> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://adly-news.gitbook.io/adly.news-docs/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://adly-news.gitbook.io/adly.news-docs/01-getting-started/01-overview.md). # Platform Overview [adly.news](https://adly.news) is a marketplace that connects newsletter creators with businesses looking to advertise to engaged audiences. This guide explains how the platform works and the core concepts you'll encounter. ## The Two-Sided Marketplace [adly.news](https://adly.news) brings together two types of users: ### Newsletter Owners Newsletter owners are creators who publish email newsletters and want to monetize their audience. They have three complementary revenue streams: * **Direct sponsorships** — Connect their newsletters from platforms like Beehiiv, Kit, or Mailchimp; create ad slots with pricing and specifications; review and respond to bids from businesses; manage bookings and receive payments. * **Cross-promotions** — Partner with other newsletters to grow each other's audiences. Feature another newsletter and earn a cost-per-subscriber rate for every verified new subscriber you drive — all tracked and paid automatically. * **Affiliate links** — Generate trackable share links for products from a curated advertiser network and earn commission on every sale they drive. No applications, no negotiation — pick a brand, pick a creative, share the link. ### Businesses (Advertisers) Businesses are companies or individuals who want to reach targeted audiences through newsletter advertising. They: * Browse and discover newsletters that match their target audience * Submit booking requests or make offers on ad slots * Create campaigns for newsletters to apply to * Provide creative assets and pay for placements ## Core Concepts ### Newsletters A newsletter is an email publication connected to [adly.news](https://adly.news). Newsletter owners link their newsletters from supported platforms (Beehiiv, Kit, Mailchimp, The Newsletter Plugin, GetResponse) to display subscriber counts, open rates, and other metrics. ### Ad Slots An ad slot is an advertising opportunity within a newsletter. Newsletter owners create ad slots with: * **Name** — A descriptive name for the placement * **Format** — The type of ad (Featured Top Post, Newsletter Post, Banner, etc.) * **Price** — The cost for a single placement * **Specifications** — Image dimensions, character limits, and CTA requirements * **Publishing Days** — Which days of the week the newsletter publishes ### Bookings A booking is a confirmed ad placement. When a business books an ad slot, they: 1. Select an available date 2. Provide their business information 3. Upload creative assets (image, copy, CTA) 4. Complete payment Bookings have the following statuses: | Status | Description | | ------------------- | --------------------------------- | | **Pending Payment** | Booking created, awaiting payment | | **Confirmed** | Payment received, ad scheduled | | **Completed** | Ad has been published | | **Cancelled** | Booking was cancelled | ### Booking Requests & Offers There are two ways for businesses to express interest in an ad slot: **Booking Requests** — A request to book at the listed asking price. The newsletter owner can: * **Accept** — Agree to the booking (business has 48 hours to complete booking) * **Decline** — Decline with an optional message **Offers** — A price negotiation for an ad slot. Businesses can submit a different price. The newsletter owner can: * **Accept** — Agree to the offer price (business has 48 hours to complete booking) * **Counter-offer** — Propose a different price * **Decline** — Decline with an optional message ### Campaigns A campaign is an advertising opportunity created by a business. Instead of reaching out to newsletters individually, businesses can create a campaign describing their advertising needs, and newsletter owners can apply to participate. Campaigns include: * **Title and description** — What the campaign is about * **Date range** — When ads should run * **Payment type** — Fixed price, negotiable, cost-per-lead (CPL), or cost-per-subscriber (CPS) * **Ideal newsletter description** — What type of newsletters they're looking for #### Cost-Per-Lead (CPL) Campaigns CPL campaigns let businesses pay only for qualified leads. Instead of a flat fee, the business sets a price per lead and a maximum payout. When a newsletter publishes the ad, readers are directed to a branded lead capture page. The newsletter earns money for each lead collected, up to the max payout. Payouts are processed 4 days after the newsletter post is published. #### Cost-Per-Subscriber (CPS) Cross-Promotions CPS campaigns are newsletter-to-newsletter cross-promotions. A sponsoring newsletter pays a cost per verified new subscriber. The publisher features the sponsoring newsletter with a tracking link that captures reader emails. The platform verifies new subscriptions via the sponsoring newsletter's ESP API. See [Cross-Promotions](/adly.news-docs/02-newsletter-owners/11-cross-promotions.md) for the full guide. ### Affiliate Links Affiliate links are a self-serve revenue stream for newsletter owners. Instead of waiting for a business to book or campaign to apply to, newsletters can pick from a curated library of advertisers and generate trackable share URLs on demand: * Pick an advertiser (each one shows commission rate, EPC, category, and brand icon) * Pick a creative (banner image or text link) * Get an instant trackable share URL (and ready-to-paste banner embed HTML) * Drop the URL into a newsletter — clicks are recorded, commissions are attributed automatically Commissions accrue as **Pending** until the advertiser pays out (typically 30-60 days), then flow into the same available balance as ad-slot earnings. The platform takes a 13% fee on affiliate commissions. ## The Booking Flow Here's how a typical booking works: ``` Business discovers newsletter ↓ Business submits booking request or offer ↓ Newsletter owner reviews and accepts ↓ Business has 48 hours to complete booking ↓ Business provides creative assets ↓ Business completes payment ↓ Booking is confirmed ↓ Newsletter owner publishes ad ↓ Booking automatically marked complete ↓ Newsletter owner can withdraw payout ``` ## The Booking Request Flow Here's how booking requests work: ``` Business submits booking request at asking price ↓ Newsletter owner reviews request ↓ ┌────┴────┐ ↓ ↓ Accept Decline (with message) ↓ Business has 48 hours to complete booking ↓ Booking confirmed or request expires ``` ## The Offer Flow Here's how the offer/negotiation process works: ``` Business submits offer ↓ Newsletter owner reviews offer ↓ ┌────┴────┬────┐ ↓ ↓ ↓ Accept Counter Decline ↓ offer ↓ ↓ ↓ Business reviews ↓ ↓ ↓ Accept/Decline ↓ ↓ └───┬───┘ ↓ Business has 48 hours to complete booking ↓ Booking confirmed or offer expires ``` ## The Campaign Flow Here's how campaigns work: ``` Business creates campaign ↓ Newsletter owners browse campaigns ↓ Newsletter owner applies with proposed rate ↓ Business reviews applications ↓ Business approves application ↓ Booking is created ↓ Standard booking flow continues ``` ### CPL Campaign Flow ``` Business creates CPL campaign (sets cost/lead + max payout) ↓ Newsletter owner applies and is approved ↓ Max payout amount is escrowed ↓ Newsletter publishes ad with lead capture link ↓ Readers submit leads via branded capture page ↓ 4 days after publication, payout is calculated ↓ Newsletter earns: leads × cost/lead (capped at max payout) ``` ## The Cross-Promotion Flow ``` Sponsoring newsletter creates CPS campaign (sets cost/subscriber) ↓ Publishing newsletters browse and apply ↓ Sponsoring newsletter approves and pays escrow ↓ Publishing newsletter receives tracking link with email merge tag ↓ Readers click through → email captured → forwarded to sponsoring newsletter ↓ Platform verifies new subscribers via ESP API ↓ Publisher earns: verified subscribers × cost/subscriber (minus 13% fee) ↓ Unspent escrow returned to sponsor's earnings balance ``` ## The Affiliate Link Flow Here's how affiliate links work: ``` Newsletter picks an advertiser from the library ↓ Newsletter picks an asset (banner or text link) ↓ We generate a trackable share URL (https://adly.news/a/) ↓ Newsletter drops the URL (or banner embed) into a post ↓ Reader clicks → click recorded → forwarded to advertiser ↓ Reader completes a purchase → advertiser reports commission ↓ Commission shows as Pending in newsletter dashboard ↓ Once advertiser pays out, commission moves to available balance ↓ Newsletter withdraws via Stripe Connect ``` ## Payments ### For Newsletter Owners Newsletter owners receive payments through Stripe Connect: 1. **Connect Stripe** — One-time setup to link your bank account 2. **Pending Balance** — Earnings from confirmed bookings (awaiting completion) 3. **Available Balance** — Funds ready to withdraw 4. **Withdraw** — Transfer funds to your bank (2-5 business days) The platform takes a 13% fee on all transactions — direct bookings, cross-promotion subscriber payouts, and affiliate commissions. ### For Businesses Businesses pay for bookings through Stripe: 1. **Card Payment** — Pay securely with credit/debit card 2. **Invoicing** — Receive invoices for your records ## Messaging Both newsletter owners and businesses can communicate through the built-in messaging system. Conversations are linked to specific bookings and provide a secure way to: * Discuss creative requirements * Share feedback on ad copy * Coordinate scheduling changes * Ask questions about the newsletter or business ## Notifications The platform sends notifications for important events: * New booking requests and offers received * Requests/offers accepted or declined * Counter-offers received * Bookings confirmed * Messages received * Payments processed You can customize which notifications you receive in your settings. ## Next Steps Ready to get started? * **Newsletter Owners:** Continue to [Newsletter Owner Quick Start](https://github.com/PhilGabardo/newsletter-ads-marketplace/blob/main/01-getting-started/02-newsletter-quickstart.md) * **Businesses:** Continue to [Business Quick Start](https://github.com/PhilGabardo/newsletter-ads-marketplace/blob/main/01-getting-started/03-business-quickstart.md) *** [Get started on adly.news →](https://adly.news) --- # Agent Instructions This documentation is published with GitBook. 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