Update as of Nov 1, 2023: As a continuation of our move away from multicall waterfalls, in the coming weeks Google Ads will begin to transition away from multicall requests in hybrid mediation chains. It is our goal to complete this transition as early as January 2024.
In May, Google Ads announced that we intend to move primarily towards real-time bidding auctions for apps. Real-time bidding typically improves advertiser ROI, creating incentives for more advertising spend and, in turn, more monetization opportunities for publishers, benefiting the overall health of the ecosystem.
While real-time bidding will improve efficiency and expand monetization opportunities, we recognize this shift is a change for some publishers with complex waterfall mediation setups.
To make the transition to real-time bidding as smooth as possible, for a temporary period after Oct. 31, Google Ads will still respond to multiple calls within hybrid waterfalls on supported partner platforms. Hybrid waterfalls should be set up by adding a bidding ad unit to your existing mediation waterfalls.
This will help publishers experience a more gradual transition as Google Ads moves away from responding to multiple calls within waterfall mediation.
Over the next few weeks, Google Ads will begin to reduce spending on multicall requests in waterfalls that do not contain a bidding ad unit. On Oct. 31, Google Ads will stop buying on multicall requests in waterfalls that do not contain a bidding ad unit. Google Ads may still buy on mediation waterfalls that only make a single call to Google Ads demand. However, bidding will provide better access to Google Ads demand for publishers, as well as more efficient and competitive media buying for advertisers when compared to a single call.
We recommend publishers implement a hybrid setup for all of their mediation waterfalls. Once a bidding ad unit is added to the existing mediation waterfalls, no further action will be required by publishers on Oct. 31. After Oct. 31, Google Ads plans to gradually transition away from responding to waterfall requests in hybrid, and we expect to complete this transition by early 2024.
Posted by Carlos Façanha, Director of Product Management, App Ads
