Below are answers to some of the most frequently asked questions about bidding.
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Yes. You can use an ad source as both a bidding and waterfall ad source in the same mediation group. In fact, we always recommend having an ad source in both the waterfall and bidding if possible.
You can now send bid requests to bidding ad sources that serve in China.
Creatives will be reviewed with strict, country-specific policies, and blank creatives will not be allowed to serve.
This beta does not currently support ad sources using a custom mobile SDK. Ad sources must be using the Google Mobile Ads SDK.
General
Yes. To remove a bidding ad source from a mediation group:
- Click the name of the mediation group where you want to remove the ad source.
- Click the checkbox next to the bidding ad source you want to remove.
- Click Change status.
- Select Remove.
- Click Save.
To end your partnership with a bidding ad source, you’ll need to work directly with the ad source.
Revenue from most bidding ad sources will be paid through AdMob. Some ad sources will pay the bidding revenue to you directly. These ad sources are called direct pay.
When you add a direct pay ad source in AdMob, you’ll be asked to acknowledge that the ad source will pay you directly. Check your agreement with the direct pay ad source for more details.
Networks that can participate in bidding
The network with whom you have a deal can participate in bidding auctions alongside other ad sources. The highest bid will be placed in the mediation waterfall based on its eCPM value, whether or not it’s the network with whom you have a deal.
If the network doesn’t place a bid in the bidding auction, it can still be called in the mediation waterfall. If the network places a bid and doesn’t win, it will not be called again in the mediation waterfall.
Networks that don’t participate in bidding
The winning bid from a bidding auction is placed in the waterfall according to its eCPM value. If your network deal has a higher eCPM than the winning bid, it will be called first. If the network doesn't have an ad to serve, the ad source with the winning bid will serve the ad.
Troubleshooting
When you find that an ad source is not responding with bids for your inventory, this is a possible indicator of many different issues with serving. It could be that the request lacks the signals acquired via the most current version of the ad source’s client SDK (which must be installed on your app). It can also be that you haven’t installed the latest version of the GMA SDK. Or, it could be due to other reasons that are ad source and configuration specific.
Check that you are using the latest versions of the ad source’s SDK and the GMA SDK. The ad inspector can help verify this. An ad source may not bid due to its setup and decisioning, so Google support often does not have insight and may not be able to help troubleshoot these issues.
If you perceive an issue with a particular ad source, log into your account with that ad source to check for configuration errors and to read troubleshooting documentation.
If you're having issues with a third-party bidding ad source, use the following troubleshooting information to contact the ad source directly.
| Ad source | Troubleshooting information |
| Ad Generation |
For issues, contact Ad Generation support at [email protected]. |
| AppLovin | Please reach out to your AppLovin Account Manager or use the AppLovin Support form. |
| Equativ (formerly Smart Ad Server) | For issues, please visit https://help.smartadserver.com/s/ |
| Fluct | For issues, contact Fluct support at [email protected]. |
| Improve Digital | For issues, contact Improve Digital support at [email protected]. |
| Index Exchange | For issues, contact Index Exchange support at [email protected]. |
| InMobi | Please reach out to your InMobi Customer Success Manager or write to [email protected]. |
| Liftoff Monetize | Please reach out to your Liftoff Monetize Account Manager or visit the Liftoff Monetize support website. |
| Media.net | For issues, contact Media.net support at [email protected]. |
| Meta Audience Network | Visit the Meta Business Help Center. |
| Mintegral (Beta) | For issues, contact Mintegral support at [email protected]. |
| Mobfox | For issues, contact Mobfox support at [email protected]. |
| Nexxen | For issues, contact Nexxen support at [email protected]. |
| OneTag Exchange | For issues, contact OneTag Exchange support at [email protected] |
| OpenX | For issues, contact OpenX support at [email protected]. |
| Pangle | For issues, contact Pangle support at[email protected]. |
| PubMatic | For issues, contact Customer Success at [email protected]. |
| Rubicon (Magnite) | For issues, contact Magnite support at [email protected]. |
| Sharethrough | For issues, contact Sharethrough support at [email protected]. |
| Smaato | For issues, contact Smaato support at [email protected]. |
| Sonobi | For issues, contact Sonobi support at [email protected]. |
| Verve Group | For issues, contact Verve Group support at [email protected]. |
| Yieldmo | For issues, contact Yieldmo support at [email protected]. |
| YieldOne | For issues, contact YieldOne support at [email protected]. |
When using ad inspector, you may encounter the following issues when testing your bidding ad sources:
- No SDK signal found: Some ad sources may need an SDK and adapter installed and configured correctly to use bidding. Learn more about the SDK requirements for Android and iOS.
- No user consent provided: The ad source may not be eligible for a bid request if the user has not provided the necessary consent. This may be expected behavior. Learn more about implementing consent tools, such as GDPR, in the AdMob policies and restrictions.
- No ad returned: The ad sources may have decided to not bid for the ad request or they may not be eligible to bid for it. There are several possible reasons for this issue. Here are some examples:
- The ad source may only bid under certain conditions, such as specific geographic areas.
- The ad source may not have an ad for the bid request.
- There was an unexpected system error or timeout on the ad source’s end.