Google AdX Integration

Google AdX runs through GAM's unified auction rather than Prebid — competing fairly against all header bids after the fact. Revenue is only finalised the following morning via the GAM API.

Google Ad Exchange (AdX) is the largest display and video demand pool in the world, accessible through your Google Ad Manager account. Advlume integrates AdX at multiple levels to maximise AdX revenue alongside header bidding demand.

How AdX runs in Advlume

AdX is not a standard Prebid bidder — it runs through GAM's server-side auction rather than via the Prebid client-side process. This means:

  • Header bidding (Prebid) collects bids from all other demand partners and sets price bucket targeting on the GPT slot.
  • GAM's ad server receives the request with Prebid's winning price in the key-values.
  • GAM runs a real-time AdX auction in parallel and compares the AdX clearing price against Prebid's highest bid.
  • The higher of the two wins and the creative is rendered. This is called "open bidding" or "unified auction" in GAM terminology.

The practical result is that AdX demand competes fairly with all Prebid demand on every impression — neither has a first-look advantage over the other.

GAM network configuration

When Advlume provisions your site, it creates the necessary line items in your GAM network via the GAM API:

  • Price bucket line items: One per Prebid price bucket (e.g. a line item at $0.50 CPM, another at $0.55, etc.), allowing GAM to select the correct creative based on the Prebid targeting key.
  • AdX dynamic allocation: Enabled on your ad units, allowing AdX to compete against every GAM line item dynamically rather than only at a fixed priority.
  • Ad Exchange video line items (for sites with video inventory): Configured with the correct webPropertyCode to enable video AdX backfill.

GAM network IDs

Your GAM network ID is embedded in the GPT slot paths. Advlume uses the network code /23341212234. Your ad unit paths follow the pattern:

/23341212234/your-domain-com/slot-name

Revenue reporting for AdX

AdX revenue is only available from GAM's reports — it cannot be measured client-side because Advlume's wrapper does not know the actual AdX clearing price at render time. AdX wins appear in your dashboard under the Google Ad Manager demand channel. Revenue data is reconciled the following morning when the GAM API delivers finalised numbers.

For AdX impressions, the wrapper emits a bidViewable event with dsp='adx' and cpm=0 to the edge database. The cpm=0 is intentional — the actual price is sourced from GAM reports during the nightly sync.

AdX floors and quality requirements

Google maintains its own quality standards for AdX demand. Sites with:

  • High IVT rates
  • Prohibited content
  • Misleading ad placements
  • Insufficient content or poor user experience

...may be restricted or excluded from AdX demand independently of Advlume's platform. If your AdX revenue drops significantly without a corresponding drop in overall impressions, check your GAM account for any policy notifications.

Further reading

Previous How Bidder Selection Works Next Understanding Bid Density

Last updated 2 months ago