Documentation Index
Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://documentation.outpost.pub/llms.txt
Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.
Labs feature (Beta) — Ad Campaigns is available in Labs on the Luna plan. The in-app description notes that this is currently focused on inserting ads into the body of posts. It does not place ads in your theme or in newsletters.
How ad campaigns work
When a reader loads a Ghost post page, Outpost’s site plugin runs through the active ad campaigns. If a campaign matches the reader’s audience type and the post’s tags, its ads are injected into the post body on the live site. Each campaign contains one or more ads (campaign items). Ads can be created inline when building the campaign — you don’t need to author them in the CTA library first.Creating an ad campaign
Go to Ad Campaigns under the Labs group in the left navigation and click New Campaign.Basic settings
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Off / On | Toggle the campaign on or off. Off campaigns are skipped. |
| Campaign Name (internal) | Internal label for identifying the campaign. Required. |
| Slug | Unique URL-safe identifier for the campaign. Required, unique per blog. |
| Client Name | Optional — name of the advertiser or sponsor. |
| Start Date | When the campaign becomes active. The active window starts up to a day before this date in UTC, so a campaign scheduled to start tomorrow may begin late tonight. |
| End Date | When the campaign stops running. Optional — leave blank for an open-ended campaign. The active window ends roughly a day after this date in UTC. |
| Timezone | Timezone used for the start and end dates. Defaults to UTC. |
| Don’t Show on Posts with Tags | Ghost tags that exclude the campaign from injection. |
| Show on Posts with Tags | Ghost tags that scope the campaign — only posts with these tags will display ads. |
Adding ads
Click Add Ad inside a campaign to pick the ad format:- Banner Ad — wide horizontal placement.
- Square Ad — square placement.
- HTML — paste your own HTML for full control.
Audience targeting
Each ad in the campaign can target one or more audience types:| Audience | Description |
|---|---|
| Unknown | Anonymous visitors who are not logged in or recognized. |
| Free | Free members. |
| Paid | Paid subscribers. |
| Complimentary | Members with complimentary subscriptions. |
Tag targeting
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Show on Posts with Tags | Only run the campaign on Ghost posts tagged with one of these. |
| Don’t Show on Posts with Tags | Skip posts tagged with one of these. |
Site-wide exclusions
The Site-Wide Exclusions tab on the Ad Campaigns page lets you set Ghost tags that exclude every campaign for your publication. These global exclusions are merged with each campaign’s own “Don’t Show” tags, so a tag in either list keeps ads off matching posts.Campaign status
| Status | Meaning |
|---|---|
| On | Campaign is active. Ads inject on matching posts within the scheduled window. |
| Off | Campaign is configured but paused. No ads run. |
| Finished | The end date has passed and Outpost has marked the campaign finished automatically. |
Ad Tool vs. Ad Campaigns
Ad Campaigns is the scheduled, audience-targeted system. The In-Post Ad Inserter (Ad Tool) is a simpler always-on placement system also delivered via the Ghost site plugin. Both run on the same channel — your live Ghost post pages — and they can overlap. If you have both enabled, take care that placements don’t collide on the same post.Use cases
- Sponsor takeovers — Run a sponsor’s banner across all paid-tier post views for a fixed window.
- Upgrade promotions — Show upgrade ads only to free readers, only on premium-track tagged posts.
- Cross-promotions — Promote partner publications to specific audience segments.
- Seasonal campaigns — Time-limited promotions with automatic start and end dates.
Related features
In-Post Ad Inserter
Always-on ad placement on your Ghost post pages.
Sponsorship Boxes
Branded sponsor blocks designed for inline post placement.
CTAs
The CTA library that holds ad creative, including ads created from inside Ad Campaigns.
Email Campaigns
One-time email sends, separate from Ad Campaigns. Email-injected ads are not currently supported. |
FAQ
Do Ad Campaigns inject into newsletters or emails?
Do Ad Campaigns inject into newsletters or emails?
Can I run multiple ad campaigns at once?
Can I run multiple ad campaigns at once?
Yes. Every active campaign that matches a post’s tags and the reader’s audience type runs on that post. Use tag targeting and audience filters to control which ads appear where.
What's the difference between Ad Campaigns and Sponsorship Boxes?
What's the difference between Ad Campaigns and Sponsorship Boxes?
Ad Campaigns is the scheduled, audience-targeted system delivered via the Ghost site plugin. Sponsorship Boxes are individual sponsor blocks you create once and either insert into a new Ghost draft or copy/paste into an existing post.
Do I need to create CTAs before creating a campaign?
Do I need to create CTAs before creating a campaign?
No. You can create a Banner, Square, or HTML ad inline when adding an ad to a campaign. Existing CTAs from your library are also available to reuse.