SimpleAds: A new advertisement module for Drupal 7

Submitted by Minnur Yunusov on Tue, 02/21/2012 - 11:56am
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A few months ago I had to develop a Drupal 7 website that was supported by advertising.
After some research I realized that there were no current advertising modules for Drupal 7.
The Advertisement module is the de facto advertisement module for Drupal but a Drupal 7
version wasn't even under development.
So I decided to develop a new contrib module for featuring advertisements on Drupal 7 that was easy-to-use and provided
some some basic statistics. I called it SimpleAdsSimpleAds: Drupal 7 advertisement module

SimpleAds provides a way to manage advertisements on a Drupal 7 website. It displays graphical, text and flash ads in configurable blocks. It records and reports useful statistics. It is easy to configure and does not depend on other contrib modules.

Project page: http://drupal.org/project/simpleads

Features

  • Customizable groups for different ad types
  • Automatically generates ad blocks for different ad types
  • Many configuration options for individual ad blocks including ad size and number of ads to display in a block
  • Convenient dashboard for quick review of active ads
  • User-friendly ad scheduler makes it easy to schedule ad activation and expiration. (Enter Activation or Expiration Date by typing Now, +1 week, +1 year, etc..)
  • Capture useful statistics including ad impressions, clicks for 1 hours, one day, one week, one month, 3 months, 6 months, 1 year, and all time.
  • Option to count clicks/impressions only for certain user roles
  • Generates live ad statistics report
  • Ad blocks can be themed
  • Dynamic Ad rotation (configurable on block configuration screen)
  • Integration with WYSIWYG module (supports TinyMCE, CKEditor, FCKEditor). Plugin allows to inject Ads into content.
  • Integration with Nodequeue module. Display manually ordered ads in blocks.
  • Integration with Domain Access module.
  • Integration with Views.
  • Text Ads allows to advertise any text. If you would like to advertise videos from YouTube, Vimeo, Blip.TV or other sites, simply install Video Filter module and enable WYSIWYG plugin.
  • Support Flash Ads. Upload SWF file and it will automatically show up in your block.

Configuration

SimpleAds: Create new ad

Image ads

Themable template: simpleads_img_element.tpl.php

Flash ads

Themable template: simpleads_flash_element.tpl.php

Design your flash SWF with the clickTAG standard. Do NOT place a URL in the getURL of your SWF or it will not work correctly in all browsers and you will not get any click-statistics in the SimpleAds module in Drupal. The destination URL should not be located in an SWF's code.

Text/HTML ads

Themable template: simpleads_text_element.tpl.php

This ad type allows to advertise embedded content (via Video module + WYSIWYG plugin), also if you'd like to display plain linked text ads, select Text format Plain text

SimpleAds: Plain text ads

SimpleAds: Video ads

Integration with Views

By default the SimpleAds module comes with one example block. In order to see it you will need to enable
"SimpleAds Block Example" in admin/structure/views.

SimpleAds: Enable default view

Place an ad into multiple blocks

By default Ad Group field supports only 1 value and this is very easy to fix to support multiple values. In order to do that you will need to modify Simple Ad content type here admin/structure/types/manage/simpleads/fields. Click Edit Ad Group field, then change Number of values from 1 to Unlimited.

Blocks

SimpleAds: block configuration screen

The SimpleAds support dynamic random ads rotation. To enable this feature please configure one of you SimpleAds blocks (see admin/structure/block). By default there are two blocks "Advertisement Block: Sidebar Ads" and "Advertisement Block: Content Ads".

Number of ads to display - set to 2 or more.

Ads order - set the order.

Ads auto rotation type - set rotation type and hit "Save".

New Ad Groups/Ad Blocks

To create new Ad blocks you will need to create a new taxonomy term in the Ad Groups vocabulary.

Statistics

SimpleAds: Statistics page

Statistics page: admin/content/simpleads

SimpleAds module allows to control clicks and impressions. For example you may set permission to count anonymous clicks/impressions (restrict/allow clicks/impressions counter for certain user roles).

Also to simplify editing process I decided to redirect editors/admins to actual node instead of ads destination. In order to check redirection you will need to be anonymous user or user that doesn't have permission to edit ads.

SimpleAds: Permission options

Roadmap

The SimpleAds module is currently being used on 434 websites according to Drupal.org. In the two months since first releasing the module in December 2011 I have released seven updates to date.

I am using this module on active websites and continue to develop it. If you find any bugs or have suggestions for improvement please send me your feedback via SimpleAds.

Tags: 
advertisements
modules
Drupal 7
Drupal Planet
simpleads
statistics
media

36 comments

by drupaljoe (not verified) on Tue, 02/21/2012 - 2:56pm

Great stuff. This looks like exactly what we need.

Minnur Yunusov's picture

by Minnur Yunusov on Tue, 02/21/2012 - 2:57pm

Thank you

by greggles (not verified) on Wed, 02/22/2012 - 10:20am

Instead of creating a new module with the same purpose why not port the existing one?

Also, would be great to get http://drupal.org/project/comment_notify so I can get notifications about responses to this post.

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by Minnur Yunusov on Wed, 02/22/2012 - 11:22am

Simply because Advertisement module is too complicated and it took almost 1 year since when Advertisement module released as development version.
I wanted to build something lightweight and easy to use with limited number of ad types and functionality. This module requires minimum time for configuring.
Also because we have limited time and budget porting old modules to D7 is going to be a big challenge.

by P. Fontiela (not verified) on Wed, 02/29/2012 - 9:58am

Great news, it was lacking an ad module for drupal 7.

by Jorge Vargas (not verified) on Thu, 03/01/2012 - 11:37am

Thanks man I needed a way to show ads in drupal 7 and this works perfectly! I tried the Advertisement module and it doesn't work at all, so you really saved me a lot of work. Thanks again!

by Leslie (not verified) on Mon, 03/19/2012 - 11:07am

For the statistics (last week, 1 month, 3 months, etc.), is it the last 7 days, last 30 days, etc. Or for example if it is mid March and I am looking at 1 month, is it all of February or mid-February until the current day?

Thanks so much for your quick response.
Leslie Nissenberg

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by Minnur Yunusov on Fri, 03/23/2012 - 11:34am

Hi Leslie,

You're right 1 month means:
-30 days from today.

the same for other stats:
3 months:
-90 days from today.

etc..

Thanks.

by Anonymous (not verified) on Fri, 03/23/2012 - 11:44am

Thanks for your confirmation on this.
Leslie

by Kevin Clark (not verified) on Mon, 04/09/2012 - 1:31pm

Hi Minnur,

I just put simpleads onto one of my clients websites. Works pretty good! Well done. I definitely appreciate the work you put into this.

Just curious what the "Advertise Page" field means and does on the block configuration screen?

And one minor suggestion.. When you select more than one ad to display, without the rotator turned on, it'd be nice to get "first" and/or "last" classes (or numbered div classes even) added to the div or img tags. I wasn't able to put as much space between my ads as I wanted. However, that's minor since it works great even without the classes.

Again, good work and thank you for providing this to the community!

Kevin

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by Minnur Yunusov on Tue, 04/10/2012 - 2:59pm

Hi Kevin,

The "Advertise Page" field adds "Advertisements" link to the top of ads block. For example if you have specific page that contains information about ad options on your site.

I will add those css classes to the next release that going to be next week.

Thank you,

Minnur

by Alfredo (not verified) on Wed, 04/11/2012 - 12:20pm

Hi Kevin,

Great module!

i want to know if there is a way to support Adsense code, I tried once but didn't work

i would like to rotate banners of clients and Adsense on an even way

Regards
Alfredo

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by Minnur Yunusov on Wed, 04/11/2012 - 12:25pm

Hi Alfredo,

I think the easiest way is to enable PHP input filter and add Adsense code to SimpleAd.

Thanks,

Minnur

by Alfredo (not verified) on Fri, 04/13/2012 - 7:51am

Hi Minnur,

I tried that and didin't work

Alfredo

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by Minnur Yunusov on Fri, 04/13/2012 - 3:30pm

Alfredo,

Thanks for testing this, I will take a look and see if I can implement this feature as a new ad type.

Thanks again,

Minnur

by joan "linuxbcn" (not verified) on Wed, 04/25/2012 - 4:03am

This module is just what I was looking for.
Just install the just and very good. It seems that something is just going fine with Drupal 7, but reportaré all the problems there is.
Thank you for the effort!

by joan "linuxbcn" (not verified) on Wed, 04/25/2012 - 4:19am

I do not see how to link a "Simple Ad" to "Simple ad campaign" in Drupal 7. First I created a new Simple Ad Campaign, then I created a simple ad in the box but "Campaign" does not show anything.

What to do this from?

thank you

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by Minnur Yunusov on Wed, 04/25/2012 - 10:29am

Please make sure that the campaign is published.

by joan "linuxbcn" (not verified) on Wed, 04/25/2012 - 10:39am

I see by default the campaign is NO published. Sorry, now all work fine.
Tnx for this great and big werk!

by William (not verified) on Fri, 04/27/2012 - 9:34pm

Hi!
I'm looking forward to using your module so I downloaded it. My problem is I cannot find where to configure my ads as per your screenshots above. I can only find blocks but I have no idea. Can you guide me on this one? Thanks! Looking forward to getting my ads up and running.

Minnur Yunusov's picture

by Minnur Yunusov on Sun, 04/29/2012 - 1:38am

Place your ad blocks to regions you want, hit "Save" then click configure block to ad rotation or increase/decrease number of ads to show in that block.

by Bruno Barbosa (not verified) on Mon, 04/30/2012 - 3:20am

Hello! great module you got going on here, however i have a little question:
Is there a way to insert the ads inside the content body, instead of just above or below it?

Thanks in advance!

Minnur Yunusov's picture

by Minnur Yunusov on Mon, 04/30/2012 - 10:35am

Hi Bruno,

Yes, this is possible, please enable SimpleAds filter in Input Format settings.

Thanks

by Mary (not verified) on Fri, 05/04/2012 - 7:14am

Hello. I love simple ads! But I am having a problem injecting ads into my content.

I am using Drupal 7.

In my config menu, I have checked "Inject ads into content."

I am using the Wysiwyg module. And I'm using TinyMCE 3.5 in the Full HTML input format.

When I select the SimpleAds icon and choose the ad info, it inputs [ads:186 limit:1]

When I save and look, instead of an ad, it shows [ads:186 limit:1].

Am I doing something wrong?

Here is an example of the ad:
http://thelocalshottest.com/bachelor_kitchen/guy-grub/chili-cinnamon-cru...

Minnur Yunusov's picture

by Minnur Yunusov on Fri, 05/04/2012 - 10:56am

Hi Mary,

It looks like the input format is not properly configured.
Make sure that you try inject ads using correct Input Format.

Thanks

by Mary (not verified) on Mon, 05/07/2012 - 11:12am

I'm not sure what the proper input format is. Can you explain?

I just clicked on the insert simple add in the TinyMCE module and it dropped in that bit. I used it in full HTML.

I appreciate your help.

Minnur Yunusov's picture

by Minnur Yunusov on Mon, 05/07/2012 - 11:30am

Hi Mary,

Please try to rearrange filters on Text Formats configuration page for Full HTML input format.

Thanks

by walter (not verified) on Tue, 05/08/2012 - 5:19am

Hi, great module!

Just a question. I created a ad of the Flash ad type, then I uploaded a flash file and place the block in the header. So far so good.

Problem is that above the flash it is shown the "Advertise with us" link. Any way to remove this link? Should I hide it using css?

thanks.

Minnur Yunusov's picture

by Minnur Yunusov on Tue, 05/08/2012 - 10:14am

Hi,

The easiest way to hide that text is to copy simpleads_block.tpl.php form simpleads/templates directory to your theme folder. Then remove the link form simpleads_block.tpl.php

If this didn't help, please try copy "simpleads_preprocess_simpleads_block" to your themes template.php file and rename it to "YOURTHEME_preprocess_simpleads_block"

Thanks

by meetyourgreens.com (not verified) on Wed, 05/09/2012 - 12:51am

Hi there, does this support remote ads? Thx

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by Minnur Yunusov on Wed, 05/09/2012 - 9:40am

Not at the moment, I will add remote ads later.

by Sergio Gomez (not verified) on Wed, 05/09/2012 - 4:26pm

Any chance that Lightbox Integration will be developed for this module. I use lightbox integration with the advertisement ad on drupal 6. It would be a good functionality.

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by Minnur Yunusov on Fri, 05/11/2012 - 9:05am

No, I am not planning Lightbox integration.

by Anh Tu (not verified) on Thu, 05/10/2012 - 7:14pm

Hi you, great module.
But I having a problem creat new group for ad. How to create a new group for ad?
Thank you so much

Minnur Yunusov's picture

by Minnur Yunusov on Fri, 05/11/2012 - 9:00am

It's a vocabulary, simply create a new taxonomy term.

by Haroldm (not verified) on Tue, 05/15/2012 - 10:09am

Hi, great module!

I want to know how to display the image ads Aligned horizontally, I try to set another format in view settings but it didn't work.

What should I do?

Thanks in advance

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