Ad Server Groups

This feature allows you to configure multiple ad servers into a prioritized group and use them together for waterfall ad serving. This enables higher fill rates, improved monetization, and greater flexibility when working with multiple demand sources.

Instead of relying on a single ad server per channel, you can define an ordered list of ad servers and let the platform attempt each one sequentially until an ad is successfully returned.

Why it Matters

Previously, channels could only be configured with a single ad server. If that server failed to return an ad (for example, due to no bid or a timeout), the impression went unfilled.

Ad Server Groups solve this by enabling a first-party ad waterfall, allowing you to:

• Increase fill rates by cascading requests across multiple ad servers.
• Reduce unfilled impressions caused by single-server failures.
• Centralize and manage ad priority logic directly in the platform.
• Support more advanced ad operations workflows without external orchestration.

How it Works

An Ad Server Group is a named collection of ad servers arranged in a priority order.

When a channel is configured to use an Ad Server Group and waterfall serving is enabled:

1. An ad request is sent to the first ad server in the group.
2. If no ad is returned, or if the ad break is only partially filled, the request automatically proceeds to the next ad server to fulfill the remaining duration.
3. This continues sequentially until:
   • An ad break is successfully returned, or
   • All ad servers in the group have been attempted.

Creating an Ad Server Group

You can create and manage Ad Server Groups from the Ads → Ad Server Groups section.

When creating a group, you:

1. Provide a group name.
2. Select one or more ad servers to include (up to 4 ad servers per group).
3. Define the priority order using drag-and-drop.
4. Save the group for use across different workflows.

Using Ad Server Groups in Ad Requests

Ad Server Groups can be referenced directly in ad requests using URL parameters. This allows you to dynamically select a group and pass per-ad-server parameters at request time.

Basic Ad Server Group Parameter

To specify an ad server group, include the following query parameter:

ad_group=<ad_server_group_name>

Example:

ad_group=test_ad_groups

Passing Per-Ad-Server Parameters

You can also include per-viewer or per-request parameters that are scoped to individual ad servers within the group. These are commonly used for campaign targeting, custom parameters, or partner-specific values.

Parameter Format:

ad.<ad_config_name>.<uac_prefix>.<parameter_name>=<value>

Example:

ad_group=test_ad_groups&ad.uac_group1_gam.pt.myparam=1&ad.uac_group2_spotx.pt.param2=3

In this example:

• test_ad_groups is the Ad Server Group being used.
• Parameters after ad_group are optional.
• Each additional parameter applies to a specific ad server in the group.
• These values are passed through with the ad request and can be used for:
  • Per-viewer targeting.
  • Campaign-level customization.
  • Provider-specific request tuning.