Integrating with Sovrn via OpenRTB (oRTB) involves two phases: pre-launch setup and a staged traffic validation period. This guide walks through each step so you know what to expect and what's required from your side before your endpoint goes live at full scale.
Prerequisites
Before onboarding begins, make sure you have:
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An active Sovrn publisher account
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A technical contact who can configure your oRTB endpoint
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A completed Technical RFI - reach out to Sovrn Support to receive this form. Sovrn cannot begin onboarding until the RFI is submitted and reviewed.
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For web integrations: the ability to update your ads.txt file and configure a cookie sync
Important - Web oRTB User Syncing Requirement
Web oRTB onboarding can only proceed if you support user syncing where you initiate the sync and store the match table on your side. If your implementation does not support this model, please discuss alternatives with your Sovrn account team before proceeding.
Phase 1: Pre-Launch Setup
1. Complete the Technical RFI
Contact Sovrn Support to receive the Technical RFI. This form captures the integration details Sovrn needs to configure your endpoint correctly — including settings like impression tracking method, multi-impression, and multi-seat support. Sovrn configures these settings on your behalf based on your RFI responses, so it's important to complete the form accurately. Your onboarding cannot move forward until the RFI is submitted and reviewed by the Sovrn team.
2. Configure Your oRTB Integration
Review and implement Sovrn's oRTB spec to ensure your bid requests are properly formatted. Key required fields include id, imp, imp.tagid, and site.publisher.id. Your Publisher ID is provided during onboarding — contact Sovrn Support if you haven't received it.
For full field definitions and requirements, see Sovrn oRTB Specs.
3. Get Your Redirect URL Approved (Web Only)
If your integration uses a redirect URL, it must be reviewed and approved by Sovrn before traffic can flow. Submit your redirect URL to your account team during setup. This step is not required for in-app or CTV integrations.
4. Set Up Cookie Sync (Web Only)
Cookie syncing allows Sovrn and its demand partners to match user IDs, which improves match rates and ultimately CPMs. Sovrn will provide the cookie sync pixel and instructions. Implement this before traffic goes live.
As noted in the prerequisites, your implementation must support user-initiated syncing where you store the match table. For the full spec, see Sovrn oRTB Cookie Sync Spec.
5. Receive Your Endpoint and Technical Details
Before launch, Sovrn will share your endpoint URL, zone IDs, and all other technical configuration details you need to complete your integration. Confirm you've received and implemented all of these before proceeding.
6. Begin the Test Period
Once your setup is complete, your Sovrn account team will initiate the test period. Your endpoint will go live at a low QPS and traffic will be ramped up in stages — low, mid, and full — as validation checks pass at each level. See Phase 2 below for details on what happens during this period.
Phase 2: Traffic Validation
Once your endpoint is configured, traffic is ramped in three stages. At each stage, Sovrn will run a discrepancy check - comparing impression counts and revenue between your reporting and Sovrn's records. Discrepancies above acceptable thresholds must be resolved before traffic increases to the next stage.
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Low QPS (Assessment Period): Your endpoint goes live at a low queries-per-second rate. This is an initial assessment window to confirm the integration is behaving as expected before scaling.
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Mid QPS: Traffic increases once the low QPS assessment passes. Sovrn runs a discrepancy check to validate impression and revenue counts before moving forward.
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Full QPS: Your endpoint scales to full traffic after mid QPS validation clears. A final discrepancy check is completed to confirm everything is aligned before the integration is considered fully live.
Troubleshooting
High discrepancy rates: The most common causes are mismatch in impression tracking config, redirects that drop impressions or latency issues causing timeouts. Contact your Sovrn account team to verify your impression tracking configuration is set correctly on the Sovrn side.
Low match rates: Confirm the cookie sync pixel is implemented correctly on all relevant pages and firing before your ad calls. Also verify you are initiating the sync and storing the match table as required.
S-chain errors: Make sure your schain object includes all nodes in the supply chain and conforms to the IAB spec. Missing or malformed s-chain data will block demand from certain buyers.
Questions? Concerns? Our team would be more than happy to help. Reach out to our Support Team here.