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Real-time ad payload sanitizer for publishers
A SaaS proxy service that sits between ad networks and publisher websites, intercepting and sanitizing ad creative payloads in real-time before they reach users. It strips dangerous JavaScript, validates ad content against safety policies, and provides publishers with visibility and control over what ad networks serve to their visitors.
Why this matters
You run a website that relies on ad revenue, but you have zero visibility into what the ad networks actually serve your visitors. A certified vendor could be delivering spyware through your pages for years without your knowledge. When users get infected, they blame you, not the ad network. You need a way to inspect and sanitize every ad creative before it reaches your audience, but current ad tech gives you no tools to do this. The real-time bidding system actively disincentivizes you from caring about ad content as long as CPM stays high.
- · Built for Mid-to-large web publishers and ad networks who face liability and reputational risk from malicious ads served through their platforms.
- · Most likely monetization: SaaS subscription based on ad traffic volume.
The Pain · Narrative
You run a website that relies on ad revenue, but you have zero visibility into what the ad networks actually serve your visitors. A certified vendor could be delivering spyware through your pages for years without your knowledge. When users get infected, they blame you, not the ad network. You need a way to inspect and sanitize every ad creative before it reaches your audience, but current ad tech gives you no tools to do this. The real-time bidding system actively disincentivizes you from caring about ad content as long as CPM stays high.
Score Breakdown
Market Signal
Go-to-Market
CTOs and engineering leads at mid-sized web publishers (1M+ monthly visitors) who use programmatic advertising and care about user trust
~10,000 mid-to-large publishers globally who use programmatic ads and have engineering teams
Direct outbound to publisher CTOs via LinkedIn with case study from recent spyware incident
$500/month for up to 50M ad impressions sanitized
3 pilot publishers signed within 30 days of launch, each reporting zero malicious ads detected after deployment
MVP Scope · 1–2 weeks
- Build a lightweight reverse proxy that can intercept ad requests and responses in real-time
- Implement basic JavaScript static analysis to flag eval(), fetch(), and known obfuscation patterns in ad payloads
- Create a simple dashboard showing flagged ad content and source buyers
- Set up a test environment simulating RTB ad delivery with sample malicious and benign payloads
- Document the integration approach for header bidding and standard ad tag implementations
- Add automatic sanitization mode that strips flagged JavaScript while preserving ad display HTML
- Build reporting API for publishers to see blocked content and source ad buyers
- Implement performance optimization to keep added latency under 50ms per ad request
- Create integration documentation for top 3 ad servers (Google Ad Manager, Prebid, Xandr)
- Reach out to 20 mid-sized publishers for pilot testing with the sanitized proxy
Differentiation
Why This Might Fail
Self-rebuttal — the most important trust signal
- 1Publishers prioritize ad revenue over security and won't add any latency or risk blocking high-bidding advertisers even if payloads are suspicious
- 2Ad networks may refuse to work with publishers who use third-party inspection proxies, viewing it as a violation of their delivery terms
- 3Sophisticated attackers will evolve payloads to evade static analysis, requiring expensive dynamic sandboxing that adds too much latency for real-time ad delivery
Evidence Summary
How AI synthesized this insight — no verbatim quotes
Multiple commenters expressed shock that ad networks allow arbitrary JavaScript from buyers without sanitization, with one calling it essentially remote code execution. About 4 commenters discussed how the RTB system creates misaligned incentives where publishers don't care about ad content as long as CPM is maximized. The discussion highlighted that a certified vendor delivered spyware through major ad networks for six years undetected, suggesting publisher-side inspection tools are critically needed.
Action Plan
Validate this opportunity before writing code
Recommended Next Step
Validate
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Landing Page Copy Kit
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Headline
Real-time ad payload sanitizer for publishers
Sub-headline
A SaaS proxy service that sits between ad networks and publisher websites, intercepting and sanitizing ad creative payloads in real-time before they reach users. It strips dangerous JavaScript, validates ad content against safety policies, and provides publishers with visibility and control over what ad networks serve to their visitors.
Who It's For
For Mid-to-large web publishers and ad networks who face liability and reputational risk from malicious ads served through their platforms
Feature List
✓ Real-time JavaScript payload inspection and sanitization ✓ Dashboard showing all ad buyers and their delivered content ✓ Automatic blocking of buyers serving suspicious payloads ✓ Compliance reporting for ad safety standards ✓ API for integration with existing ad tech stacks
Where to Validate
Share your landing page in r/HN · front_page — that's exactly where these pain points were discovered.
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