Integrate Chartboost with mediation

This guide shows you how to use the Google Mobile Ads SDK to load and display ads from Chartboost using mediation, covering waterfall integrations. It covers how to add Chartboost to an ad unit's mediation configuration, and how to integrate the Chartboost SDK and adapter into a Unity app.

Supported integrations and ad formats

The AdMob mediation adapter for Chartboost has the following capabilities:

Integration
Bidding
Waterfall
Formats
Banner
Interstitial
Rewarded

Requirements

  • Unity 4 or higher
  • Latest Google Mobile Ads SDK
  • To deploy on Android
    • Android API level 21 or higher
  • To deploy on iOS
    • iOS deployment target of 12.0 or higher
  • A working Unity project configured with Google Mobile Ads SDK. See Get Started for details.
  • Complete the mediation Get started guide

Step 1: Set up configurations in Chartboost UI

Sign up for a Chartboost account and log in once your account is verified. Then, navigate to the Apps management tab.

Chartboost apps dashboard

Click the Add new app button to create your app.

Apps Management

Fill out the rest of the form and click the Add App button to finalize your app.

New app form

After your app is created, you will be directed to its dashboard. Take note of the App ID and App Signature of your app.

Android

App settings

iOS

App settings

AdMob requires the Chartboost User ID and User Signature for setting up your AdMob ad unit ID. You can find these parameters by clicking Chartboost mediation on the Chartboost UI.

Chartboost mediation dashboard

Navigate to the Resources > API Explorer tab and take note of your User ID and User Signature located under the Authentication section.

Chartboost api explorer

Turn on test mode

You can enable test mode on your app by navigating to the Apps management tab from the Chartboost UI, selecting your app from the list and clicking on Edit app settings.

Android

Edit app settings

iOS

Edit app settings

From your app's settings, you can toggle Test mode on your app.

Chartboost test mode

Once test mode is enabled, you can request ads using the ad unit ID created earlier and receive a Chartboost test ad.

After you are able to receive Chartboost test ads, your app will be placed on Chartboost's Publisher App Review. In order for monetization on Chartboost to work, the publisher app review will need to be approved by Chartboost.

Step 2: Set up Chartboost demand in AdMob UI

Configure mediation settings for your ad unit

Android

For instructions, see step 2 in the guide for Android.

iOS

For instructions, see step 2 in the guide for iOS.

Add Chartboost to GDPR and US state regulations ad partners list

Follow the steps in GDPR settings and US state regulations settings to add Chartboost to the GDPR and US state regulations ad partners list in the AdMob UI.

Step 3: Import the Chartboost SDK and adapter

OpenUPM-CLI

If you have OpenUPM-CLI installed, you can install the Google Mobile Ads Chartboost Mediation Plugin for Unity to your project by running the following command from your project's root directory:

openupm add com.google.ads.mobile.mediation.chartboost

OpenUPM

In your Unity project editor, select Edit > Project Settings > Package Manager to open the Unity Package Manager Settings.

Under the Scoped Registries tab, add OpenUPM as a scoped registry with the following details:

  • Name: OpenUPM
  • URL: https://package.openupm.com
  • Scope(s): com.google

OpenUPM Details

Then, navigate to Window > Package Manager to open the Unity Package Manager and select My Registries from the drop-down menu.

Unity Registries

Select the Google Mobile Ads Chartboost Mediation package and click Install.

Install from OpenUPM

Unity Package

Download the latest version of Google Mobile Ads mediation plugin for Chartboost from the download link in the Changelog and extract the GoogleMobileAdsChartboostMediation.unitypackage from the zip file.

In your Unity project editor, select Assets > Import Package > Custom Package and find the GoogleMobileAdsChartboostMediation.unitypackage file you downloaded. Make sure that all the files are selected and click Import.

Import from Unity

Then, select Assets > External Dependency Manager > Android Resolver > Force Resolve. The External Dependency Manager library will perform dependency resolution from scratch and copy the declared dependencies into the Assets/Plugins/Android directory of your Unity app.

Force Resolve

Step 4: Implement privacy settings on Chartboost SDK

Under the Google EU User Consent Policy, you must ensure that certain disclosures are given to, and consents obtained from, users in the European Economic Area (EEA) regarding the use of device identifiers and personal data. This policy reflects the requirements of the EU ePrivacy Directive and the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). When seeking consent, you must identify each ad network in your mediation chain that may collect, receive, or use personal data and provide information about each network's use. Google currently is unable to pass the user's consent choice to such networks automatically.

The Google Mobile Ads mediation plugin for Chartboost version 3.1.0 includes the Chartboost.AddDataUseConsent() method. The following sample code sets data use consent to NonBehavioral. If you choose to call this method, it is recommended that you do so prior to requesting ads using the Google Mobile Ads SDK.

using GoogleMobileAds.Api.Mediation.Chartboost;
// ...

Chartboost.AddDataUseConsent(CBGDPRDataUseConsent.NonBehavioral);

US states privacy laws

U.S. states privacy laws require giving users the right to opt out of the "sale" of their "personal information" (as the law defines those terms), with the opt-out offered via a prominent "Do Not Sell My Personal Information" link on the "selling" party's homepage. The U.S. states privacy laws compliance guide offers the ability to enable restricted data processing for Google ad serving, but Google is unable to apply this setting to each ad network in your mediation chain. Therefore, you must identify each ad network in your mediation chain that may participate in the sale of personal information and follow guidance from each of those networks to ensure compliance.

The Google Mobile Ads mediation plugin for Chartboost version 3.1.0 includes the Chartboost.AddDataUseConsent() method. The following sample code sets data use consent to OptInSale. If you choose to call this method, it is recommended that you do so prior to requesting ads using the Google Mobile Ads SDK.

using GoogleMobileAds.Api.Mediation.Chartboost;
// ...

Chartboost.AddDataUseConsent(CBCCPADataUseConsent.OptInSale);

Step 5: Add required code

Android

No additional code is required for Chartboost integration.

iOS

SKAdNetwork integration

Follow Chartboost's documentation to add the SKAdNetwork identifiers to your project's Info.plist file.

Step 6: Test your implementation

Enable test ads

Make sure you register your test device for AdMob and enable test mode in Chartboost UI.

Verify test ads

To verify that you are receiving test ads from Chartboost, enable single ad source testing in ad inspector using the Chartboost (Waterfall) ad source(s).

Optional Steps

Android

Permissions

For optimal performance, Chartboost recommends adding the following optional permissions to your app's AndroidManifest.xml file:

<uses-permission android:name="android.permission.READ_PHONE_STATE" />

iOS

No additional steps are required for iOS integration.

Error codes

If the adapter fails to receive an ad from Chartboost, publishers can check the underlying error from the ad response using ResponseInfo under the following classes:

Android

com.google.ads.mediation.chartboost.ChartboostAdapter
com.google.ads.mediation.chartboost.ChartboostMediationAdapter

iOS

GADMAdapterChartboost
GADMediationAdapterChartboost

Here are the codes and accompanying messages thrown by the Chartboost adapter when an ad fails to load:

Android

Error code Reason
0-99 Chartboost SDK returned an error.
101 The requested ad size does not match a Chartboost supported banner size.
102 Chartboost can only load 1 ad per location at a time.
103 Chartboost server parameters configured in the AdMob UI are missing/invalid.
104 The Chartboost interstitial or rewarded ad is not ready to be shown.

iOS

Error code Reason
101 Chartboost server parameters configured in the AdMob UI are missing/invalid.
102 The Chartboost SDK returned an initialization error.
103 The Chartboost ad is not cached at show time.
104 The requested ad size does not match a Chartboost supported banner size.
105 Device's OS version is lower than Chartboost SDK's minimum supported OS version.
200-299 Chartboost SDK cache errors. See code for more details.
300-399 Chartboost SDK show errors. See code for more details.
400-499 Chartboost SDK click errors. See code for more details.

Chartboost Unity Mediation Plugin Changelog

Version 4.6.1

Version 4.6.0

Version 4.5.0

Version 4.4.0

Version 4.3.0

Version 4.2.0

Version 4.1.1

Version 4.1.0

Version 4.0.0

Version 3.5.1

Version 3.5.0

Version 3.4.1

Version 3.4.0

Version 3.3.1

Version 3.3.0

Version 3.2.0

Version 3.1.0

Version 3.0.1

Version 3.0.0

Version 2.0.1

Version 2.0.0

  • Supports Chartboost Android adapter version 7.5.0.0.
  • Supports Chartboost iOS adapter version 8.0.1.1.

Version 1.3.0

  • Updated the plugin to support the new Rewarded API.
  • Supports Chartboost Android adapter version 7.3.1.1.
  • Supports Chartboost iOS adapter version 7.5.0.0.

Version 1.2.0

  • Supports Chartboost Android adapter version 7.3.0.0.
  • Supports Chartboost iOS adapter version 7.3.0.0.

Version 1.1.1

  • Supports Chartboost Android adapter version 7.2.0.1.
  • Supports Chartboost iOS adapter version 7.2.0.1.

Version 1.1.0

  • Supports Chartboost Android SDK version 7.2.0.
  • Supports Chartboost iOS SDK version 7.2.0.
  • Added Chartboost.RestrictDataCollection() method to enable GDPR data collection restrictions for the Chartboost SDK.

Version 1.0.0

  • First release!
  • Supports Chartboost Android SDK version 7.0.1.
  • Supports Chartboost iOS SDK version 7.1.2.