Delisted apps (DEFASE) | Pixalate Docs

DEFASE stands for Delisted From the App Store. The DEFASE feeds list apps that were available in an app store and have since been removed. Use them to stop buying inventory from apps that the official stores no longer distribute.

Apps are delisted for many reasons: publisher-level fraud, malware, adware, backdoors that let fraudsters exploit bad SDKs, copyright violations, or simply because the developer withdrew the app. Not every delisted app generates invalid traffic (IVT), so Pixalate also looks at how an app behaved before it was delisted when deciding whether to flag it as IVT.

The feeds

Feed	Environment	File name	What it contains
Defase App List	Mobile	`DefasedAppList_YYYYMMDD.csv`	All apps removed from Google Play and the Apple App Store, whether or not they show ads or impressions.
Defase App Blocklist	Mobile	`DefasedAppBlocklist_YYYYMMDD.csv`	Removed apps that generated impressions in the last 2 weeks and showed evidence of suspicious or invalid behavior.
Defase CTV App List	CTV	`DefasedCtvAppList_YYYYMMDD.csv`	All CTV apps removed from the Roku, Fire TV, Samsung, Apple tvOS and LG app stores, whether or not they show ads or impressions.

Which to use:

The lists (DefasedAppList, DefasedCtvAppList) are for proactive blocking. They can include apps that have no ads or impressions at all, which you may still want to block so they can’t be used for IVT later.
The blocklist (DefasedAppBlocklist) contains apps that have been seen generating impressions, and in general they should be treated as IVT and blocked. Pixalate’s algorithms exclude removals that are likely unrelated to IVT, such as an app removed temporarily over an administrative or legal issue that’s expected back in the store within days or weeks.

Country-level delisting

An app removed from one country’s store may still be available in the same store in other countries. The DEFASE feeds include the countries an app has been delisted from (more than 100 countries are covered) in the delistedCountryCodes column. Use it to filter apps delisted in the markets you buy in, while keeping inventory that’s still authorized elsewhere.

File format and cadence


Format	CSV
File names	See the feeds
Update frequency	Daily

For access, delivery and polling, see Delivery and integration.

Schema

Column	Type	Description
`osName`	string	Operating system of the delisted app. For the mobile feeds, iOS or Android.
`appId`	string	The app identifier. For iOS, the numeric trackId. For Android, the package name.
`bundleId`	string	Mobile feeds only. The app’s bundle ID, documented for iOS apps. For Android, match on `appId`.
`lastSeen`	string	The date the app was removed from the app store.
`appStoreUrl`	string	The store URL the app was available from. A delisted app’s URL is expected to return HTTP 404 (not found).
`appStoreName`	string	The store the app was removed from, for example Google Play or Roku Store.
`delistedCountryCodes`	array	The countries in which the app has been removed from the storefront.

Apply it pre-bid

All DEFASE feeds share the same semantics, so apply them the same way:

iOS apps: match on appId (the numeric trackId) or on bundleId.
Android apps: match on appId, which holds the Android package name.
CTV apps: the CTV file has no bundleId column, so match on appId.

Common uses:

SSPs and exchanges: remove all apps that the official stores no longer authorize, including apps not yet generating impressions, or block only delisted apps that are still serving ads.
DSPs and agencies: exclude DEFASE app IDs from campaign targeting, so spend doesn’t reach developers banned for potential privacy and policy violations.
Regional campaigns: use delistedCountryCodes to apply blocking by geography.

DEFASE and the High Risk app lists

High Risk Mobile Apps 2.0 and High Risk CTV Apps 2.0 flag delisted apps that still generate ad traffic with the delistedApp risk type, alongside other risks. The DEFASE feeds are separate because:

Not every organization wants to block all delisted apps. Some only care about apps that have shown impressions, or that show signs of IVT, so they don’t block apps removed for reasons such as copyright.
An app with moderate IVT may not show enough evidence to make the High Risk list. Its removal from an app store is an additional strong risk signal, which the Defase App Blocklist uses together with other IVT indicators.

In Analytics, traffic from delisted apps is reported under the defasedApp IVT type.

Other ways to get delisting data

Enrichment API: look up an app’s delisting status and date. See delistedApp and delistedDate in the mobile app fields and CTV app fields.
Analytics and the Media Ratings Terminal (MRT): search and filter delisted apps in the dashboards.
AWS RTB Fabric: a module for filtering delisted apps. Ask your Pixalate account manager.

High Risk Mobile Apps 2.0 and High Risk CTV Apps 2.0: app-level risk beyond delisting.
Malformed CTV bundle IDs: CTV bundle IDs that are malformed or can’t be identified.
MFA data feeds: made-for-advertising risk for apps and websites.

Questions? Email support@pixalate.com.