How to Verify Ads on 'Locked' Premium Content (Paywalls)

Premium ads live on premium content. But premium content is increasingly moving behind "Paywalls." For an AdOps team, verifying a placement on a "Subscriber Only" article on the Wall Street Journal or The Financial Times is a major technical hurdle.

How do you take a screenshot of something you can't "See" for free?

1. The "Preview" Placement

Many publishers serve ads to non-subscribers in the "Preview" block above the paywall. AdShot Pro's Role: We capture the public view of the paywalled article, proving that your ad is visible to the high-intent audience even if they haven't logged in yet.

2. Interaction Simulation

Sometimes, a "Lead Gen" pop-up or a "Subscribe" banner covers the ad on a paywalled site. AdShot Pro's Role: Our engine can be configured to "Clear" these overlays or wait for them to stabilize, ensuring you get a clean capture of the ad next to the "Locked" content.

3. Verifying the "Contextual Match"

Even if the text is blurry for non-subscribers, the headline and the category (e.g., "MARKETS" or "TECH") are usually visible. AdShot Pro's Role: We provide the full-page context to prove that your ad appeared in the specific premium section it was booked for, regardless of the paywall status.

Summary

Don't let paywalls prevent your reporting success. Use AdShot Pro to document your premium placements on the world's most exclusive news sites.

Targeting premium readers? Audit your paywalled placements with AdShot Pro.