Overview

The Generic VAST Adapter (GVA) allows integration with any VAST-serving ad server. This document explains the technical requirements, request and response parameters, and deliverables needed for GVA setup.

Generic VAST Adapter (GVA)

With the GVA (Generic VAST Adapter), Serverside.ai offers a versatile and efficient solution for seamless integration with any VAST-serving ad server. The GVA is designed to be highly configurable, making it adaptable to a wide range of platforms and advertising needs.

The key advantages of GVA include:

• Simplified integration: thanks to its flexibility and configuration options, the GVA simplifies the integration process.
• Platform compatibility: the GVA is designed to work across various platforms, including websites, mobile apps, and OTT (Over-the-Top) services. This ensures a consistent and seamless ad experience for users across different devices.
• Optimized ad delivery: the GVA enables efficient ad delivery, reducing latency and ensuring that ads are served at the right time. This is crucial for maintaining a positive user experience and maximizing ad revenue.

Technical requirements

The following technical requirements must be met for proper GVA integration:

• The ad server, SSP, or DSP must allow server-to-server communication and must not block or filter any requests made by Serverside.ai.
• The supported deal types must be clearly defined, for example, direct campaigns, realTimeBidding.
• The ad request is sent via HTTP GET or POST to the specified VAST tag and includes required and optional information as query parameters or header parameters.
• The ad response must be VAST 3.x or higher and should include IAB-compliant VAST error codes when available.
• The inline video creative must be a high-quality video file with the following specifications:
  • Video: 1920×1080 @ 25 fps, H.264, 15 Mbit/s or higher
  • Audio: AAC, 48/96 kHz, 128 Kbps, stereo (2.0), EBU R128 normalized
  • Supported containers: .mp4, .mov, .mxf, .mpeg

VAST request requirements

A VAST request must include:

• Query parameters for ad campaign fulfillment, for example, siteId or channelId.
• Header parameters for ad campaign fulfillment, for example, IP or User-Agent.
• Parameters for podding, for example, adBreakDuration [seconds, millisecond], maxCount [number], or minCount [number].
• Parameters for targeted advertisement, such as, gdpr, consent_string, or genre.
• Parameters created with every request, such as, timestamp or cachebuster.
• Parameters for resolving VAST wrapper tags, including required parameters for sub-wrapper levels.
• Optional parameters for resolving VAST wrapper tags, including required parameters for sub-wrapper levels.

The following parameters must be defined: 

• Required and optional parameters. 
• Parameters that can be static in a channel configuration and parameters that must be provided dynamically with each client request. 
• Parameters sent in headers and parameters sent as query parameters.

VAST response requirements

A VAST response must include: 

• Ad media or creative as VAST inline.
• A UniversalAdId, CreativeId, or AdId. The UniversalAdId is preferred. 
• VAST tracking, impression, and beacon URI.

Deliverables

The following deliverables must be provided:

• A working VAST tag with example values or parameters, and the targeted region and device for testing purposes.
• Documentation of required and optional parameters (as described above), if available:
  • Required parameters: type, format, and request style (query, header)
  • Required parameters for VAST wrapper tags: type, format, and request style (query, header)
  • Optional parameters: type, format, and request style (query, header)
• ad.txt file and associated values, if required.