FAQ
Have questions?
The full set, including the awkward ones. If something is missing, email us and we will add it.
For businesses
Briefing, matching and hiring
How fast is “in seconds”, really?
Scoring runs the moment your brief is approved and the shortlist appears in the same session — that part is seconds. Proposals then depend on the specialists replying, which is hours to days. We are precise about which half is which.
What does the shortlist actually consider?
Declared and verified disciplines, verified results in comparable work, availability against your timeline, rate against your budget band, review history from released milestones, and language and timezone fit. Each match shows which of these drove it.
Why does a match come with concerns attached?
Because a shortlist that only lists strengths is an advert. If a specialist is excellent but cannot start for three weeks, or has fewer verified results in your vertical, you need that on the card — not after the kickoff call.
Can I hire more than one specialist for the same goal?
Yes — that is what AI Team Builder is for. It turns a broad goal into a role plan with a budget split, and each role is contracted and escrowed separately so you can stop one without stopping the others.
What if I need the work done for me instead of hiring?
Then you want AdSTARS Agency, which is a managed service and a separate business. Connect is the marketplace — you direct the specialist, and the platform handles matching, contracts, escrow and delivery tracking.
What if the specialist disappears mid-project?
Your exposure is capped at the funded milestone in progress — unfunded milestones cost you nothing, and a milestone that was never delivered is disputed against its scope with the funds still frozen. That cap is the point of paying in milestones rather than up front.
What does the AI audit need access to?
Nothing. It works from what you tell it about your channels, spend and goals — it does not connect to your analytics or ad accounts. What you type is used to produce your audit and is not used to train anyone’s models.
Do I own the deliverables?
The contract generated from your brief assigns deliverables and usage rights to you on milestone release. Source files, account access and handover documentation are milestone deliverables like anything else — if you need them, put them in the scope.
For specialists
Verification, demand and getting paid
What does verification require?
Identity confirmation once, then evidence for the disciplines and results you want to claim. You can be matched with identity and skills verified alone; publishing verified results is optional and each result is levelled on the evidence behind it.
Do I have to connect my ad accounts?
No. Connecting an account is what unlocks the platform-verified level, because it lets the figure be read rather than typed. Without it your results show as self-reported or evidence-reviewed, and they are labelled honestly as such. The Google Ads and Meta connectors are not live yet, so for now every result is one of those two.
How much does it cost me?
Nothing to join, verify, be matched or propose. A 12% commission is deducted from each milestone as it releases from escrow to you. There are no credits, connects, listing fees or subscription tiers.
What stops a client refusing to approve finished work?
The dispute process. Funds stay frozen in escrow, both sides submit evidence, and AdSTARS decides against the signed milestone scope. This is exactly why your proposal scope matters more than your pitch.
Can I decline a matched brief?
Yes, without penalty to your standing. Declining is information, not a failure — the alternative is specialists accepting work they should not, which is worse for everyone including you.
My best results are for clients who are not on the platform. Can I publish them?
Yes, provided the client consents. A result that names or identifies a client is published only with that client’s recorded consent — granted by the client themselves, on the platform, and revocable at any time, at which point the result disappears from your profile and from every share link. What you cannot do is publish first and ask later.
Why can I not pay to rank higher?
Because the moment placement is purchasable, the shortlist stops being a recommendation and becomes an ad slot — and the client can no longer trust any of it, including your position in it.
Money & escrow
How funds are held and moved
AdSTARS is not a bank and does not hold client funds directly.
Who holds the escrowed money?
Stripe, our regulated payment provider. AdSTARS never takes custody of client funds; we instruct release once the client approves a milestone, or once a dispute decision directs it. This is also why we cannot release funds early as a favour to either side.
Is escrow the same as deposit protection?
No. Escrowed funds are held by Stripe, our regulated payment provider, under the escrow terms — they are not a bank deposit and are not covered by a deposit guarantee scheme. What escrow protects is the sequence: the specialist cannot be paid until the client approves.
What happens on a partial dispute outcome?
Funds can be released, split or refunded. Split outcomes are common, because most disputes are partly right on both sides. The decision and its reasoning are recorded on the project.
How long does a dispute take?
The evidence window is fixed and shown on the dispute the moment it opens, so neither side can be timed out by surprise. We do not publish a blanket decision time yet — pre-launch, promising one we have not proven would be exactly the kind of claim this site exists to avoid. What is guaranteed is the sequence: funds stay frozen until the decision, and the decision and its reasoning are recorded on the project.
When does a refund arrive?
The refund is instructed to the payment provider once the cancellation or dispute outcome is recorded. Arrival depends on the original payment method and the provider’s processing times, not on us.
Access & launch
Logging in, availability and support
Can I log in yet?
Yes: the web sign-in covers proposals, milestone funding, reviewing and approving submitted work, invoices, and a specialist’s earnings and payouts. Briefing, matching and chat ship in the iOS and Android apps. Specialists can start verification now, and businesses can join the launch list from the early access page.
When do the apps ship?
iOS and Android are in release QA. Rather than name a date we will miss, we will email launch access to everyone on the list — specialists who verified early are live in the directory the day it opens.
Where is it available?
At launch, wherever Stripe supports escrow funding and payouts for the client and specialist involved. Currency and payout availability is confirmed before you fund or accept a milestone, not after.
How do I report a problem or a security issue?
Email info@adstars.app. Security reports get an acknowledgement and a statement of what we are doing about it.
Still not answered?
Email us and you will get a person, not a ticket-bot autoresponder.
Ready when you are
Done reading? Both doors are open
Businesses join the launch list; specialists start verification. Under a minute each, and neither asks for a card.
Fees, escrow terms and the verification policy apply. AdSTARS Connect introduces businesses to independent marketing specialists and is not a party to the resulting contract.
- 1The 12% platform commission is deducted from each milestone as it releases from escrow to the specialist. Clients fund and pay the agreed milestone amount with no additional platform fee. See the pricing page for the full fee list.
- 2Escrowed funds are held by Stripe, our regulated payment provider. They are not bank deposits and are not covered by any deposit guarantee or compensation scheme.
- 3Milestone disputes are decided by AdSTARS under the escrow terms as a contractual process. This is not arbitration and does not affect either party’s rights outside the platform.