Who is this guide for?
This guide is for anyone who sets up external ad integrations with a Retailer or Admin account.- You want to use external ads when internal ads alone can’t fill your placements
- You want to connect external ad networks such as SSPs and ad exchanges
- You want to plan a strategy to maximize placement revenue
Before you begin
The following requirements must be met:
- Access to the A2 admin console (Ad Source read/write permission)
- An account and integration details for the external ad network (SSP, ad exchange, etc.) must be ready (signed up)
- An API key or credentials issued by the ad network you are integrating
What are external ad sources?
An external ad source connects external ads to show instead when there are no internal A2 ads. For example:- There are no internal campaigns, or their budget has been exhausted
- Internal ads are insufficient at certain times of day
- An external ad offers a higher price
Step 1: Create an external ad source
Enter basic information
- In the External Ad Sources menu, click Create New Source.
- Enter the following information:
Choose an integration type
Step 2: Configure authentication
Set up the credentials used to connect to the external ad network.Header Parameters
Information to include in the HTTP request headers. Set values such as an API key or an authentication token.Query Parameters
Parameters to append to the URL. Set values such as the publisher ID or format.Credentials are issued by the external ad network. Refer to that network’s guide.
Step 3: Configure response time
Set how long to wait for a response from the external ad server.Timeout guidelines
Yield optimization strategies
If you have registered multiple external ad sources, you can choose how they are called.Waterfall
Calls external ad sources one at a time in a predefined priority order. Pros: Simple and predictable to set up Cons: Response times can add upHeader bidding
Sends requests to all external ad sources at once and shows the ad with the highest bid. Pros: Captures the highest possible revenue Cons: More complex to set up and increases server loadManage external ad sources
Change priority
When you have multiple sources, you can adjust the order in which they are called.- Go to the External Ad Sources list.
- Drag and drop to change the order.
- Click Save.
Deactivate/delete
You can temporarily pause or delete a specific source.- Deactivate: Keeps the settings but stops calling the source (you can reactivate it later)
- Delete: Removes it completely
Troubleshooting
External ads are not being displayed
External ads are not being displayed
Check the following:
- The external ad source is active
- The endpoint URL is correct
- The credentials (API key, etc.) are correct
- The timeout is not too short
Responses take too long
Responses take too long
Reduce the timeout value, or ask the ad network to improve its response speed. It is a good idea to lower the priority of sources that are consistently slow.
Is only one of several sources called?
Is only one of several sources called?
With the waterfall approach, if the priority 1 source responds, its ad is shown as is. To select the highest bid across all sources, use header bidding.
Which takes priority: internal ads or external ads?
Which takes priority: internal ads or external ads?
By default, internal ads (ads from advertisers the retailer has acquired directly) take priority. External ad sources are called only when there are no internal campaigns. You can also adjust this order in the yield optimization settings.