A guide on how to pass data to Pixalate via macros in a URL query string. A macro is an ad server's placeholder for a specific value type, placed inside the tag URL query string, that allows an ad server to dynamically insert the desired value.
Generic example instructions on developing/testing macros for two different key parameters.
Advertiser ID
- An advertiser ID key parameter is provided in the Tag (1x1 pixel or JS) URL labeled avid=.
- After this avid= parameter is a placeholder labeled [ADVERTISER_ID]
- Replace the [ADVERTISER_ID] placeholder with your ad server's macro for advertiser ID (For this example, lets say the ad server macro is {advertiserId}. The URL should now instead include avid={advertiserId}).
- Traffic the Tag (1x1 pixel or JS) in the ad server inside the test campaign/creative.
- Open the browser, run the browser's dev tools or Charles Proxy, and load test page/tag.
- In the dev tools/proxy, search for Pixalate's pixel URL (The URL will be provided during the integration process).
- Check the URL's query string and confirm the value after avid= is no longer displaying the macro, but rather the expected advertiser ID (such as avid=28374)
Device ID (UDID, IDFA, WIN ID, AAID)
- A Device ID key parameter is provided in the Tag (1x1 pixel or JS) URL labeled kv19=.
- After this kv19= parameter is a placeholder labeled [DEVICE_ID]
- Replace the [DEVICE_ID] placeholder with your ad server's macro for device ID (For this example, lets say the ad server macro is {deviceId}. The URL should now instead include kv19={deviceId}).
- Traffic theTag (1x1 pixel or JS) in the ad server inside the test campaign/creative.
- Open the test app, run the webview's dev tools (chrome or safari) or Charles Proxy, and load test ID/Page.
- In the dev tools/proxy, search for Pixalate's pixel URL (The URL will be provided during the integration process).
- Check the URL's query string and confirm the value after kv19= is no longer displaying the macro, but rather the expected Device ID (such as kv19=002ebf12-a125-5ddf-a739-67c3c5d20177)
Measuring viewability for the IAB non-standard ad sizes
To measure the viewability for the IAB non-standard ad sizes (e.g. native ads), the client can pass the "div_id" of the ad placement in the Pixalate tag using the parameter "divid=". This can be either hardcoded or passed via a macro.
If the div provided in the tag is not found then the tag will default back to its original method of measuring viewability. If the div_id is hardcoded then please be sure to add the correct div_id in the tag for the IAB non-standard placements so the viewability is measured for the respective ad slot/placement.
If the same div_id is used for all the placements, the Pixalate tag will search for that div_id only and viewability measurement can be misleading. It is recommended to traffic this on a test page first and provide it to Pixalate for QA before pushing to production.