Line item creative associations

A line item creative association is a link between a creative from the creative library and its copy in a line item. Each link is a line item creative association. A creative in the library shares settings with its line item associations—changes made to the creative in the library are reflected in each creative association in line items.

Shared settings make creative management easier, but you can also override certain settings in individual line item creative associations. For instance, if you changed the click-through URL for a creative in the creative library, the new click-through URL would be reflected in every line item. However, you can navigate to the creative within the line item and override its click-through URL.

Creative association vs creative status

Line item creative associations have a status of active or inactive. The creative association status is different than than creative status of the creative itself.

• Creative association status indicates whether the link between the creative and line items is active
• Creative status indicates whether the creative can be associated with new line items and whether it's eligible to serve

When you deactivate the creative association with a line item, the creative no longer displays to users via the line item where you deactivated that association. However, if the creative association with other line items is active, it could serve via those other line items. Deactivation of the creative itself deactivates all of its creative associations as well. Learn more in Creative status.

Creative association vs remove

Activation or deactivation of line item creative association is different than removing a creative from a line item. When a creative association status is inactive, the creative still appears in the list of creatives for the line item but with an "Inactive" creative association status. You can choose to reactivate the creative association, the creative can then display to users again.

When you click Remove for a creative from the line item, the creative is unassociated altogether from the line item and no longer appears on the list of creatives. The creative would need to be re-added to the line item to reestablish the link between it and the line item again. 

Modify creative association status

Creative association status can be modified in two places. 

Change from the creative library

You can navigate to a creative in the creative library and view all of the line items it's associated with. From there, you can change its creative association status with all or selected line items.

1.  Navigate to Delivery Creatives and then find the creative you want by navigating to one of the following:

   • Display creatives

      Standard

      Master/companion

   • VAST creatives
2. Click the name of the creative to open its details.

3. From the details page, click the Associations tab. Listed are all line items with which the creative is associated.

4. Select the line items for which you want to change creative association status.

5. Click either Activate or Deactivate.

There's no need to save the creative. Activation or deactivation is triggered when you click either Activate or Deactivate.

Change from line items

You can navigate to a line item change creative association status of creatives from there.

1. Navigate to Delivery Orders or find the line item you want to modify otherwise.
2. Click the name of the line item to open its details.
3. Click the Creatives tab for the line item.
4. Select the creative for which you want to change creative association status.
5. Click either Activate or Deactivate.

There's no need to save the creative. Activation or deactivation is triggered when you click either Activate or Deactivate. 

Bulk edit creative association details ^NEW

If you need to edit multiple creatives within the same line item, you can save time by editing the creatives in bulk.

1. Navigate to Delivery Orders or find the line item you want to modify otherwise.
2. Click the name of the line item to open its details.
3. Click the Creatives tab for the line item.
4. Select the creatives you want to edit  click Edit.
5. Check the boxes to override the start and end times for the selected creatives. If you don't check the boxes for start and end time, the creatives will use the associated line item's start and end time.
6. ^(Optional) Check the box to override the click-through URL for the selected creatives. 
7. Click Save.