The Xibo SSP Connector is an add-on service from Xibo Signage which enables integration to a variety of supported DooH (Digital out of Home) Supply Side Platforms (SSP’s) to monetise an established Xibo network.
IMPORTANT: This service is available from v3.3.0 and is for existing customers who have already got a reliable and functional Xibo network which includes an audience measurement solution. The SSP onboarding process can be a lengthy process and consists of stages that need to be addressed prior to the purchase of the Xibo SSP Connector. Customers should only commit to a purchase from Xibo Signage once they get to the ‘sandbox testing’ stage of their SSP’s on-boarding process.
Further information about the on-boarding process and a list of Supported SSP’s can be found on our website
SSP Connector
Available from CMS: 3.3
R307
R404
R306
R405
SSP Connector
3.3
Cloud: API Key Required
R307
R404
R306
R405
Once purchased, an API key will be made available in the Connectors section of My Account. This key is required to Configure the SSP Connector in the Xibo CMS.
Reference ID’s for Displays
During the on-boarding process you will either be asked to provide ID’s or given ID’s unique to the SSP software. If asked for ID’s the displayId should be used with no further configuration required for Displays in the CMS.
SSP’s often use unique ID’s in their software so in the event that you are provided with ID’s they can be entered by editing Displays using the Reference /Custom ID fields from the Reference tab.
Configure SSP Connector
From the CMS:
Click on Applications under the Administration section of the main menu.
Scroll down to the Connectors section of the page.
Click the Configure button for the Xibo SSP Connector:
Enter the API Key available in My Account after purchase.
Include your CMS URL your Players will use to connect.
Please note: Players require HTTP access to https://exchange.xibo-adspace.com in order to receive ad’s from SSP’s.
Tick to Enable to initiate the Xibo SSP Connector service.
Next select the tab for your chosen SSP or opt to use the Test SSP tab which can be used to check settings with Xibo related ad’s shown on your Displays.
Provide the API Key for the SSP.
If you are asked to run a test by the SSP as part of the approval service, tick the Test Mode check box to send requests into the specific SSP’s test environment.
Configure a Share of Voice in seconds or as a percentage.
Provide the expected total Duration of each ad served by the SSP.
Include a Minimum Duration for each ad.
Include a Maximum Duration for each ad.
Use the drop down to specify the Type of ad to be served, Images and Videos, Images only, Videos only.
Select the Display Group to use. Leave this field blank to select all Displays.
Use the drop down menu to select the ID to use for the SSP. (Please see the Reference ID’s for Display/Display Groups section above)
Click to Save.
Once all information has been provided and Display/Display Groups have been correctly configured tick the Enabled? button at the top of the form to confirm the connection to the SSP for Players to start requesting ads from the enabled SSP’s:
Share of Voice
The recommended configuration for the SSP connector is to dedicate a “share of voice” to ads. This share of voice is the estimated duration of ads which your Displays will request and does not represent expected playback which is determined by your SSP partner. The setting you provide is combined with the ad duration to calculate an ad request rate.
Setting a realistic share of voice allows the Display to spread ad requests in the most appropriate way and will yield the best results.
NOTE: Xibo will not show SSP adverts alongside or in the middle of other content. Ads will only be played between your scheduled Layouts with any Overlay Layouts hidden during playback. For this reason is it important to note that the Xibo SSP Connector is not suitable for Users who have scheduled Layouts with durations longer than 5 minutes.
SSP Widget
For Users with complex Playlist schedule loops or video wall configurations an SSP Widget is available to add to Layouts.
NOTE: The SSP Widget can only be used for SSP providers that support its functionality.
Add the SSP Widget to your Layout and optionally select the Partner to use from the properties panel. If there is an Ad available at time of play it will be converted to an Image/Video Widget.
Testing
The Test SSP tab is a useful tool to see how the information you provide, Share of Voice for example, is then calculated to give you X number of plays.
Test your existing Displays and see a sample of Xibo Advertisements play on your screens allowing you to make adjustments to the SSP Configuration if required to achieve your desired play time.
We would recommend creating a “test” Display Group to initially target!
The following ad’s will be shown on your Displays based on the display orientation when utilising the Test SSP:
If you are not receiving the ad revenue you expect, initial troubleshooting should be done with your SSP partner. The Xibo SSP Connector facilitates connection between your Displays and the SSP, but does not track performance of that connection beyond basic reporting which is explained in the activity report section below.
In rare cases the SSP may not see any ad requests from your Display, which indicates an issue to be troubleshooted in Xibo using the activity report.
Activity Report
Once enabled and connected to a Partner you will see an additional button for the Xibo SSP Connector for Activity Report:
There are two tabs available on the report:
Summary: for the filter options selected show a summary of activity listing plays, errors and misses.
Detail: for the filter options selected show every ad request and the status of that request
Returned results can be printed or exported to a CSV.
Error codes
The Activity Report is a great tool for troubleshooting with activity summaries and error codes available to view:
Code
Error
200
Creative type not supported
202
Creative duration not supported
203
Creative dimensions invalid (wrong aspect ratio)
302
Maximum number of hops exceeded requesting an ad
303
No ad returned from SSP
401
The creative has not been downloaded yet
408
Outside geofence
303 errors
A 303 error is normal and means the SSP did not have any ads to return for the ad spot. If you are seeing a large quantity of 303 errors there may be an issue with the Display’s metadata in the SSP.
Missed ad spots
A small percentage of missed ad spots is normal as Xibo will serve slightly more ad spots than the display can consume so that it does not run out. A large quantity of missed ad spots is an indicator of a problem.
The most common issue is late changes to the schedule loop on the display, which can be caused by user action or interactivity. If you regularly take those actions you should discuss it with your SSP to ensure they are aware and can sell your display accordingly.
Xibo version
We recommend running the latest version of the Xibo CMS and player app on your Display to ensure maximum compatibility with your chosen SSP.
Partner Notes
Vistar Media
When entering the API Key for Vistar Media please ensure you use the following format: network_id||api_key
