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Ads

Unlike publisher sites — where editorial content sits next to commerce links — ad networks sell placement across third-party properties: an in-feed card on a news app, a sponsored result on an app store, a video pre-roll on a streaming service, a sidebar unit on a social feed. The buyer doesn’t arrive on the ad network’s property; they arrive on whichever app or site the ad network filled inventory for.

When commerce can complete inside the ad placement (or in a partner-branded surface the ad routes to), the entire ad-to-purchase friction disappears.

​​ What this category covers

Ads as a destination category includes:

Type What it does
Shoppable ad units In-feed and sponsored cards that allow product selection and checkout without leaving the ad host
Transactable ad-driven landing pages Ad clicks route to a partner-branded checkout flow rather than the merchant’s storefront
Sponsored search and discovery Sponsored results on app stores, marketplaces, or search platforms where purchase happens inline
Video and CTV ad commerce Pre-roll, mid-roll, and overlay ad formats with embedded purchase paths

​​ Why ads are a Firmly destination

Ad-driven commerce is where the friction is highest and the addressable value is largest:

  • Ad-to-purchase drop-off — every click between ad and order placement reduces conversion. In-ad or partner-branded checkout removes the redirect cost.
  • Brand and attribution continuity — keeping the buyer in the advertiser’s brand (or the ad host’s surface) preserves ad-platform attribution and conversion event quality.
  • PCI scope offload — advertisers running shoppable ad campaigns don’t want to own PCI, fraud, tokenization, or PSP relationships.
  • Multi-merchant ad inventory — an ad placement can promote any merchant on Firmly without per-merchant integration.

​​ Which Firmly solutions apply

Solution When to use it
Ad Commerce The primary solution for ad-driven destinations. Designed for shoppable ad placements and ad-to-checkout flows.
Branded Commerce When the ad routes to a partner-branded checkout under the advertiser’s or ad host’s domain.

​​ Status today

The Firmly platform supports ad-driven commerce destinations today, with first ad-network integrations in production. Broader coverage across additional ad networks is on the roadmap. Specific ad-network compatibility — including ad-platform conversion signals, click-ID preservation, and attribution — is scoped during the onboarding conversation.

​​ What to think about

  • Click-ID preservation. Ad-platform click identifiers need to be carried server-side through the checkout session so conversion postbacks attribute correctly.
  • Conversion signal delivery. Each ad platform expects its own conversion-event format. Firmly fires events to the ad networks the partner has credentials for. See Branded Commerce → Integration Patterns for the pixel-channel matrix.
  • Compliance and disclosure. Ad placements have platform-specific disclosure requirements. Pre-purchase consent UX is documented under Consent & Disclosure.