Headerbidding is a process where publishers reach out simultaneously to many bidders from the web page before calling the ad server. The process, which is triggered by JavaScript code that is embedded on a web page, results in single winning option, with the auction conducted on the client side. Headerbidding is a way to integrate with solutions that SAS 360 Match does not support yet and to use advanced features that some SSPs provide only through Prebid JS and other similar services.
The headerbidding feature in SAS 360 Match treats the bid like any other bid in the system and passes the exact value for the bid and the SSP for reporting. This is a two-part process. The first phase, which is already implemented, adds a temporary enhancement to support our customers who already use some form of headerbidding. A future enhancement will enable users to attach to a placement and compete on the same terms as the server-to-server (S2S) sources.
What do I need to set up?
In the first phase of the feature release, users must configure the following specifications for headerbidding:
- Include the bid price with /HBID=<value> in the request.
- Create a template, which can be empty, for the bid and a flight for logging purposes and name both headerbid. The template triggers the serving of the winning creative that the browser has cached for that impression.
- (Optional) Specify the exchange with HBID_V=<vendor>.
What does reporting look like?
All headerbidding is grouped under a network called headerbid in Bidsum reports, along with the rest of the programmatic S2S partners. We will break out individual SSPs in Bidsum reporting in a future release.
Upcoming Feature
A future release of SAS 360 Match, currently expected in April 2021, will enable the creation of multiple templates for headerbidding and S2S. Customers can use placements to connect templates for S2S and headerbidding to each occurrence of a size and SSP combination for greater flexibility. If there are multiple matches for size and SSP, SAS 360 Match selects the first one that it encounters.
SAS 360 Match release notes will announce when the second phase of this feature is available. Documentation will be updated soon. This post was updated on March 3, 2021, with an anticipated release date for the multiple template feature.
