Here's some background info on these rogue ads and why we sometimes struggle to track them down - including details of how you might be able to help us in future, by downloading an app which grabs the info we need. Many thanks in advance if you are able to help - much appreciated as ever.
Why are Mumsnet showing me these annoying pop-up ads?
Mumsnet sell some of our advertising space directly to approved advertisers, but we also sell some through third-party partners. We do not sell pop-up ads ourselves - we know they are a really frustrating format. We have measures in place to prevent them being sold via third-party partners too, but rarely, unscrupulous parties manage to outwit the systems that are in place on most websites, including Mumsnet.
Why does it take so long to stop these adverts?
We work hard to stop these adverts as quickly as we can, but it’s difficult to work out where it’s coming from with only a screenshot or a URL; the fact that they are handled through a variety of third-party partners can also complicate things. Sometimes these adverts are only shown to users on specific mobile networks in specific cities within short bursts of time – again, this makes them hard for us to find.
Why can’t you find the advert from the URL?
You might have noticed on websites such as Twitter or Facebook that the link you click on is completely different to the page you are directed to. For example: t.co/sWSLYXccEv takes you to a Mumsnet books page. This is the same for online advertising – sometimes the page you land on is different to the URL we are told is serving. Whilst the final URL can be useful, we often need more information to track down the issue quickly.
How can I help Mumsnet stop these ads?
To help us stop these ads we need as much information from you as possible. This includes the phone type you were using, the browser or app, your mobile network provider, your location, time of day and - most importantly - the ‘ad calls’.
What are ad calls?
Ad calls are a piece of code that are loaded onto a page to request an advert to appear. Ad calls can pass from one party to another and sometimes one ad trigger several ad calls before an ad appears - we will often need to know the full chain of events to help us identify the guilty party.
How can I capture ad calls?
There is a free app on the Apple App Store called HTTP Watch that can help you easily capture all this information which you can then send onto us. It functions exactly like a normal web browser – but also captures every ad call and ad response that occur while you browse.
Will HTTP Watch record any private information such as login details?
No, your personal data is not captured. All that is captured are the various requests and responses that the page you are browsing makes - such as requests to third-parties to return adverts on the page.
How to use the HTTP Watch app
- If you are experiencing issues with adverts on your mobile device, go to the Apple App Store and download the free HTTP Watch Basic app.
- Once downloaded, open the app and type in the URL of the page where you last saw the bad ad
- If you do not see the bad ad, tap on the spanner icon at the bottom of the screen and tap ‘Clear Log’. If you don’t do this, the file may become too large to use.
- Refresh the page or go to another page to see if the ad appears. If the ad does not appear then repeat step 3.
- Once you see the bad ad you need to tap on the icon that looks like three horizontal bars in the bottom right hand corner of the screen. This is where all the ad calls have been captured whilst you have been browsing.
- Now tap the icon in the top right of the screen that is three horizontal lines.
- Tap ‘Email’ and then send this whole file to [email protected] , explaining what you saw with as much detail as you can.
Thanks again for your patience and help with this – it’s much appreciated.