Screenshot from Google Ad Manager, December 2022

options = {
root: null, // relative to document viewport
rootMargin: '1500px', // margin around root. Values are similar to css property. Unitless values not allowed
threshold: 0 // visible amount of item shown in relation to root
};

your_observer = new IntersectionObserver( observer_handler, options );
your_observer.observe( goog_adslots[i] );

In the observer_handler call back function, you can run the prebid auction and call the ad server.

function observer_handler( entries, observer ) {

dynamicAdUnit =[{
code: 'your_html_div_id',
mediaTypes: {
banner: {
sizes: [728,90]
}
},
bids: [{ bidder: 'appnexus', params: { placementId: 13144370 } }, { bidder: "conversant", params: {site_id:"122869",secure:1} } ]
}];

pbjs.addAdUnits(dynamicAdUnit);

slot = window.googletag.defineSlot('/1055389/header-bid-tag-0', [728,90], 'your_html_div_id' ).addService(googletag.pubads());

lazySlotPrebid(slot, 'your_html_div_id')

}

function lazySlotPrebid(slot, div_id) {

pbjs.que.push(function() {
pbjs.request bids({
timeout: PREBID_TIMEOUT,
adUnitCodes: [div_id],
bidsBackHandler: function() {
pbjs.setTargetingForGPTAsync([div_id]);
googletag.pubads().refresh(slot);

});
});

} 
}// endd of initDynamicSlotPrebid

Now, let’s jump on setting up the ad server using Google Ad Manager.

How To Set Up GAM For Header Bidding

Ad servers need to have dozens of price priority line items with key hb_pb targeting all possible CPM values, such as hb_pb=0.04, hb_pb=0.03, etc.

This is the key point that makes the header bidding engine work.

• The auction runs in the browser on page load.
• The winning SSP partner is sent to GAM with a key value targeting hb_pb = 2.62.
• Since the order has the same CPM value, GAM understands that there is a bid at $2.62.
• GAM runs an AdX auction and has to pay more than $2.62 in order to win the bid and display a Google Ad.

As I mentioned above, you would need to build line items in GAM with certain granularity, say 0.01 – and for the CPM range $0-$20, you would need to create 2,000 line items, which are impossible to do manually.

For that, you would need to use GAM API.

Unfortunately, there are no solid solutions that you can simply download and run in one click.

It is a somewhat complex task, but thanks to contributors who built API tools (even though they are not actively supporting them), we can still modify it a little and make it work.

Let’s dive into how to set up Google Ad Manager and understand the following:

Step 1: Enable API Access

In the Google Ad manager Global > General settings section, make sure API access is enabled.

Click on the Add service account button and create a user with the sample name “GAM API USER” and email “gam-api-user@sej-dfp.iam.gserviceaccount.com” with admin rights.

Step 2: Create A New Project

Navigate to Google API Console Credentials page.

From the project drop-down, choose Create a new project, enter a name for the project, and, optionally, edit the provided Project ID.

Click Create.

On the Credentials page, select Create credentials, then select Service account key.

Select New service account, and select JSON.

Click Create to download a file containing a private key.

Assign the role “owner” and create the service account OAuth2 credentials.

Then, click on the created user and create JSON type key, and download it.

Step 3: Download Project

Download the project zip file and unzip it, directory (alternatively, you can use the git command tool to clone the repo).

Install composer for your operating system in order to build the project.

Step 4: Change your PHP.INI

Change your php.ini (located at /xampp/php/php.ini ) file and enable “extension=soap” by removing “;” in front of and set “soap.wsdl_cache_ttl=0” and restart Apache from the control panel of XAMPP.

Step 5: Create Subfolders And Build The Project

Once you have everything set up and unzipped, open composer.json file and change “googleads/googleads-php-lib”: “^44.0.0” to use the latest version “googleads/googleads-php-lib”: “^59.0.0”.

Check for the most fresh version at the moment you perform this.

Search and replace in /app/ folder of the project “v201911” with “v202202”, because that git project wasn’t updated since 2019, to use the latest version path of libraries.

Open the command line of your PC and switch to the directory where you’ve unzipped the files (using cd command or right-click inside the folder “Git bash here” if you have git installed), and run composer update in the PC terminal or git terminal.

It will create subfolders and build the project.

Step 6: Set Up Your Google Ad Manager Credentials

Move the downloaded JSON key “gam-api-54545-0c04qd8fcb.json”  file into the root folder of the project you’ve built.

Next, download adsapi_php.ini file and set up your Google Ad Manager credentials in it.

networkCode = "899899"
applicationName = "My GAM APP"
jsonKeyFilePath = "D:xampphtdocsdfp-prebid-lineitemsgam-api-54545-0c04qd8fcb.json"
scopes = "https://www.googleapis.com/auth/dfp"
impersonatedEmail = "gam-api-user@sej-dfp.iam.gserviceaccount.com"

jsonKeyFilePath is the absolute directory path to the JSON key file in the folder root.

Step 7: Set The Content Of The File

Finally, navigate to the file /script/tests/ConnexionTest.php and set the content of the file like below:

putenv('HOME='.dirname(__DIR__)."/../");
require __DIR__.'/../../vendor/autoload.php';

$traffickerId = (new AppAdManagerUserManager())->getUserId();

if (is_numeric($traffickerId)) {
echo "n====Connexion OK====nn";
} else {
echo "n===Connexion KO====nn";
}

In your terminal (or git bash console) test the connection by running the command (if you are in the /script/tests/ folder).

php ConnexionTest.php

You should see a message “====Connection OK====”

Step 8: Configure The Parameters

Navigate to the file /script/tests/ConnexionTest.php in your project and open it.

Copy and paste the below code into that file, and configure the parameters in the $entry and $buckets arrays per your needs.

putenv('HOME='.dirname(__DIR__)."/../");
require __DIR__.'/../../vendor/autoload.php';

use AppScriptsHeaderBiddingScript;

$bucket_range = array();
$Your_Advertiser_Name = 'Sample_Advertiser';
$buckets =
["buckets" =>[
['precision' => 2, 'min' => 0, 'max' => 4.00, 'increment' => 0.01],
['precision' => 2, 'min' => 4.01, 'max' => 8.00, 'increment' => 0.05],
]
];

foreach ( $buckets["buckets"] as $k => $bucket ){

$request_bucket = array( 'buckets' => array( $bucket ) );

$order_name = 'Your_Order_name '.$bucket['min'].'-'.$bucket['max'];
// echo $order_name.'

';


$entry = [
'priceGranularity' => $request_bucket, // can be 'low', 'med', 'high', 'auto','dense', 'test'
'currency' => 'USD',
//'sizes' => [ [1,1] ,[160, 600], [250, 250], [300, 250], [300, 600], [320, 50], [320, 100], [300, 100], [336, 280], [728, 90], [970, 90], [970, 250]],
'sizes' => [ [250, 250] ],
'orderPrefix' => $Your_Advertiser_Name, //prebid advertiserName
'orderName' => $order_name
];
$script = new HeaderBiddingScript();
$script->createGlobalAdUnits($entry);

}

Optionally you can also specify ‘geoTargetingList’ => “dz, pk, ke, pt” or custom key value targeting customTargeting’ => [‘amp_pages’ => yes’] if you want your header bidding to work only when the custom key value is set.

Run the command below and it will start creating line items per the bucket settings you’ve specified.

php ConnexionTest.php

There is a tool using Python that is used similarly; you may want to give it a try as well.

Debugging

For debugging, there are a few browser add-ons you can use to see if the auction runs without errors.

Alternatively, open your webpage URL using “/?pbjs_debug=true” parameter at the end of the URL, and watch console logs messages.

You need to make sure that hb_pb key values are passed to Google Ad Manager. Use “/?google_console=1” at the end of the URL to open the GAM console, and click on “Delivery Diagnostics” of each ad unit.

You should see that hb_pb values are set and passed to the ad server.

Choose A Consent Management System

Users’ privacy is one of the most important factors, and you want to make sure that you comply with both GDPR and GPP.

The detailed instructions on how to set up a consent management system in your wrapper are here.

There are many providers which comply with IAB’s latest standards, and here are a few of the most popular ones:

Conclusion

You may find it surprising that setting up header bidding involves so many steps, but it is really worth it to implement. It can easily boost your revenue by +30% or more by creating selling pressure on Google Ads.

This guide is for technically savvy users – but if you have questions and issues, there is an Adops slack channel you may subscribe to and ask questions to the community.

I hope that after reading this article, you will find it easier to set up header bidding and enhance the monetization of your website.

More resources:

Featured Image: Search Engine Journal