RTB Protocol FAQs

How are changes to the RTB protocol communicated?
This site is updated with the changes, and active RTB clients are notified.
How do I pass extra information that can be used to customize the rendered ads?
Extra information can included directly in the html snippet returned in a BidResponse.
How do I specify a list of cookies in pretargeting?
Currently, it is necessary to build a boomerang list and target against that. In the future, we will support uploading lists of hashed cookies built through the cookie matching service.
What happens if I don't use macros?
The cookie match parameters will be appended to the end in a non-guaranteed order, as per usual.
What happens if I use just one macro, that is not GOOGLE_ALL_PARAMS?
Only that macro will be expanded. The other parameters will be left off.
What happens if I use multiple macros, including GOOGLE_ALL_PARAMS?
All macros will be expanded, including GOOGLE_ALL_PARAMS, for example, some parameters will be repeated.
If I want to use macros but not GOOGLE_ALL_PARAMS, which should I use for standard cookie matching?
GOOGLE_GID, GOOGLE_CVER, GOOGLE_ERROR (or the PAIR variants).
If I want to use macros but not GOOGLE_ALL_PARAMS, which should I use for push cookie matching?
GOOGLE_GID, GOOGLE_CVER, GOOGLE_PUSH, GOOGLE_ERROR (or the PAIR variants).
How should scheduled downtime of a bidding server be handled?
If your downtime will last only a few hours, no action is needed. Our dynamic throttling system will automatically stop sending your bidder callouts as soon as you stop responding. If the downtime is longer than a short period, speak to your account manager to discuss other options.
How do I control the rate at which requests are sent to my bidder?
Maximum query rate quotas are statically configured by Google and enforced by dropping requests when there are too many. To change the configuration, you should contact your account manager. You can also control traffic by adjusting your targeting conditions or pausing ad groups. You can also use the Buyer API to adjust your quota programmatically.
How can I monitor the error and timeout rate observed by Google?
Currently it is only possible to infer this indirectly by the fact that high error rates will cause traffic to be throttled back. We will expose this information more directly in the future.
Why do some of my bid requests not include IP addresses?
This happens because:
  • The publisher has chosen to disallow the sending of IP addresses.
  • The impression is on a mobile device that is not connected to WiFi.
How should I interpret the IP addresses in BidRequest.ip?
All IP addresses are truncated to protect our users. However, these truncated IP addresses can still offer information such as general geographic region and ISP.

IPv4 addresses are truncated to 3 byte strings, which represent the first three octets of an IP address, so that 172.16.254.1 becomes {0xAC, 0x10, 0xFE}.

IPv6 addresses are truncated to 6 byte strings. Buyers will get the first 6 bytes of IPv6 addresses. The address 2001:db8:f:1234::1 is shortened to 2001:db8:f::/48 and represented as {0x20, 0x01, 0x0d, 0xb8, 0x00, 0x0f}.

How can I determine the IP addresses from which I will receive bid requests so I can whitelist those addresses?
You should not configure your firewall based on the IP addresses from which you will receive bid requests because these addresses might change at any time without warning.
Is there any way to get a confirmation and additional information when I lose a bid?
No, you can currently only get direct confirmation for winning auctions using, for example, the WINNING_PRICE macro.
Does the cookie matching service support HTTPS?
Yes. If you use the Match Tag URL with the HTTPS protocol when placing it on an HTTPS page. This will redirect to your server URL with the protocol set to HTTPS. Therefore you should only place the tag on HTTPS pages if your server is also able to support HTTPS.
Can you load balance over multiple machines?
We require that you provide a single URL and implement any load balancing for requests to that URL yourself. More variants of this will be provided in the future.
If our pretargeting ad group runs out of budget will our bidder stop receiving bid requests?
Yes. Budget for the pretargeting configuration is still managed in the old Authorized Buyers UI and enforced normally. Be sure the budget is higher than your average daily goal to avoid issues.
What is the delay before a change to a pretargeting ad group or campaign in the UI takes effect?
Usually less than 15 minutes.