What types of things can I block from appearing on my inventory?

Sovrn Ad Exchange supports six types of ad blocks, all managed from the Ad Quality tab in the Sovrn Platform:

IAB Category Blocks – Restrict ads based on industry-standard content categories.
Specialty Blocks – Exclude niche ad types beyond IAB standard categorization, such as political or gambling ads.
Attribute Blocks – Block ads with specific characteristics (e.g., autoplay sound, expandable creatives).
URL Blocks – Prevent ads from specific advertiser domains.
Creative ID Blocks – Exclude individual ad creatives by their unique ID.
Brand Blocks – Block ads from specific brands or advertisers.

This article lists every supported block. For step-by-step instructions on implementing them, see How do I block an ad from appearing on my inventory?

Attribute Blocks supported in Ad Exchange

Attribute blocks prevent ads with certain creative characteristics — such as In Banner Video, Text-only ads, or Survey ads — from serving on your page.

Sovrn supports these attribute blocks:

Audio Ad (User Initiated)
Expandable (Automatic)
Expandable (User Initiated - Click)
Expandable (User Initiated - Rollover)
Surveys
Text Only
User Interactive (e.g., Embedded Games)
Has audio on/off button
Ad can be skipped (e.g., skip button on preroll video)

Note: All Audio Autoplay, Pop-Overs, Pop-Unders, Pop-up on Exit, Provocative or Suggestive ads, and Windows Alert style ads are already blocked in all accounts and cannot be reactivated.

IAB Category Blocks supported in Ad Exchange

IAB category blocks restrict ads using industry-standard IAB content categories. You can block an entire top-level category (for example, all Health-related ads) or be more specific and block a single subcategory (for example, only Weight Loss ads).

Sovrn supports all of the following IAB categories:

Arts & Entertainment

Block All Arts & Entertainment (IAB1) Categories
Books & Literature (IAB1-1)
Celebrity Fan/Gossip (IAB1-2)
Fine Art (IAB1-3)
Humor (IAB1-4)
Movies (IAB1-5)
Music (IAB1-6)
Television (IAB1-7)

Automotive

Block All Automotive (IAB2) Categories
Auto Parts (IAB2-1)
Auto Repair (IAB2-2)
Buying/Selling Cars (IAB2-3)
Car Culture (IAB2-4)
Certified Pre-Owned (IAB2-5)
Convertible (IAB2-6)
Coupe (IAB2-7)
Crossover (IAB2-8)
Diesel (IAB2-9)
Electric Vehicle (IAB2-10)
Hatchback (IAB2-11)
Hybrid (IAB2-12)
Luxury (IAB2-13)
MiniVan (IAB2-14)
Motorcycles (IAB2-15)
Off-Road Vehicles (IAB2-16)
Performance Vehicles (IAB2-17)
Pickup (IAB2-18)
Road-Side Assistance (IAB2-19)
Sedan (IAB2-20)
Trucks & Accessories (IAB2-21)
Vintage Cars (IAB2-22)
Wagon (IAB2-23)

Business

Block All Business (IAB3) Categories
Advertising (IAB3-1)
Agriculture (IAB3-2)
Biotech/Biomedical (IAB3-3)
Business Software (IAB3-4)
Construction (IAB3-5)
Forestry (IAB3-6)
Government (IAB3-7)
Green Solutions (IAB3-8)
Human Resources (IAB3-9)
Logistics (IAB3-10)
Marketing (IAB3-11)
Metals (IAB3-12)

Careers

Block All Careers (IAB4) Categories
Career Planning (IAB4-1)
College (IAB4-2)
Financial Aid (IAB4-3)
Job Fairs (IAB4-4)
Job Search (IAB4-5)
Resume Writing/Advice (IAB4-6)
Nursing (IAB4-7)
Scholarships (IAB4-8)
Telecommuting (IAB4-9)
U.S. Military (IAB4-10)
Career Advice (IAB4-11)

Education

Block All Education (IAB5) Categories
7-12 Education (IAB5-1)
Adult Education (IAB5-2)
Art History (IAB5-3)
College Administration (IAB5-4)
College Life (IAB5-5)
Distance Learning (IAB5-6)
English as a 2nd Language (IAB5-7)
Language Learning (IAB5-8)
Graduate School (IAB5-9)
Homeschooling (IAB5-10)
Homework/Study Tips (IAB5-11)
K-6 Educators (IAB5-12)
Private School (IAB5-13)
Special Education (IAB5-14)
Studying Business (IAB5-15)

Family & Parenting

Block All Family & Parenting (IAB6) Categories
Adoption (IAB6-1)
Babies & Toddlers (IAB6-2)
Daycare/Pre School (IAB6-3)
Family Internet (IAB6-4)
Parenting - K-6 Kids (IAB6-5)
Parenting teens (IAB6-6)
Pregnancy (IAB6-7)
Special Needs Kids (IAB6-8)
Eldercare (IAB6-9)

Health & Fitness

Block All Health & Fitness (IAB7) Categories
Exercise (IAB7-1)
A.D.D. (IAB7-2)
AIDS/HIV (IAB7-3)
Allergies (IAB7-4)
Alternative Medicine (IAB7-5)
Arthritis (IAB7-6)
Asthma (IAB7-7)
Autism/PDD (IAB7-8)
Bipolar Disorder (IAB7-9)
Brain Tumor (IAB7-10)
Cancer (IAB7-11)
Cholesterol (IAB7-12)
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (IAB7-13)
Chronic Pain (IAB7-14)
Cold & Flu (IAB7-15)
Deafness (IAB7-16)
Dental Care (IAB7-17)
Depression (IAB7-18)
Dermatology (IAB7-19)
Diabetes (IAB7-20)
Epilepsy (IAB7-21)
GERD/Acid Reflux (IAB7-22)
Headaches/Migraines (IAB7-23)
Heart Disease (IAB7-24)
Herbs for Health (IAB7-25)
Holistic Healing (IAB7-26)
IBS/Crohn's Disease (IAB7-27)
Incest/Abuse Support (IAB7-28)
Incontinence (IAB7-29)
Infertility (IAB7-30)
Men's Health (IAB7-31)
Nutrition (IAB7-32)
Orthopedics (IAB7-33)
Panic/Anxiety Disorders (IAB7-34)
Pediatrics (IAB7-35)
Physical Therapy (IAB7-36)
Psychology/Psychiatry (IAB7-37)
Senior Health (IAB7-38)
Sexuality (IAB7-39)
Sleep Disorders (IAB7-40)
Smoking Cessation (IAB7-41)
Substance Abuse (IAB7-42)
Thyroid Disease (IAB7-43)
Weight Loss (IAB7-44)
Women's Health (IAB7-45)

Food & Drink

Block All Food & Drink (IAB8) Categories
American Cuisine (IAB8-1)
Barbecues & Grilling (IAB8-2)
Cajun/Creole (IAB8-3)
Chinese Cuisine (IAB8-4)
Cocktails/Beer (IAB8-5)
Coffee/Tea (IAB8-6)
Cuisine-Specific (IAB8-7)
Desserts & Baking (IAB8-8)
Dining Out (IAB8-9)
Food Allergies (IAB8-10)
French Cuisine (IAB8-11)
Health/Lowfat Cooking (IAB8-12)
Italian Cuisine (IAB8-13)
Japanese Cuisine (IAB8-14)
Mexican Cuisine (IAB8-15)
Vegan (IAB8-16)
Vegetarian (IAB8-17)
Wine (IAB8-18)

Hobbies & Interests

Block All Hobbies & Interests (IAB9) Categories
Art/Technology (IAB9-1)
Arts & Crafts (IAB9-2)
Beadwork (IAB9-3)
Birdwatching (IAB9-4)
Board Games/Puzzles (IAB9-5)
Candle & Soap Making (IAB9-6)
Card Games (IAB9-7)
Chess (IAB9-8)
Cigars (IAB9-9)
Collecting (IAB9-10)
Comic Books (IAB9-11)
Drawing/Sketching (IAB9-12)
Freelance Writing (IAB9-13)
Genealogy (IAB9-14)
Getting Published (IAB9-15)
Guitar (IAB9-16)
Home Recording (IAB9-17)
Investors & Patents (IAB9-18)
Jewelry Making (IAB9-19)
Magic & Illusion (IAB9-20)
Needlework (IAB9-21)
Painting (IAB9-22)
Photography (IAB9-23)
Radio (IAB9-24)
Roleplaying Games (IAB9-25)
Sci-Fi & Fantasy (IAB9-26)
Scrapbooking (IAB9-27)
Screenwriting (IAB9-28)
Stamps & Coins (IAB9-29)
Video & Computer Games (IAB9-30)
Woodworking (IAB9-31)

Home & Garden

Block All Home & Garden (IAB10) Categories
Appliances (IAB10-1)
Entertaining (IAB10-2)
Environmental Safety (IAB10-3)
Gardening (IAB10-4)
Home Repair (IAB10-5)
Home Theater (IAB10-6)
Interior Decorating (IAB10-7)
Landscaping (IAB10-8)
Remodeling & Construction (IAB10-9)

Law, Government, & Politics

Block All Law, Gov't & Politics (IAB11) Categories
Immigration (IAB11-1)
Legal Issues (IAB11-2)
U.S. Government Resources (IAB11-3)
Politics (IAB11-4)
Commentary (IAB11-5)

News

Block All News (IAB12) Categories
International News (IAB12-1)
National News (IAB12-2)
Local News (IAB12-3)

Personal Finance

Block All Personal Finance (IAB13) Categories
Beginning Investing (IAB13-1)
Credit/Debt & Loans (IAB13-2)
Financial News (IAB13-3)
Financial Planning (IAB13-4)
Hedge Fund (IAB13-5)
Insurance (IAB13-6)
Investing (IAB13-7)
Mutual Funds (IAB13-8)
Options (IAB13-9)
Retirement Planning (IAB13-10)
Stocks (IAB13-11)
Tax Planning (IAB13-12)

Society

Block All Society (IAB14) Categories
Dating (IAB14-1)
Divorce Support (IAB14-2)
Gay Life (IAB14-3)
Marriage (IAB14-4)
Senior Living (IAB14-5)
Teens (IAB14-6)
Weddings (IAB14-7)
Ethnic Specific (IAB14-8)

Science

Block All Science (IAB15) Categories
Astrology (IAB15-1)
Biology (IAB15-2)
Chemistry (IAB15-3)
Geology (IAB15-4)
Paranormal Phenomena (IAB15-5)
Physics (IAB15-6)
Space/Astronomy (IAB15-7)
Geography (IAB15-8)
Botany (IAB15-9)
Weather (IAB15-10)

Pets

Block All Pets (IAB16) Categories
Aquariums (IAB16-1)
Birds (IAB16-2)
Cats (IAB16-3)
Dogs (IAB16-4)
Large Animals (IAB16-5)
Reptiles (IAB16-6)
Veterinary Medicine (IAB16-7)

Sports

Block All Sports (IAB17) Categories
Auto Racing (IAB17-1)
Baseball (IAB17-2)
Bicycling (IAB17-3)
Bodybuilding (IAB17-4)
Boxing (IAB17-5)
Canoeing/Kayaking (IAB17-6)
Cheerleading (IAB17-7)
Climbing (IAB17-8)
Cricket (IAB17-9)
Figure Skating (IAB17-10)
Fly Fishing (IAB17-11)
Football (IAB17-12)
Freshwater Fishing (IAB17-13)
Game & Fish (IAB17-14)
Golf (IAB17-15)
Horse Racing (IAB17-16)
Horses (IAB17-17)
Hunting/Shooting (IAB17-18)
Inline Skating (IAB17-19)
Martial Arts (IAB17-20)
Mountain Biking (IAB17-21)
NASCAR Racing (IAB17-22)
Olympics (IAB17-23)
Paintball (IAB17-24)
Pro Basketball (IAB17-26)
Pro Ice Hockey (IAB17-27)
Rodeo (IAB17-28)
Rugby (IAB17-29)
Running/Jogging (IAB17-30)
Sailing (IAB17-31)
Saltwater Fishing (IAB17-32)
Scuba Diving (IAB17-33)
Skateboarding (IAB17-34)
Skiing (IAB17-35)
Snowboarding (IAB17-36)
Surfing/Bodyboarding (IAB17-37)
Swimming (IAB17-38)
Table Tennis/Ping-Pong (IAB17-39)
Tennis (IAB17-40)
Volleyball (IAB17-41)
Walking (IAB17-42)
Waterski/Wakeboard (IAB17-43)
World Soccer (IAB17-44)

Style & Fashion

Block All Style & Fashion (IAB18) Categories
Beauty (IAB18-1)
Body Art (IAB18-2)
Fashion (IAB18-3)
Jewelry (IAB18-4)
Clothing (IAB18-5)
Accessories (IAB18-6)

Technology & Computing

Block All Technology & Computing (IAB19) Categories
3-D Graphics (IAB19-1)
Animation (IAB19-2)
Antivirus Software (IAB19-3)
C/C++ (IAB19-4)
Cameras & Camcorders (IAB19-5)
Cell Phones (IAB19-6)
Computer Certification (IAB19-7)
Computer Networking (IAB19-8)
Computer Peripherals (IAB19-9)
Computer Reviews (IAB19-10)
Data Centers (IAB19-11)
Databases (IAB19-12)
Desktop Publishing (IAB19-13)
Desktop Video (IAB19-14)
Email (IAB19-15)
Graphics Software (IAB19-16)
Home Video/DVD (IAB19-17)
Internet Technology (IAB19-18)
Java (IAB19-19)
JavaScript (IAB19-20)
Mac Support (IAB19-21)
MP3/MIDI (IAB19-22)
Net Conferencing (IAB19-23)
Net for Beginners (IAB19-24)
Network Security (IAB19-25)
Palmtops/PDAs (IAB19-26)
PC Support (IAB19-27)
Portable (IAB19-28)
Entertainment (IAB19-29)
Shareware/Freeware (IAB19-30)
Unix (IAB19-31)
Visual Basic (IAB19-32)
Web Clip Art (IAB19-33)
Web Design/HTML (IAB19-34)
Web Search (IAB19-35)
Windows (IAB19-36)

Travel

Block All Travel (IAB20) Categories
Adventure Travel (IAB20-1)
Africa (IAB20-2)
Air Travel (IAB20-3)
Australia & New Zealand (IAB20-4)
Bed & Breakfasts (IAB20-5)
Budget Travel (IAB20-6)
Business Travel (IAB20-7)
By US Locale (IAB20-8)
Camping (IAB20-9)
Canada (IAB20-10)
Caribbean (IAB20-11)
Cruises (IAB20-12)
Eastern Europe (IAB20-13)
Europe (IAB20-14)
France (IAB20-15)
Greece (IAB20-16)
Honeymoons/Getaways (IAB20-17)
Hotels (IAB20-18)
Italy (IAB20-19)
Japan (IAB20-20)
Mexico & Central America (IAB20-21)
National Parks (IAB20-22)
South America (IAB20-23)
Spas (IAB20-24)
Theme Parks (IAB20-25)
Traveling with Kids (IAB20-26)
United Kingdom (IAB20-27)

Real Estate

Block All Real Estate (IAB21) Categories
Apartments (IAB21-1)
Architects (IAB21-2)
Buying/Selling Homes (IAB21-3)

Shopping

Block All Shopping (IAB22) Categories
Contests & Freebies (IAB22-1)
Couponing (IAB22-2)
Comparison (IAB22-3)
Engines (IAB22-4)

Religion & Spirituality

Block All Religion & Spirituality (IAB23) Categories
Alternative Religions (IAB23-1)
Atheism/Agnosticism (IAB23-2)
Buddhism (IAB23-3)
Catholicism (IAB23-4)
Christianity (IAB23-5)
Hinduism (IAB23-6)
Islam (IAB23-7)
Judaism (IAB23-8)
Latter-Day Saints (IAB23-9)
Pagan/Wiccan (IAB23-10)

Uncategorized

Block All Uncategorized (IAB24) Categories

Specialty Blocks supported in Ad Exchange

Specialty block categories are created by Confiant, a class leader in the ad quality space. They offer a different method of categorization, giving you an additional way to classify and block the intended types of ads.

Sovrn supports these specialty blocks:

Accounting
Action Video Games
Adult and High risk
Affiliate Marketing
Air Travel
Alcoholic Beverages
Alternative and Natural Medicine
Apps
Arts and Entertainment
Auto Dealers
Auto Parts and Accessories
Auto Rental
Automotive
Banking
Beauty Products
Blogs/Forums/Social Networks
Books and Audio Books
Business Expos and Conferences
Business Services
Business and Industrial Products
Camping and Outdoor Recreation
Careers
Casual Video Games
Clothing and Accessories
Computers and Electronics
Consumer Packaged Goods
Consumer Services
Cosmetic Medical Services
Coupons and Discounts
Credit Cards
Cryptocurrency
Culture and Fine Arts
Dating
Dental Care
Dietary Supplements
Drugstores and Pharmacies
Education
Elder Care
Events and Tickets
Family and Parenting
Fantasy Sports
Finance
Firearms and Weapons
Fitness and Exercise
Food and Beverages
Gambling
Games
Government Agencies
Health and Medical Services
Home Appliances
Home Builders
Home Improvement and Repair
Home Television Services
Home Utilities
Home and Decor
Hotels and Resorts
Insurance
Jewelry and Watches
Legal Services
Live Music and Theater
Logistics and Delivery
Lotteries (state-sponsored)
Luggage and Travel Accessories
Mass Merchants
Mobile Phone Plans
Money Making Offers
Mortgage Lenders and Brokers
Music and Video Streaming Services
News
Non-Profit Organizations
Online Advertising Companies
Organizations and Groups
Passenger Transportation
Patio and Garden
Payday and Emergency Loans
Pets
Pharmaceutical Drugs
Political Advertising
Precious Metals and Coins
Public / Municipal Services
Puzzle Video Games
Real Estate
Religion
Restaurants
Role-Playing Video Games
Sexual Health
Simulation Video Games
Skill or Professional Training
Society
Software
Specialized Merchants
Sporting Goods
Sports
Stocks and Investments
Strategy Video Games
Supernatural / Occult
Surveys
Sweepstakes and Offers
Swimwear
Technology
Teeth Whitening
Telecommunications
Tobacco and Smoking Products
Toys
Travel
Underwear and Lingerie
Unknown
Vision Care
Weather
Web Services
Weight Loss Products
Weight Loss Programs

URL, Creative ID, and Brand Blocks

In addition to category-based blocking, you can block specific advertiser URLs (domains), individual creative IDs, and brands from serving on your sites. These blocks can be entered individually or uploaded in bulk via CSV.

Global Blocks applied to all Sovrn accounts

Some blocks are applied to all Sovrn accounts automatically because of Sovrn's Network Quality policies. You do not need to set these up yourself, and they cannot be reactivated. The following ad types are blocked for all Sovrn accounts:

Attributes

Audio Autoplay
Pop-Overs
Pop-Unders
Pop-up on Exit
Provocative or Suggestive Imagery
Windows Alert style ads

IAB Categories

All Non-Standard Content (IAB25)
- Unmoderated UGC (IAB25-1)
- Extreme Graphic/Explicit Violence (IAB25-2)
- Pornography (IAB25-3)
- Profane Content (IAB25-4)
- Hate Content (IAB25-5)
- Under Construction (IAB25-6)
- Incentivized (IAB25-7)
All Illegal Content (IAB26)
- Illegal Content (IAB26-1)
- Warez (IAB26-2)
- Spyware/Malware (IAB26-3)
- Copyright Infringement (IAB26-4)

Block availability for CTV and In-App inventory

The Ad Quality tool works with CTV (Connected TV) and In-App integrations at the account level only. Bundle-level blocking — for example, applying a category block or advertiser domain (adomain) block to a specific app bundle — is not currently supported. For CTV or In-App inventory, apply blocks at the account level, or use a bid-level block such as bcat (blocked categories) or badv (blocked advertiser domains).

Questions? Concerns? Our team would be more than happy to help. Reach out to our Support Team here.