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Getting Started with Sovrn & Google Open Bidding

General Overview

OB is a server-side bidding solution that allows publishers to easily work with different ad partners. It allows you to invite Sovrn and other third-party demand partners to compete for ad inventory in a single auction with real-time, server-to-server bidding. This is the general getting started process for using OB with Sovrn:  

1️⃣ Create a Sovrn Account 

2️⃣ Submit a Request Form 

3️⃣ Set Up Sovrn as a Partner in GAM 

4️⃣ Complete Your Setup with a Sovrn Specialist

Creating a Sovrn Account

To monetize with Sovrn via Google OB, you'll first need to sign up for a Sovrn account and complete our approval process for your sites. Here is an article on this process.  

Please note: If you have multiple GAM IDs you'd like to monetize, you will need multiple Sovrn accounts. Please see this section for more information.

Submitting a Request Form

Please fill out and submit the form found here.  Filling out this form will prompt a Sovrn Specialist to review your account, your eligibility for integrating with OB, and begin your integration. They will be reaching out to you shortly with next steps.

The Sovrn Specialist will be checking to make sure you have a few things setup, so if you'd like to get a jump-start on the process, here's a few things to work on: 

Setting Up Sovrn as a Partner in GAM

You’ll need to make sure you complete these actions in your GAM account before your integration can be completed. Feel free to get started on them now. Once you’ve completed the request form (described in the Submitting a Request Form section) and are put in touch with a Sovrn Specialist, they will also help remind you to complete these steps: 

  • Add Sovrn as a Company in GAM

    • Click Admin, then Companies. make sure that ‘ad network’ is selected.

    • Add Sovrn as a "New Ad Network".

    • Select the "enable for mediation" box.

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  • Add Sovrn as a yield partner in GAM: find more info on how to do this here.

  • Create a yield group 

    • Please review supported ad types and geographies. 

    • Remember to add Sovrn as a third-party yield partner within the yield group, as described. 

    • For video yield groups: see these instructions.

    • To add interstitials to your yield group: see these instructions. You’ll want to select web as the inventory type.

Complete Your Setup with a Sovrn Specialist

In the Submitting a Request Form step above, a Sovrn Specialist will have been prompted to review your account, your eligibility for integrating with OB, and remaining action items. 

Be sure to check your email conversations with your Sovrn Specialist and complete any action items on your end. Once your integration is complete, you’ll be able to start seeing the traffic in your Sovrn Analytics dashboard within a few days. See this section below for more information on how to see this data.  

If you haven’t received any outreach or responses from us regarding your OB implementation, please reach out to Sovrn Support and we will get you back on track. 

Note: please make sure to include the email with which you submitted your Request Form when you reach out. 

I have multiple GAM IDs/Network IDs I'd like to monetize with. How does this impact my integration?

The Sovrn and OB integration process includes mapping one Sovrn account to one GAM ID/Network ID. If you have multiple GAM IDs you'd like to monetize with Sovrn, you'll also need multiple Sovrn accounts. Your Sovrn Specialist can help you create this if needed. 

Note: each Sovrn account requires a unique email address, so you'll need to provide this to your Sovrn Specialist if you need an additional account.  

I already have a Sovrn account. Can I use it to integrate with Google OB?

Yes, as long as your existing account isn't already integrated with OB, you can use it. 

See the section above if you already have an OB integration set up. 

Is my GAM account authorized to work with Google OB?

Not All GAM accounts are permitted to work with Open Bidding. Only publishers with access to a Google Ad Manager 360 account, or those with special access to OB within their Google Ad Manager account are eligible. You'll need to check your GAM account to find out. 

How can I see the revenue I've earned from Google OB?

You will be able to see the performance and revenue you've earned from Google OB in your Sovrn account, by setting the Auction filter on your Analytics Dashboard to Google OB. See the section below to better understand how this revenue is paid to you.  

The payment I received from Sovrn doesn't include my OB earnings. Why?

Although Sovrn can give you reporting on revenue and performance for OB, your payments for this traffic will be coming from your GAM account, not from Sovrn. 

You'll need to subtract the revenue you've earned from Google OB from the total revenue you see on your dashboard to know what you might expect your payment from Sovrn to be. 

Can I amend or edit the Google Open Bidding agreement?

No, it is not possible to amend Google Open Bidding agreements. However, if you have specific questions about the terms of the agreement, you may reach out to Sovrn Support. 

What is different about my Ads.txt lines for OB?

The ads.txt lines provided in your Sovrn account include 2 lines for lijit.com. The one with -eb appended to your affiliate ID is the one you will need in addition, for Google OB to monetize. 

For more information about ads.txt, please see this article. 

What ad formats does Sovrn support via Google OB?

Sovrn currently only fully supports display and video formats. 

We are currently working to support in-app and CTV formats, so if you are interested in this format please let us know. You will not be able to earn until we can fully support these formats, but we may be able to get your integration started ahead of time. 

What geographies does Sovrn support via Google OB?

We currently do not support APAC countries.

You will perform the best if you have traffic from the US or UK, but if you have traffic from other countries, you may still be able to earn.

When you submit a request form, a Sovrn Specialist will review your traffic to see if it is a good fit for our network.

Need more help?

If you still have questions, please reach out to Sovrn Support.

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