Getting Started & FAQ for Signal Reload

This guide has two primary sections. The first section goes into the basics of Signal Reload and how you can get started with it. The second section focuses on when you are using Signal Reload. 

Getting Started

What is Signal Reload?

Signal Reload measures viewability and user engagement to reload your ads after they have been in view for a certain period of time for an engaged reader.

What does Signal Reload enable me to do?

As a publisher, Signal Reload enables you to create incremental, high-value impressions from your engaging content. 

What are the key benefits? 

• Monetize the engagement on your site. 

• Reload your entire demand stack.

• Only reload ads that are viewable, whilst the user is engaged, which in turn ensures that the new impressions created are viewable, and increases your overall site viewability score. 

• Available through one, easy Signal integration. 

How does Signal Reload differ from other tools? 

By only reloading ads that have been seen by an engaged reader, Signal Reload ensures that the quality of your first impressions are maintained, while also generating additional impressions and increasing your overall viewability score.
Signal Reload also allows you flexibility with where to apply the reload. You can exclude and/or change reload settings based on ad unit, Google Ad Manager settings, device, country and URL.

How do I get set up with Signal Reload?

• For existing Signal customers, no additional code is needed on your site(s). The Reload can be added to your existing tag. Reach out to your Sovrn representative or Sovrn Support to get this added. 

• To apply any GAM-related exclusions to when the reload happens, follow this guide: Enabling Google Ad Manager (GAM) API Access for Signal  to grant read-only API access to Sovrn. 

• To report on the reload within GAM, follow Key Value Setup for Signal Licensing  to add the key value “sovrn-reload=true”, which gets passed with each reload.  

• For customers new to Signal, you can start a free-trial of the Reload and all the other Signal solutions through one, simple tag integration. Reach out to your Sovrn representative or Sovrn Support to get started.

Using the product

How does Signal Reload determine whether an ad is viewable? 

Following the IAB?s standards, 50% or more of the ad creative's pixels must be in view for at least 1 second. 

How does Signal Reload determine when a user is engaged?

To measure whether the user is engaged with the page, Signal tracks 45 different events around mouse movement, touch, scrolling etc. that show the user is interacting with the page. Signal then counts the amount of time these user events are taking place to determine engaged time (in seconds). Find out more in the blog post. 

Which types of ads is Signal Reload able to reload? 

Signal is able to reload ads served by Google Ad Manager that are larger than 50x50 pixels. 

Which ad servers does Signal Reload support?

Signal Reload supports Google Ad Manager.

Which header bidding wrappers does Signal Reload support?

Signal Reload supports Prebid.js, Index Exchange, Magnite and TAM/UAM?s header bidding wrappers. 

Am I able to exclude certain types of ads from being reloaded? 

You can exclude the reload from happening, or change the reload settings, based on ad unit, device, country and URL. By providing Sovrn with access (see: Enabling Google Ad Manager (GAM) API Access for Signal ) to your Google Ad Manager (GAM) account, you can also do this based on GAM settings such as Line Item Types or Order IDs. 

What should I set my reload time to?

When setting your reload time, you should consider how to maximize revenue per page without impacting the performance of the first impressions. As Signal Reload is based on the number of viewable engaged seconds each ad has seen (rather than just counting seconds regardless of whether the ad is in view or the user active on the page), this ensures the quality of your initial impressions aren't impacted.

You can read more about the refresh standards we have proposed to the IAB, alongside GumGum, here. 

I'm not live with Signal Reload, but I'm seeing data in the Reload section of the Sovrn Platform. What does this mean? 

Signal Reload predicts and shows potential uplift in impressions and viewability in the Sovrn Platform by using viewability and engagement measurements from your existing Signal integration. 

How can I see how the Reload is performing?

Find your dashboard in the Reload section of Sovrn's Platform. Here you can see the uplift in impressions, revenue and viewability from the Reload as well as a summary of how the reload is performing. You can view this data by site, device, day and individual ad units.

How often does data get updated?

Data is updated daily by 9am UTC for the previous day. 

Why am I seeing potential uplift data in the Reload dashboard? 

Signal Reload predicts and shows potential uplift in impressions and viewability in the Sovrn Platform by using viewability and engagement measurements from your existing Signal integration. 

If <100 reload impressions were recorded in the time frame selected, potential uplift data will be shown in the dashboard. 

How is the potential uplift in impressions and viewability from the Reload calculated?

The uplift in impressions is calculated from the number of impressions in view that Signal measured while the reader is engaged on the page for 20 seconds. The uplift in viewability is calculated using the uplift in impressions, and average viewability score of Signal Reload impressions of 80%.

How is my revenue data being calculated?

Revenue data is pulled daily via API from your Google Ad Manager (GAM) account. The key value “sovrn-reload=true” is passed to GAM by Signal with each reload impression, which is used to report on how much revenue came from the Signal Reload. See instructions here: Enabling Google Ad Manager (GAM) API Access for Signal on how to add this key value to your GAM account. 

Why doesn't my revenue data look correct? 

Revenue data is pulled daily via API from your GAM account from all demand channels, so revenue data should match what you see within your GAM account.

• If revenue data looks lower than expected, Sovrn could be missing API permissions to pull data from some of your inventory. See instructions on how to set up API access here: Enabling Google Ad Manager (GAM) API Access for Signal .

• If revenue data looks higher than expected, this could be if CPMs set for certain line items are inflated, and revenue in the Sovrn Platform should reflect what you see in your GAM account. 

Why can't I see Reload revenue data in Sovrn's Platform?

If you are live with Signal Reload, we can show how much revenue has been generated by pulling data daily from your GAM account, using the key value passed by Signal with each reload impression: “sovrn-reload=true”.

• To pull this revenue data from your GAM account, Sovrn requires API access. See instructions on how to set this up here: Enabling Google Ad Manager (GAM) API Access for Signal . 

Why can't I see revenue data by domain?

Revenue data is pulled from your GAM account using the key value “sovrn-reload=true”. Due to limitations with GAM reporting, we are unable to pull revenue data by domain.

Still need help? 

If you have any further questions, don?t hesitate to contact Sovrn Support!