FreeWheel

Configure FreeWheel ad requests, ad units, key-value pairs, and targeting parameters.

You can configure the following FreeWheel ad settings:

  1. Set a FreeWheel GET ad request URL.
  2. Define where ads may be placed within your content.
  3. Pass key/value pairs to FreeWheel that describe the content currently being streamed.
  4. Pass additional parameters to customize the data provided to FreeWheel and the ads it returns.

FreeWheel Ad Requests

When you set the Server URL parameter, the service constructs the following GET request to retrieve ads for your content:

http://[customerId].v.fwmrm.net/ad/g/1?[globalParams];[keyValues];[ParamsForSlot1];[ParamsForSlot2];...;[ParamsForSlotN];

The query string is constructed from the parameters described below.

  • [globalParams]: Most parameters described in the FreeWheel Ad Parameters section apply globally to all ad units.
  • [keyValues]: The Key-Value Pairs parameter (ad.kv) defines key-value pairs that may be passed to or retrieved from FreeWheel.
  • [ParamsForSlotN]: The Ad Units parameter (ad.slau) determines whether slot-specific parameters (i.e., [ParamsForSlot1];[ParamsForSlot2];...;[ParamsForSlotN];) are added to the query string.

Toggle Ad Units

Ad placement differs between live and on-demand streaming.

Live Streaming

Toggle ad units by setting the Ad Units parameter (ad.slau) to a comma-separated list of ad unit types. Only ad unit types defined within this parameter will be requested.

Example:

The following value requests only mid-roll ads during this playback session of the live stream.

ad.slau=,midroll

On-Demand Content

By default, ads are requested for pre-roll, mid-roll, and post-roll ad units.

FreeWheel Ad Parameters

This section describes the parameters that the service inserts into the GET request sent to the FreeWheel ad server.

NameParameterDescription
Server URLad.serverurlRequired
Defines the base URL to the desired FreeWheel ad decision server.
Example: ad.serverurl=http://g1.v.fwmrm.net/ad/p/1? A default value for this parameter may be defined from within the CMS. This parameter takes precedence over the Customer ID parameter (ad.customer_id). Learn how to set a default value for this parameter.
Location Description (Custom Site Section ID)ad.locationDescRequired
Defines a description for the playback location.
Example: ad.locationDesc=web Learn how to set a default value for this parameter. This parameter takes precedence over the Custom Site Section ID parameter (ad.csid).
Network IDad.nwRequired
Sets the distributor's FreeWheel network ID (adRequest@networkId).
Example: ad.nw=14611 Learn how to set a default value for this parameter.
Player Profilead.profRequired
Sets the player's profile (adRequest@profile).
Example: ad.prof=14611:Vod Learn how to set a default value for this parameter.
Maximum Pre-Roll Adsad.pre_maxadsSets the maximum number of pre-roll ad units that the ad server may return.
Minimum Pre-Roll Durationad.pre_mindSets the minimum duration, in seconds, for pre-roll ad units within a live stream. This duration is used only when the ad unit duration is unknown. This parameter supports integers only.
Example: ad.pre_mind=15
Maximum Pre-Roll Durationad.pre_maxdSets the maximum duration, in seconds, for pre-roll ad units within a live stream. This parameter supports integers only.
Example: ad.pre_maxd=50
Pre-Roll Durationad.predurRequired for Live Streaming OnlySets the duration, in seconds, of a live stream's pre-roll ad unit.
Example: ad.predur=45
Durationad.rdurDefines a default duration. This duration applies only to ad breaks without an explicitly defined duration.
Default Value: 240
Example: ad.rdur=120
Minimum Mid-Roll Durationad.mindSets the minimum duration, in seconds, for mid-roll ad units within a live stream. This duration is used only when the ad unit duration is unknown. This parameter supports integers only.
Example: ad.mind=15
Default Value: The default minimum duration is set by the Duration parameter (ad.rdur). If it is not set, then the default duration is determined by the duration passed to the Live Slicer.
Maximum Mid-Roll Durationad.maxdSets the maximum duration, in seconds, for mid-roll ad units within a live stream. This parameter supports integers only.
Example: ad.maxd=50
Default Value: By default, the maximum duration is the duration passed to the Live Slicer.
Use Live Break Durationad.ulbdSets ad unit duration for on-demand content to the duration defined when the source live stream was sliced. Set this parameter to 1.
Example: ad.ulbd=1
Modead.modeOverrides the default request mode (adRequest@mode) for ad units. Valid values are: live, ondemand. Learn how to set a default value for this parameter.
Flagsad.flagsEnables one or more flags that define the player's capabilities. This value should be URL encoded.
Example: ad.flags=+play+sync Specified Flags Only: Enable only specific flags by setting this parameter to a colon followed by the desired set of flags.
Example: ad.flags=:+amcb
Suppress supportsSlotTemplatead.suppress_pre_sltpRemoves supportsSlotTemplate from the pre-roll ad request.
Advanced Callbacksad.ametrAllows FreeWheel to use impressions with advanced callbacks. Set this flag to 1.
Example: ad.ametr=1
HyLDAad.hyldaActivates FreeWheel's HyLDA feature. Set this flag to 1.
Example: ad.hylda=1
Acidad.acidAdds Acid as a value in the HyLDA keyword. This parameter applies only when the HyLDA flag is enabled.
Example: ad.acid=Acid
Default Ad Capabilitiesad.metrDefines the default capabilities for all ads. Set this parameter to an integer that maps bits to capabilities.
Example: ad.metr=8
Default Value: 7
Asset Network IDad.asnwAdds a video asset network ID (videoAsset@videoAssetNetworkId) to the FreeWheel GET ad request.
Example: ad.asnw=14611k
Custom Asset IDad.caidSets the custom asset ID (videoAsset@customId) included with the FreeWheel GET ad request. Syntax: @[Key-Value-Name] Sends the value assigned to an asset's key-value pair to FreeWheel.
Example: ad.caid=@custom_id
Key-Value Pairsad.kvPasses or retrieves key-value pairs using the FreeWheel GET ad request.
Example: ad.kv=key_1,value_1,key_2,value_2
Key-Value Separatorad.kvsepDetermines the delimiter used when defining key-value pairs through the Key-Value Pairs parameter.
Example: ad.kvsep=/
Default Value: ,
Site Section Network IDad.ssnwSets the site section network ID (siteSection@siteSectionNetworkId) included with the FreeWheel GET ad request.
Example: ad.ssnw=112233
Video Asset Fallback IDad.afidSets the video asset fallback ID (videoAsset@fallbackId) included with the FreeWheel GET ad request. This ID is used when an ad request's video asset ID is not recognized.
Example: ad.afid=AssetFallBackId
Visitor Custom IDad.vcidSets the visitor's custom ID included with the FreeWheel GET ad request. This ID is equivalent to the visitor/@customId attribute in the XML request.
Example: ad.vcid=CustomVisitorID
Site Section Fallback IDad.sfidSets the site section fallback ID included with the FreeWheel GET ad request. This ID is used when an ad request's site section ID is not recognized.
Example: ad.sfid=global
Pre-Roll Ad Unitad.prerollRequests a pre-roll ad unit. Set this parameter to 1.
Example: ad.preroll=1
Default Value: 0
Ad Unitsad.slauDetermines whether pre-roll, mid-roll, and post-roll ad units will be requested from FreeWheel. Valid values are: preroll, midroll, postroll
Asset Durationad.vdurOverrides an asset's duration (videoAsset@duration).
Example: ad.vdur=3600
Tag (FreeWheel Ad Request)ad.tagSets a FreeWheel GET ad request URL that will be used instead of a POST Smart XML request.
Example: ad.tag=http://demo.v.fwmrm.net/ad/g/1?...
Primary Content Typead.prctDefines a global primary content type for all non-temporal, user-generated ad units.
Example: ad.prct=text/html_lit_js_wc_nw
Default Value: text/html_lit_js_wc_nw
Client IP Addressad.vipOverrides the client's IP address included with the FreeWheel GET ad request.
Example: ad.vip=192.168.1.1
Default Value: The IP address of the device that requested playback of your content.
Client Referrerad._fw_h_refererOverrides the Referer header value included with the FreeWheel GET ad request.
Example: ad._fw_h_referer=http://www.sampledomain.com
Default Value: By default, the Referer header from the playback request is included with the FreeWheel GET ad request.
Client User Agentad._fw_h_user_agentOverrides the User-Agent header value included with the FreeWheel GET ad request.
Example: ad._fw_h_user_agent=user-agent%3A%20Mozilla%2F5.0%20...
Default Value: By default, the User-Agent header from the playback request is included with the FreeWheel GET ad request.
Customer IDad.customer_id**Required when Server URL is undefined.**The Server URL parameter (ad.serverurl) takes precedence over this parameter. Do not specify this parameter if you plan to pass the Server URL parameter.
Example: ad.customer_id=demo
Custom Site Section IDad.csid**Required when Location Description is undefined.**The Location Description parameter (ad.locationDesc) takes precedence over this parameter. Do not specify this parameter if you plan to pass the Location Description parameter.
Example: ad.csid=web
End-User IDad.euidThe Visitor Custom ID parameter (ad.vcid) takes precedence over this parameter. Do not specify this parameter if you plan to pass the Visitor Custom ID parameter.
Example: ad.euid=CustomVisitorID
Skip PrerollskipprerollIf the ad.preroll=1 URL parameter is specified in the Uplynk playback URL, the URL parameter skippreroll=1 forces Uplynk to look ahead in the stream and skip the pre-roll ad if the mid-roll is within 60 seconds of the stream start. Example: skippreroll=1

Enable FreeWheel Video View Feature

The parameter to enable FreeWheel's Video View by Callback feature varies depending on the version of the ping API you are using. This feature requires both the Preplay and Ping APIs.

  • Version 3: If you are using version 3 of the ping API (the current version), add 2 to the value of the ad.pingf parameter in your preplay request. (See the "Calculating the pingf Parameter" section of the Features portion of the ping API v3 documentation.)
  • Version 2: If you are using version 2 of the ping API (a past version), include the ad.svv=1 parameter in your preplay request.

This feature also requires the Smart XML response type, as Video Views are not supported by VAST.

FreeWheel Creative Parameters

An ad response from FreeWheel may include creative parameters such as:

  • _fw_ad_position_in_pod
  • _fw_ad_title
  • _fw_ad_unit_name
  • _fw_advertiser_name
  • _fw_asset_thumbnail_url
  • _fw_campaign_name
  • _fw_creative_name
  • hulu_industry
  • moat

These creative parameters are automatically included in preplay and ping responses to the client. The client may then use these parameters for custom integrations (e.g., integrating FreeWheel with Moat Analytics).

Ad Configuration

An ad configuration allows you to define default values for use with third-party ad servers (e.g., FreeWheel).

To define an ad configuration:

  1. Navigate to the Ad Server page via Settings > Ad Server.
  2. Select + Ad Config.
  3. In the Ad config name option, enter the name for your ad configuration.
  4. From the Select ad server option, select "FreeWheel."
  5. Select Create.
  6. In the serverURL option, enter your FreeWheel GET ad request URL.
  7. In the networkID option, enter the distributor's FreeWheel network ID (adRequest@networkId).
  8. Define default values for any other desired FreeWheel parameters.
  9. Select Save.

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