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Put your ad in the Mac menu bar.

SponsorBar puts your ad in Mac users’ menu bars. You create the campaign, and we deliver it to eligible Macs.

Create a campaign
Live price: $2.00 CPM The current dynamic CPM rate. Claim $3 in ad credit or add Media Credit from $15.

How do ads work?

SponsorBar places ads in the menu bars of people who have installed the SponsorBar app. Every qualifying campaign pays the same current market CPM, never more than its maximum bid. Each completed impression lasts one eligible minute.

See how impressions are counted and verified
Current market rate
$2.00 CPM
One impression
1 eligible minute
What the CPM buys
1,000 minutes
Supported payment methods
Card · Crypto · Bank transfer Additional methods may be available depending on region.

Only completed, eligible minutes are counted.

A simple ad that is always in view

Your ad sits in the Mac menu bar, with room for a logo, company name, and short description. When someone clicks it, they can learn more and visit your website.

  • People choose to run it. Every participating Mac user installs SponsorBar and can snooze or hide it whenever they want.
  • Your brand stays recognizable. The menu-bar item carries your name, short message, color, and optional logo.
  • Every ad is reviewed. We check readability, claims, and the destination before a campaign can run.
What you provide
Company nameUp to 26 characters with a logo
Short descriptionUp to 34 characters with a logo
Logo and colorThe logo is optional; text colors are chosen for readability
HTTPS destinationThe approved page available from the sponsor panel
You preview the creative at its real compact scale before submitting it.

From the menu bar to your site

  1. They see your creativeYour message sits in the menu bar while the placement is eligible.
  2. Sponsor details openThe first click opens SponsorBar’s small native panel.
  3. They choose to visitA clear action opens your approved website in the browser.

How SponsorBar counts a billable impression.

We do not bill when an ad merely loads. An impression is recorded after your ad is visible for a full eligible minute. If the Mac sleeps, locks, goes inactive, or the placement cannot be confirmed, you are not charged.

Starter example $15 buys about 7,500 completed impressions $2.00 CPM · $0.002000 for each completed minute
Mac awake Session unlocked Recently active Placement visible

SponsorBar checks eligibility without reading screen contents, app names, browser history, window titles, files, keystrokes, or screenshots.

Users can pause or hide SponsorBar at any time. Paused or hidden time is never counted or billed.

Example delivery check Would this minute be billed?
CountedFull eligible minute
  • Mac stays awake and unlocked
  • User was active recently
  • Placement stays visible
Media credit used$0.002000
Not countedInterrupted or uncertain
  • Mac sleeps, locks, or goes inactive
  • Placement cannot be confirmed visible
  • The minute ends before completion
Media credit used$0.000
When SponsorBar is unsure, the minute is not billed.

Launching a campaign.

Starting a campaign is easy. Build an ad, choose your budget, and send it to us for review. You can pause or edit your campaign at any time.

  1. 01

    Make the placement

    Add your company name, a short description, an optional logo, a color, and your website. The preview shows the ad at its real menu-bar size.

  2. 02

    Choose your spend

    Claim the $3 SponsorBar-funded promotional allowance within your first eight days, or add Media Credit from $15. Choose a maximum CPM and audience, then set optional campaign budgets.

  3. 03

    Send it for review

    We check the creative, destination, policy fit, and readability before it can appear on anyone’s Mac.

  4. 04

    Turn it on and follow delivery

    Once approved, you decide when the campaign runs. Your dashboard connects completed impressions and clicks to the credit spent.

What your dashboard shows.

Your campaign dashboard keeps delivery, reach, repetition, clicks, and spend together so you can understand what happened without decoding an ad-tech report.

  • Delivery and reach. Compare completed one-minute impressions with the number of unique Macs reached.
  • Clicks and traffic. See how many people opened your site and the resulting click-through rate.
  • Spend and control. Follow remaining media credit, set campaign budgets, and pause delivery whenever you need to.
Illustrative campaign reportNorthline launch
Active
Completed 1-minute impressions
8,420
Destination clicks
118
Click-through rate
1.40%
Remaining media credit
$24.48
Media spend
$16.84

Common advertiser questions.

The format is intentionally straightforward. These are the details worth understanding before you build the first placement.

What do Mac users actually see?

They see one compact, reviewed creative in the menu bar: your optional logo, company name, short description, and background color. SponsorBar automatically uses readable text colors and previews the result at its real size.

Does clicking the ad open our website?

The first click opens SponsorBar’s native sponsor panel. From there, the user can choose to open your approved HTTPS destination in their browser. This keeps the menu-bar interaction predictable and gives users access to SponsorBar controls.

What exactly counts as an impression?

One impression is one completed eligible minute. The Mac must be awake and unlocked, recently active, and the placement must remain confidently visible for the whole minute. An interrupted or uncertain minute is not billed.

Does the ad change every minute?

Not necessarily. One creative can remain visible for several consecutive minutes, which avoids needless visual churn. Each completed minute is still checked and billed separately, and exposure limits apply per Mac.

How does dynamic CPM work?

SponsorBar recalculates one uniform market price each hour using forecast eligible supply and scheduled worldwide campaign demand. The price cannot fall below $2 CPM, and hourly increases are limited to 20%. You choose a maximum CPM; if the market rises above it, delivery pauses until the price falls or you raise your maximum. You are never charged above that maximum. Country-targeted campaigns pay this same price but do not set it. Automatic pacing offers 7, 5, 3, and 1-day budget runways plus Maximum delivery. The 3-day Balanced runway is the default.

When does a campaign go live?

You have eight days to claim the $3 offer. It is added to your available media credit when you claim it. Unused credit expires seven days after the claim. Creatives need approval before you can use them in a campaign. A campaign runs only when you enable it.

What happens to unspent media credit?

Purchased Media Credit stays with your advertiser account for future campaign delivery. It is prepaid advertising credit, not a cash wallet, and cannot be transferred or withdrawn except through an approved refund. SponsorBar-funded promotional credit has no cash value and cannot be refunded, transferred, or withdrawn.

Can I earn bonus credit when I top up?

Yes. Eligible top-ups receive 3% at $50, 4% at $100, 5% at $200, and 6% at $300 through $500. Purchased credit is used first. Unused bonus credit expires after 90 days and has no cash or refund value.

See how your brand fits.

Build a campaign and view a realistic preview. You can start with $15 in media credit, and nothing is shown to users until you give it the OK.

Create a campaign Review the ad policy