Getting Started

Highway78 Ads lets you put your business in front of people already shopping on Highway78. You describe your business, we generate a ready-to-run ad, and you publish it — usually in a few minutes.

Create an advertiser account

Sign up at portal.highway78.com with your email address. A workspace can run up to two ads at the same time — see Managing Your Ads.

Pick a plan

Start on the Highway78 Free plan to build and preview your ad at no cost. When you are ready for it to appear to shoppers, upgrade to Highway78 Pro from the pricing page or your billing settings.

Building Your Ad

Click Generate Ad in the portal to open the ad wizard. It runs in two stages: first you tell us what the photo should be and fill in your ad details, then you style the result on a live preview before publishing.

Stage 1 — choose your photo source

Every ad starts with a background photo. You have two options:

• Describe it — AI generates a photo. We generate an original, photorealistic marketing photo for you. Nothing is stock, and nothing is reused between advertisers.
• Upload a photo. Use your own photo of your storefront, team, or product. We enhance the lighting and color but deliberately preserve the actual subject — we will not fabricate signage, add people, or add text to your photo.

Scene description

On the Describe it path, tell us what the photo should show — up to 500 characters. Describe the setting, not the message: a technician servicing an air conditioner beside a stucco home at golden hour works far better than best AC repair in town.

Scene descriptions also must not ask for real, identifiable people or third-party brands and trademarks.

If you pick a starting style (see Starting Styles), the description becomes optional — leave it blank and we use that style's built-in scene.

Your ad text

• Headline — the large text laid over the photo. Up to 80 characters; short and punchy reads best.
• Ad title — the line shown beneath the photo on Highway78. Up to 255 characters.

Logo

Optionally upload a logo to be placed on the ad. PNG, JPEG, or WebP, up to 2 MB. You can reposition and resize it in stage 2.

Targeting and linking

• Target city — Oceanside, Carlsbad, Vista, San Marcos, Escondido, or All to run everywhere.
• Link to — point the ad at one of your own published pages, or at any other URL you enter.
• Run through — the date the ad stops running. It must be at least one day out.

Generation limits

Each workspace can run up to 10 photo generations per day. Styling changes, edits, and publishing do not count against that — only generating a new photo does.

Starting Styles

Writing a good scene description from scratch is the hardest part of making an ad. Starting styles remove that step: pick the thumbnail closest to your industry and we fill in a proven scene and photographic treatment for you.

How to use one

On the Describe it — AI generates a photo path, a gallery of thumbnails appears above the scene description, labelled Choose a starting style (optional). Click one to select it; click it again to deselect. Selecting a style does three things:

• Fills in a suggested headline and ad title for that industry — both stay fully editable, so change them to match your business.
• Applies that style's photographic treatment — its lighting, mood, and color grade.
• Supplies a starting scene, used only if you leave the scene description blank.

Mixing a style with your own scene

The two are independent, which is the useful part:

• Style only — pick a style, leave the description blank, and you get that industry's scene, shot in that style.
• Style + your scene — pick a style and write a description, and you get your subject rendered with that style's lighting and mood. Choose Auto Repair's cinematic treatment for a barber shop, for example.
• Neither — skip the gallery entirely and just write a description. You get our standard natural-light commercial look.

Available styles

Industry	Look
HVAC	Bright, optimistic, golden-hour exterior
Plumbing	Moody, dramatic, tight macro
Roofing	Epic wide-angle, drone vantage
Pest Control	Clean, clinical, even daylight
Solar	Vibrant, high-contrast, eco-modern
Landscaping	Soft pastel morning light
House Cleaning	Bright, airy, minimalist lifestyle
Home Remodeling	Warm architectural interior
Dental	Clean, clinical, bright
Chiropractic	Calm, spa-like, warm tones
Med Spa	Glamorous, soft-focus, editorial
Physical Therapy	Dynamic, energetic, action-oriented
Auto Repair	Cinematic industrial, teal-and-orange grade
Tire Shop	Bold, high-key, bright
Real Estate	Magic-hour twilight
Mortgage & Insurance	Aspirational, warm, soft-light lifestyle
Restaurant	Dark, moody, rich-saturated food
Pizza Delivery	Rustic, warm, steam-and-motion
Law Firm	Cool, professional, architectural
Childcare	Cheerful, vibrant, colorful

Every scene is built around Southern California surroundings — stucco, tile roofs, palms, drought-tolerant landscaping — so ads look like they belong on Highway78 rather than anywhere in the country.

Styling & Preview

Once your photo exists, the wizard moves to a live preview showing the ad exactly as a Highway78 shopper will see it — city tag, sponsored label, ad title and all. Every control updates the preview instantly; there is no refresh button and no waiting.

Editing your text

Click directly on the headline in the preview to edit it in place. The ad title below the photo is editable the same way.

Headline controls

• Font — Roboto, Open Sans, Montserrat, Poppins, Merriweather, or Playfair Display.
• Size — Small, Medium, Large, or Extra Large.
• Color — any color; white is the default and reads well on most photos.
• Alignment — left, center, or right.
• Position — top, center, or bottom of the photo. Top and center place the text on a subtle dark panel so it stays readable over a busy image.

Logo controls

If you uploaded a logo, you can place it in any corner or the center, at three sizes.

Publishing

When the preview looks right, publish. We flatten the photo, headline, and logo into the final image and send it to Highway78. Your text is checked automatically at this point, against whatever you last typed — so a late edit is always the version that gets reviewed.

Managing Your Ads

How many ads can run at once

A workspace can have 2 active ads at a time. The portal shows how many slots are in use. Note this is counted per workspace, not per person — if you share a workspace with teammates, they may be holding a slot even though you cannot see their ads in your own list.

Once you are at the cap, deactivate or let an ad expire before starting a new one.

Ad statuses

Status	What it means
Active	Live and showing to shoppers.
Pending review	Held for a person to look at, or waiting after a failed submission.
Rejected	Did not pass content review and will not run.
Paused	Deactivated by you; can be brought back with Renew.
Expired	Passed its run-through date.

Edit

Reopens an existing ad straight at the preview stage — no new photo is generated and nothing is re-billed against your daily limit. You can change the headline, ad title, target city, run-through date, every style control, and replace the logo.

Three things are locked once an ad exists: the scene description, the photo itself, and the destination link. To change any of those, create a new ad.

Renew

Pushes an active, paused, or expired ad back out with a fresh 30-day run. Useful for bringing a seasonal ad back without rebuilding it.

Retry

If an ad failed to reach Highway78 for a technical reason, a Retry button appears. It simply resubmits the same approved ad. Retry is not offered for ads that were rejected in content review — those need an edit instead.

Deactivate and Delete

Deactivate takes a live ad down immediately and frees its slot. Delete permanently removes an ad and its images, and is only available once an ad is no longer active — deactivate first.

How Ads Appear on Highway78

Published ads are shown to Highway78 shoppers as they browse listings and category pages. Placement is rotated across active advertisers so every campaign gets exposure.

• Ads are clearly labeled as sponsored.
• Clicking an ad sends the shopper to the link you configured.
• Deactivating an ad takes it down right away.
• Every ad passes an automated content check before going live — both the generated photo and your ad text. Your text is re-checked each time you publish an edit.

Plan Limits & Billing

Feature	Highway78 Free	Highway78 Pro
Build & preview an ad	Yes	Yes
Publish to Highway78 shoppers	No	Yes
Active ads	0	1
Edit & regenerate	Unlimited	Unlimited
Billing	Free	Monthly

Upgrading and downgrading

Upgrade at any time from the pricing page. If you downgrade to the free plan, your ad stops appearing to shoppers but stays saved in your account so you can republish later.

Cancelling

Cancel from your billing settings. Your ad is unpublished at the end of the current billing period and your account reverts to the free plan.

Builder Interface

The builder is made up of three main areas: the toolbar across the top, the block panel on the left, and the page canvas in the center. When a block is selected, a settings panel opens on the right.

The Toolbar

Button	What It Does
Blocks	Opens the block panel so you can drag new content onto your page
Save	Saves your current work
Publish	Makes your page visible to visitors
Preview	Opens a clean preview of your page as visitors see it
Canvas	Changes the canvas width to check different screen sizes
Help	Opens help information

The Block Panel

Click the Blocks button in the toolbar to open the block panel on the left. Blocks are organized into categories. To add a block, click and hold on a thumbnail, drag it onto the canvas, and release it where you want it.

The Page Canvas

The canvas is the main editing area. When you move your mouse over a block, a blue outline appears around it and a label shows the block's name.

The Settings Panel

When you click the settings icon on a block, a panel slides open on the right. This is where you change colors, fonts, sizes, borders, spacing, and other visual properties. Changes are reflected on the canvas in real time.

Building Your First Page

Step 1 — Open the Block Panel

Click the Blocks button in the toolbar. The block panel opens on the left showing all available blocks organized by category.

Step 2 — Drag a Block onto the Canvas

Click and hold on any block in the panel, then drag it over the canvas. A blue line appears showing exactly where the block will land. Release to drop it.

Step 3 — Edit the Block

Hover over a block on the canvas to reveal the control bar:

• Settings (gear icon) — opens the settings panel for that block
• Duplicate — creates a copy of the block immediately below
• Delete (trash icon) — removes the block from the page
• Drag handle — grab to reorder the block by dragging it to a new position

For text blocks, you can also click directly on the text to start typing.

Step 4 — Rearrange Blocks

Hover over a block and grab the drag handle in the control bar. Drag the block up or down to a new position. The blue line shows where it will land.

Step 5 — Save Your Work

Click the Save button in the toolbar. Save frequently — whenever you are happy with a chunk of work, not just at the end.

Working with Text

Several block types let you edit text directly on the canvas by clicking on it. There are three ways text editing works:

Click-to-edit

For simple headings and short labels, click directly on the text and start typing. Click somewhere else when done.

Rich Text Editor

For body copy and longer content, clicking the text opens a small formatting toolbar above it. This works like a basic word processor:

• Bold and Italic
• Headings (H1 through H6)
• Bullet lists and numbered lists
• Links — highlight text and click the link button to add a URL
• Text alignment — left, center, right
• Undo / Redo

Settings Panel Text

Some blocks (like the Menu Header) have their text controlled through the settings panel rather than by clicking on the canvas. Open the settings panel (gear icon) and look for a text field in the relevant group.

Editing Appearance

To change the visual style of any block — colors, size, border, spacing — hover over the block and click the Settings icon. Common settings groups include:

• Background — solid color, gradient, or pattern
• Border — style, thickness, color, and corner radius
• Shadow — drop shadow position, blur, and color
• Size — width and height
• Spacing — margins (outside the block) and padding (inside)

Block Reference

SimplicityBuilder includes a set of content blocks covering the most common page elements. Use the menu on the left to browse each block and its available settings.

Menu Header

The navigation bar at the top of your page. Displays your logo and navigation links. On small screens the links collapse into a mobile menu.

Settings

Navigation

• Menu items — text labels for each link (one per line)
• Menu links — the URL or anchor each item links to (one per line, matching order)
• Mobile breakpoint — screen width at which the menu collapses

Size

• Height (desktop) and Height (mobile)
• Sticky — keeps the header fixed at the top as visitors scroll

Logo

• Logo image — upload or link to your logo

Colors

• Header background color and hover color
• Menu item text color and hover color
• Mobile menu background color

Universal Container

The most versatile layout block. A section of your page divided into one, two, or three columns. Place other content blocks inside each column to build side-by-side layouts, feature grids, and more.

Settings

Configuration

• Number of columns (1, 2, or 3)
• Column gap
• Force stack on mobile — columns stack vertically on small screens
• Mobile breakpoint

Size & Spacing

• Width, Height, Vertical margin, Vertical and horizontal padding

Background

• Solid color, two-color gradient, background image, decorative pattern overlay

Column Settings

Click on a column to configure it individually: width fraction, stack order on mobile, vertical and horizontal alignment, per-column padding, background, border, and shadow.

Basic Container

A single box that you can place inside a column or anywhere on the page. No columns — use it to create a styled content area, card, callout box, or visual grouping.

Settings

• Size — width, height, min/max width
• Alignment — content layout direction, vertical and horizontal alignment
• Background — background color with optional blur (frosted glass effect)
• Spacing — individual margins and padding on each side
• Border — style, thickness, color, corner radius per corner
• Shadow — drop shadow offset, blur, spread, and color
• Link — make the entire box a clickable link

Text Container

A single line or short block of text — typically a heading (H1–H6) or paragraph. Click directly on the text to edit the words. All visual styling is controlled through the settings panel.

Settings

• Type — H1 through H6 or Paragraph
• Font family, size, weight (thin to extra bold), and case
• Font color, italic, underline
• Letter spacing and line height
• Text alignment and top/bottom margins

Rich Text Editor

For longer passages of content that need mixed formatting within a single block. Click the block to activate the editor and a formatting toolbar appears above the text. Type directly and use the toolbar to apply formatting. Click outside when finished.

The toolbar provides: Bold, Italic, Headings (H1–H6), Bullet lists, Numbered lists, Links, Text alignment (left, center, right), and Undo/Redo.

Inline Text

The simplest text element — a short, single piece of editable text. Click on it to place your cursor and type. No formatting toolbar or full settings panel. Used inside more complex blocks for small labels, captions, or titles.

Image

Displays a single photo or graphic.

Settings

• Image source — enter a URL or upload an image
• Width and height — set in pixels or as a percentage
• Fit — Cover (fills block, crops if needed), Contain (fits whole image), or Fill (stretches to exact size)
• Opacity — 0% to 100%
• Border — style, thickness, color, and corner radius

Icon / Button

A versatile interactive element that can display as a standalone icon, a text button, or an icon combined with a label. Always functions as a clickable link.

Settings

• Display mode — Icon only, Text only, or Icon and Text
• Orientation — icon above, below, left, or right of text
• Link — the URL or anchor this button navigates to
• Icon — choose from a large icon library, set size and color
• Label Text — font family, size, weight, color, and hover color
• Background — color and hover color
• Border — style, thickness, color, and corner radius

Form

A ready-made contact form. Submissions are sent to an email address you specify. A brief countdown timer is shown when the form first loads to deter automated spam submissions.

Settings

• Recipient email — where form submissions are sent
• Fields — toggle each field on/off and mark as required or optional: Star rating, Name, Email, Phone, Address, Message
• Rating Appearance — icon style, star size, hover and active color
• Submit Button — text, font, colors, and border
• Protected Content — optional redirect URL after successful submission

Social Icons

A pre-built row of circular icon buttons for major social platforms. Included: Email, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Pinterest, TikTok, X (Twitter), and YouTube.

To update a link, click on an individual icon to select it, then open its settings to change the Link field.

Hero Sections

Hero sections are large, visually prominent banner blocks designed to sit at the very top of a page. They come pre-built with a layout — you do not need to assemble them from scratch. Each hero layout offers a different arrangement of headline, supporting text, call-to-action button, and image.

All hero blocks share the same text and image areas that you can edit by clicking on them directly. The overall styling is controlled through the settings panel of the outer wrapper.

Open the block panel and browse the Heroes category to preview each layout before adding it to your page.

Hero 2

A two-column hero with headline, subheading, and call-to-action on the left, and a photo on the right. Well suited for service businesses and professional sites.

Pre-Built Sections

Section blocks are complete, ready-to-use page sections. Drop one onto your page and it arrives fully laid out and styled. Click on any text area to edit the words. These blocks save significant time compared to building each section from scratch.

Features

Showcases the key features, services, or benefits of your offering in a card grid layout. Each card contains an icon, a short heading, and a one- or two-sentence description.

Editing: Click any text to update it. Click individual icons to change them through the settings panel.

Testimonials

Displays customer reviews or quotes in a clean card layout. Each card contains the quote text, the reviewer's name, and optionally a title or company.

Editing: Click on each quote, name, or title text to update it.

Gallery

A photo grid for showcasing images of your work, products, location, or team.

Editing: Click on each image to update the image source in the settings panel.

FAQ

A frequently asked questions section. Each item has a question and an answer that expands when clicked.

Editing: Click on each question and answer text to edit it.

Contact Us

A contact information section showing your address, phone number, email, or other contact details.

Editing: Click on each piece of contact information to update it.

Pricing

Displays your pricing plans side by side, each with a name, price, list of included features, and a call-to-action button.

Editing: Click on plan names, prices, feature list text, and button labels to update them.

Stats

Highlights impressive numbers or achievements — client counts, years in business, projects completed. Displays as a row of large bold numbers with descriptive labels.

Editing: Click on each number and label text to update it.

Footer

The page footer. Typically contains your business name, navigation links, copyright notice, and optionally social media icons or contact details.

Editing: Click on text areas to update them. Navigation links can be edited through the settings panel.

CTA Banner

A call-to-action banner — a bold, full-width strip designed to prompt visitors to take an action such as booking a consultation, signing up, or making a purchase.

Editing: Click on the headline text and button label to update them.

Steps

Explains a process, workflow, or how-it-works sequence in numbered steps. Useful for onboarding flows, service processes, or tutorials.

Editing: Click on each step heading and description text to update it.

Logo Bar

A horizontal strip displaying logos of clients, partners, press mentions, or certifications. Conveys credibility and social proof.

Editing: Click on each logo image and update the image source in the settings panel.

Newsletter

An email newsletter signup section with a headline, brief description, and an email input field with a subscribe button.

Editing: Click on the headline and description text to update them.

Team

Introduces your team members with a photo, name, and job title for each person.

Editing: Click on each name and title text to update them. Click on each photo to update the image source.

Services

Describes the individual services your business offers, typically with an icon or image and a short description for each.

Editing: Click on service names and descriptions to update them.

Countdown

Displays a countdown to a specific date and time — useful for launches, events, sales, or deadlines. The timer counts down in real time when visitors view the page.

Editing: Open the block settings and set the target date and time.

Portfolio

Showcases selected work samples or projects in a visual grid. Each item typically has a photo, a project name, and a short description or category tag.

Editing: Click on project names and descriptions to update them. Click on images to update their sources.

About

A section for telling your story or describing your business, team, or mission. Usually a two-column layout with an image and a text area.

Editing: Click on the text to update it. Click the image to update the image source.

Event

Announces an upcoming event with key details such as date, time, location, and a description.

Editing: Click on the date, time, location, and description text to update them.

Job Listing

Lists open job positions at your company. Each listing shows the job title, department, location, and a link or button to apply.

Editing: Click on job titles, departments, and location text to update them.

Builder Tips

• Start with structure, then fill in details. Decide which sections your page needs first, drop them all onto the canvas, then go back and update the content in each one.
• Use hero sections at the top. A hero block makes a strong first impression. Choose the layout that best fits your content — if you have a great photo, pick a layout that gives the image prominent space.
• Keep your page focused. A typical effective page uses five to eight sections. More than that can overwhelm visitors.
• Use the preview button regularly. The editing canvas shows helper overlays that do not appear in the final page. Click Preview often to see exactly what visitors will see.
• Save frequently. Click Save whenever you are happy with a chunk of work, not just at the end.

Save, Preview, and Publish

Action	What It Does
Save	Saves your current edits. The page is not visible to visitors yet if it has not been published.
Preview	Opens a clean view of your page without editing controls, exactly as visitors see it.
Publish	Makes your page live so visitors can see it.

Support

Questions about your ad, billing, or how Highway78 placement works?

Email support@highway78.com and include your advertiser account email and, if relevant, the name of the ad you are asking about.

We typically respond within one business day.