only connections declined, the share of domains with both direct and reseller relationships changed very little.
The takeaway: A smaller supply chain isn’t necessarily a more efficient one.
Publishers need to look beyond ads.txt cleanup and evaluate how their demand partners contribute to auction competition, latency, fill, and revenue. This is where ongoing header bidding optimization becomes particularly important. The right combination of demand partners, auction settings, and performance monitoring can be more valuable than simply adding or removing connections.
Adapex Gains Ground as the Market Contracts
While direct seller entries declined across the broader market, Adapex expanded its direct publisher presence. In DataBeat’s October 2026 Sellers Report, Adapex ranked #2 among Emerging-tier SSPs for new direct domains, adding 189 connections.
Adapex also climbed 46 positions in the Emerging-tier direct-coverage rankings. These results reflect an expanding direct publisher footprint during a period of broader market contraction. At Adapex, our focus is on helping publishers improve monetization through a combination of technology, demand access, and hands-on optimization.
Our Merlin™ header bidding wrapper, Magnify™ identity enrichment capabilities, and Matrix 2.0 analytics work alongside dedicated publisher support teams to improve auction performance and provide greater visibility into monetization results. While direct domain growth is not itself a measure of revenue performance, it is an encouraging indicator of Adapex’s growing presence among publishers.
Related reading: [What White-Glove Ad Monetization Actually Includes]
Three Things Publishers Should Review
DataBeat’s findings provide a timely reason to evaluate your current monetization setup.
1. Review your ads.txt relationships. Identify outdated or unnecessary entries, confirm direct and reseller classifications, and ensure changes won’t restrict valuable demand access.
2. Look for overlapping supply paths. Evaluate whether the same demand partners are accessing inventory through multiple routes and whether those relationships provide incremental value.
3. Measure partner performance. Look beyond the number of bidders or authorized sellers. Evaluate revenue contribution, auction efficiency, transparency, and the ongoing optimization your partners provide.
Ultimately, effective monetization isn’t about maintaining the largest partner list. It’s about ensuring that every relationship contributes meaningful value.
Is Your Monetization Partner Delivering?
As publishers reassess their ad tech relationships, it’s worth asking whether your current partner is delivering the performance, transparency, technology, and service your business needs.
[Put Your Monetization Partner to the Test →]
Or, contact Adapex to discuss opportunities to improve your auction efficiency and revenue performance.
Source: DataBeat, Sellers Report – October 2026. The report analyzes ads.txt files from the top 50,000 U.S. publishers. Market figures, direct-domain rankings, and auction duplication statistics are attributed to DataBeat.
