Signal Setup Guide

This guide walks you through all the steps required to set up Signal.

Each implementation requires adding a JavaScript tag to your page and configuring your header bidding and Google Ad Manager (GAM) setup.

Required Steps

Step 1: Add the Signal Script

Create a container tag in the Connect tab of the Sovrn platform and insert the container code into your website. The code should look something like:

<script src="//get.s-onetag.com/1c70080c-xxxx-42a0-9959-21c1xxxxxxxx/tag.min.js" async defer></script>

To ensure optimal performance, place the Signal script near the top of your page – ideally within the <head> tag and before your header bidding wrapper. This enables Signal to enrich your bid requests with Sovrn’s data.

After implementation, Sovrn’s Support Team will verify that the tag is working correctly.

Alternative Tag Delivery Methods

If hardcoding is not possible, you can deploy the script via:

Tag Manager (e.g., Google Tag Manager)
Google Ad Manager (GAM) using a 1x1 or Out-of-Page (OOP) creative slot

Go to our GAM implementation guide to find out how: Implementing Signal via GAM.

Step 2: Enable GAM API Access

Requirement: Signal requires read access to the Google Ad Manager (GAM) API for reporting. This allows Sovrn to provide in-depth reporting, honor exclusions, and accurately bill you for Signal.

The steps for doing this vary slightly depending on whether you have GAM 360 with Teams or if you have a small business GAM account.

Small Business setup

Steps

1. Create a Role

In your GAM account, create a new Role under the Admin section.

Admin > Access and Authorization > Roles.

Name the Role as "API Access User" for example.

Under "Trafficking and delivery" apply the following permissions:

View all orders and line items
View creatives
View ad units, placements, mobile apps, key-values, and labels
View my orders and line items

Under "Reporting" please apply the following permission:

Create and view reports

GAM may then notify you of additional permissions that are required for "Create and view reports." Please select those too.

2. Create a Service Account User

Under Admin > Global Settings > Network Settings, click "Add A Service Account User".

Just like in the screenshot below:

Name the new service account user as "sovrn-reload" for example, and use the following email address: service@onscroll-dfp-gateway.iam.gserviceaccount.com.

Add the Role created in the first step (so for example "API Access User") and Save.

Google Ad Manager 360 with Teams

Steps are a bit different if you are using a "Team" feature in your GAM account.

1. Set up Role

Enter a name just like above for Step 1 and name it for example "API User Access". Make sure to check these boxes :

View Creatives
View ad Units
Placements and key values
View my orders and line-items

Then save.

Under "Reporting" please apply the following permission:

Create and view reports

GAM may then notify you of additional permissions that are required for "Create and view reports." Please select those too.

2. Create a Service Account User

Go to Admin > Global Settings > Network Settings and click "Add A Service Account User".

If "Teams" is enabled, when setting up the new service account user, ensure this new user has permission to view "All entities". Make sure the box highlighted below is checked.

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Additional Signal Features

Signal Identity Enrichment

Signal can enrich your User ID solutions by passing hashed emails collected from Sovrn’s Data Collective. Many ID providers accept hashed emails as an input, enabling them to recognize and match users more accurately.

To enable this feature:

Install the Prebid.js User ID module
Enable at least one User ID submodule that supports hashed email inputs
1. User ID sub modules: Module - User ID for Header Bidding.

Once the setup is complete, Sovrn can enable this functionality for you.

Signal Dynamic Floors

Our Dynamic Floors enable Signal to automatically test and set optimized floor prices, maximizing yield.

How it works:

Signal collects data on your ad units
It runs price tests on approximately 5% of the traffic
When an optimized floor outperforms the control group, Signal begins applying it more broadly
It continuously tests and adjusts floors as market conditions change

Delivery methods:

By bid parameters (easy, fewer supported bidders)
Via the Prebid.js Price Floors Module (requires setup, more bidder support)

For GAM integration: Signal can also pass floor prices to GAM via key-values tied to Unified Pricing Rules (UPRs). Signal Dynamic Floors Implementation Guide

Prebid.js Publisher API reference.

Below is a diagram that shows a high-level view of this process.

Signal Dynamic Floors Reporting

No matter how Signal is implemented, you'll need to configure reporting to track performance.

Key & Values Setup

Signal will set two key values for reporting
Key: signal-floor
Values:

passed
control
explore-passed
explore-control

How uplift is calculated

The control group (control) is assigned to 5% of traffic.
Uplift is calculated by comparing the revenue from the passed group to that of the control group.
To estimate the total impact, Signal multiplies the control group’s revenue by the number of auctions receiving either a passed or control value.

Explore groups

explore-passed and explore-control are used for inventory where Signal is still testing to find the optimal floor.
These values help you monitor the effectiveness of floor price experimentation.

More details for setting up key values for reporting: Signal Dynamic Floors Reporting Setup Guide.

Signal Reload

Signal Reload intelligently refreshes ads based on real-time user attention signals, helping you boost monetization without compromising user experience.

How it works:

Signal monitors the position of each ad in the viewport and listens for browser activity such as clicks, scrolls, touch, and mouse movement.
When a user is active and the ad is at least 50% in view (per IAB viewability standards), Signal tracks this as "attention time."
Once enough attention time is recorded, Signal triggers a refresh of your ad stack, reruns the Prebid.js auction, and reloads the ad.

Compatibility

Signal Reload supports:

Prebid.js
Amazon TAM
Magnite Demand Manager (DM)

You can configure which ad units are eligible for reload using flexible settings to include or exclude specific ads.

Learn more about Signal Reload.

Signal Reload Reporting

To enable reporting:

Set up the required key-values as outlined here: Signal Reload Implementation Guide.
Once key-values are implemented, you'll gain access to the Reload reporting dashboard.