How to make direct campaigns compete in header bidding auctions
Header bidding is often used to sell inventory to multiple ad exchanges through automated auctions. But you can also configure campaigns to compete with bidders in the same zone.
You must add the Programmatic Solution add-on to your subscription to access AdButler's programmatic bidding features. For information on adding add-ons, read How to change your subscription.
Requirements and restrictions
We highly recommend that you read these before trying to compete campaigns with header bidders.
- You can assign a campaign only to zones that are of a compatible type. You can check the compatibility of ad items, zones, and campaigns here.
- Even if a campaign is compatible and you successfully assigned it to a zone, any ad items in the campaign that do not match the zone's size will not be served in that zone.
- Competing campaigns and header bidders should have the same serve method. You can set the serve method only at the start of the assignment; it can't be changed afterward. Check the serve method of existing assignments to ensure that you choose the same option for new assignments. For more information, read Serve method options.
- Regardless of the serve method you choose, campaigns must have a CPM or a CPC. Otherwise, AdButler won't be able to compare them with the header bidders' offers.
How to assign a header bidder to a zone to compete with campaigns
- Set up header bidding. For more information, read How to set up header bidding zones.
- Go to the section of the relevant zone (Your AdButler > Publishers > Your Publisher > Your Zone).
- Click Assign New under the Header Bidders tab of the Programmatic table.
- Click on the relevant header bidder. The assignment details page will appear.
- Choose a serve method. For more information, read Serve method options.
- Fill in the rest of the assignment details as needed. For more information, read Pacing & Schedule and Targeting.
- Click Save. You will be taken back to the zone's section, where you will see that the Programmatic table has been updated accordingly.
How to assign a campaign to a zone to compete with header bidders
- Go to the section of the relevant zone (Your AdButler > Publishers > Your Publisher > Your Zone).
- Click Assign New under the Assigned Campaigns table.
- Click on the relevant campaign. The assignment details page will appear.
- Choose a serve method. For more information, read Serve method options. The rest of the assignment details will appear.
- Enter the campaign's CPM or CPC. For fixed delivery, enter the CPM in the Advertiser Rates under the Financials section.
For auction-based delivery, enter the CPM or CPC in the Bid Price field under Bid & Schedule. For more information, read Financial settings.
Fill in the rest of the assignment details as needed. For more information, read Pacing & Schedule, Frequency Capping, and Targeting.
Click Save. You will be taken back to the zone's section, where you will see that the Assigned Campaigns table has been updated accordingly.
If a campaign you assigned to compete with header bidders has Smooth Delivery as its delivery pacing setting, there may be instances where a zone will not be served because AdButler is trying to evenly serve the ads from that campaign over its duration. We recommend enabling Unique Delivery on a zone to prevent this from happening. For more information, read Unique Delivery.
