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Media Kit

Historically, we’ve been that company that insists on dragging you onto a 30-minute discovery call before revealing literally anything useful about our ad network.

You know the drill: “Let’s hop on a quick call to see if we’re a fit!”
Translation: “We’re going to hold all the details hostage until you get on the phone.”

But here’s the thing, we figured developers (and the smart marketers who want to reach them) probably prefer documentation over sales pitches. So we’ve gone rogue and laid it all out for you right here. Revolutionary concept, we know.

Here’s a link to download our media kit if you’d like to share it with your team. In the meantime, keep reading for more information.

Overview

Carbon Ads is a curated native advertising network serving 900+ developer and designer websites. Since 2010, we’ve connected technical brands with developers where they work — on documentation sites, developer tools, and trusted resources they visit daily.

Pricing

Most folks want to know pricing but they have to wait. We don’t charge a $40 CPM like ProductHunt, or a $10 CPM like StackOverflow.

AudiencePricing
Dev Focus$6 CPM for Optimized ROW Blend*
Creator Focus$6 CPM for Optimized ROW Blend*
*Optimized ROW is “Run of world” including our standard anti-targeting. We remove 20+ countries with non-English primary languages at no additional cost.

Discounting

We offer a transparent discount opportunity that maximizes success outcomes based on historical campaigns. We offer up to 15% added value (AV) when we commit to the following:

Why Carbon Ads Works for Developer Marketing

Reaches Developers Where They Work

  • 900+ curated websites including documentation sites, developer blogs, tools, and resources
  • Sites developers know and trust during their working hours
  • Only contextual, relevant advertisers — no Coca-Cola or irrelevant brands
  • Single ad unit per site — not cluttered with programmatic ads

Overcomes Ad Blocking

  • Whitelisted on AdBlock Plus as a trusted publisher network
  • Typically see 20-25% impression lift compared to standard display advertising
  • Ads appear as product recommendations rather than intrusive banners

Proven Advertiser Success

  • 91% decrease in signup costs (recent case study)
  • Works with companies from pre-Series A to post-IPO
  • Trusted by: MongoDB, GitLab, Atlassian, Slack, Monday.com
  • Many advertisers call us their “secret sauce for growth”

Ad Format & Specifications

Standard Carbon Ad Unit

  • 260x200 pixel image (renders as 130x100)
  • 100 characters of text maximum
  • Clean, native design that integrates seamlessly with site content
  • A/B test images, copy, and landing pages

Carbon Cover Unit

  • Interactive hover format available on select sites
  • Image retracts on hover to reveal ad copy
  • No additional cost when running standard Carbon campaigns but requires a $5k monthly minimum spend

Recommended Campaign Structure

3-Month Test Campaign

  • Month 1: Data collection and audience learning
  • Month 2: Performance optimization and creative testing
  • Month 3: Refined targeting and peak performance

Budget & Impressions

  • Minimum 1M impressions per month recommended
  • CPM pricing model with competitive rates
  • Prepayment required to secure inventory

Targeting & Reach

Geographic Targeting

  • Global reach with country-level targeting available
  • Excludes top 20 non-English speaking countries at no extra cost
  • Ideal for remote developer workforce

Audience Quality

  • Curated technical professionals actively seeking developer tools
  • High-intent audience visiting trusted developer resources
  • Decision-makers and influencers in technical purchasing decisions

Performance & Reporting

What We Track

  • Daily performance data: impressions, clicks, CTR by creative
  • Creative-level reporting for optimization insights
  • Mid-campaign optimization meetings with dedicated advertiser success team
  • Click and View-through tags can be utilized across Carbon

Understanding Developer Behavior

  • Developers often research independently after seeing ads
  • Halo effect on organic search traffic, many search your brand after exposure
  • Self-reported attribution works well — ask prospects “Where did you hear about us?”
  • Don’t rely solely on click-through rates — brand awareness impact extends beyond clicks

Common Use Cases

Lead Generation

  • Free trial signups
  • Product registrations
  • Demo requests
  • Newsletter subscriptions

Awareness & Education

  • Brand awareness for new/unknown products
  • Product launches
  • Feature announcements
  • Thought leadership content

Events & Content

  • Hackathon promotion
  • Webinar registration
  • E-book downloads
  • Conference sponsorships

Getting Started

Campaign Setup

  • Quick launch: Can go live within 2-3 days
  • Asset requirements: Image creative + 100 characters of text
  • Landing page optimization: Test different pages for best performance
  • UTM tracking: Implement for backend conversion tracking

Success Metrics

  • Cost per visit to your site
  • Time on site and engagement metrics
  • Backend conversions (signups, trials, purchases)
  • Brand awareness lift through surveys or self-reported attribution
  • Organic search traffic increase (halo effect)
Built for Developers

Developers trust
Carbon Ads to deliver
real results

Long-Term Track Record

  • 15+ years supporting the independent web
  • $120+ million paid out to publishers
  • Well-known in the developer community — often requested by name
  • Consistent presence across developer workflows and resources

Quality Standards

  • Curated advertiser network — only developer-relevant brands
  • Trusted by site owners who choose to integrate our ads
  • Non-intrusive format designed specifically for technical audiences
  • Transparent approach — no hidden fees or surprise charges