How to use it
Pull your break list
Every break type you run: pre-roll, mid-roll, and any channel-specific variants.
Pull channel reporting
Fill and CPM by channel for the last full quarter.
Check your partner deals
Distribution and OEM agreements, for the signal question.
The checklist
Free to copy. No signup. Nothing shortened.
Pod and auction
- 1
Pod rules and competitive separation across every break type
Separation is often configured once, for one break type, and never extended. Mid-roll and pre-roll do not always inherit the same rules.
- 2
In-session frequency
How many times would one viewer see the same ad in one sitting across your break structure. High repetition is usually a fill-strategy problem, not a demand problem.
Economics
- 3
Fill and CPM viability by channel
Our working line: channels below about 70% fill or under $10 CPM rarely carry their content and distribution cost at scale. Treat it as a diagnostic signal, not a reason to drop the channel.
- 4
Signal pass-back
If an OEM, device maker or smart TV platform holds household signal and you have no pass-back agreement, you may be paying a third party to rebuild it. It shows up as a weaker CPM, not as a line item. Raise it at renewal.
What this checklist will not tell you
- The 70% fill / $10 CPM line is our rule of thumb from CTV/FAST reviews, not an industry benchmark. Your content cost decides your real line.
- None of these checks covers the supply path itself (ads.txt, sellers.json, resellers). Run the free checker for that.
- Pod and separation rules live in your ad server. This list tells you what to look at; it cannot see your configuration.
Practical questions
Is this really free?
Yes, no signup. Copy it or download it as a text file.
Who is it for?
FAST channel owners, CTV app publishers, sales houses and monetization platforms selling CTV inventory programmatically.
Does the free checker work for CTV apps?
Yes, if you provide the app-ads.txt URL. It cross-checks your declared sellers against sellers.json data from each SSP.
What does a Yield Review add?
We run these checks plus the full 14-point supply path list on your accounts, for a fixed €1,500, and show the calculation behind every finding.