Understanding the Lifecycle of a VAST Ad Request: A Brief Guide

Brief overview of VAST (Video Ad Serving Template)

Understanding the lifecycle of a VAST (Video Ad Serving Template) ad request is vital for anyone working in the programmatic advertising ecosystem. This comprehensive guide will explore each stage in detail, providing practical examples and insight into future trends.

A VAST ad request is a standardized way for video players to request and display video ads from an ad server. VAST, developed by the IAB (Interactive Advertising Bureau), provides a common framework for delivering video ads across different platforms and devices. You can read more about VAST and its fundamentals here included with examples.

VAST ad requests in the programmatic advertising ecosystem

Programmatic advertising relies heavily on automated processes to buy and sell ad inventory in real-time. VAST ad requests are a critical component of this ecosystem, as they facilitate the delivery of video ads to users based on various targeting parameters. Understanding how VAST ad requests work is essential for advertisers, publishers, and ad tech professionals to optimize ad delivery, improve user experience, and maximize revenue.

What is a VAST Ad Request?

A VAST ad request is initiated when a video player sends a request to an ad server for a video ad. This request typically includes information about the user, device, and context in which the ad will be displayed. The ad server then responds with a VAST XML document that contains the ad details, including media files, tracking URLs, and other relevant information.

The request is also a process that allows video players to request and display ads from an ad server. As a crucial component of the ad tech industry, VAST has simplified the delivery and playback of video ads, ensuring a seamless user experience.

Role of VAST in the ad tech industry

VAST plays a crucial role in the ad tech industry by providing a standardized way to deliver video ads. It ensures compatibility across different video players and ad servers, allowing for seamless ad delivery and tracking. Key aspects include:

• Standardization of video ad delivery
• Facilitation of cross-platform ad serving
• Enabling detailed tracking and reporting of ad performance

Stages of a VAST Ad Request

Understanding the lifecycle of a VAST (Video Ad Serving Template) ad request is vital for anyone working in the programmatic advertising ecosystem. This comprehensive guide will explore each stage in detail, providing practical examples and insight into future trends.

Video Ad Request

The ad request stage is initiated when a video player sends a request to the ad server for an ad. This request is influenced by various factors such as the viewer's geographical location, demographic information, and browsing history, which are often encapsulated in an OpenRTB (Real-Time Bidding) bid request.

Example could be something like this:

Copy
{
  "device": {
    "ua": "Mozilla/5.0 (Macintosh; Intel Mac OS X 10_14_5) AppleWebKit/537.36 (KHTML, like Gecko) Chrome/75.0.3770.100 Safari/537.36",
    "geo": {
      "lat": 37.7749,
      "lon": -122.4194
    }
  },
  "user": {
    "gender": "M",
    "yob": 1985
  }
}

Video Ad Response

The ad response stage occurs when the ad server returns a VAST XML document in response to the ad request. This document includes information about the ad, such as its duration, media files, and tracking events.

VAST XMl example response

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<VAST version="3.0">
  <Ad id="123456">
    <InLine>
      <AdSystem>AdServer</AdSystem>
      <AdTitle>Ad Title</AdTitle>
      <Impression>http://adserver.com/impression</Impression>
      <Creatives>
        <Creative>
          <Linear>
            <Duration>00:00:30</Duration>
            <MediaFiles>
              <MediaFile type="video/mp4" width="640" height="360">http://adserver.com/ad.mp4</MediaFile>
            </MediaFiles>
          </Linear>
        </Creative>
      </Creatives>
    </InLine>
  </Ad>
</VAST>

Video Ad Selection and delivery

The ad selection stage involves choosing the most appropriate ad based on various factors such as the viewer's device capabilities or audience attributes and network conditions. "But who makes this choice?" This decision is typically made by the ad server using algorithms that take into account the available inventory, targeting criteria, and real-time bidding dynamics.

Video Ad Playback

The ad playback stage is when the selected ad is played on the video player. This stage significantly impacts the viewer's experience and can influence their perception of both the ad and the content that follows.

Tracking and Reporting

The final stage of the lifecycle is tracking and reporting. This is where the ad server collects data on how the ad was interacted with, such as whether it was viewed, clicked, or muted. This data is crucial for optimizing future ad campaigns. If you're interested in VAST event tracking testing, read more here on How to test VAST event tracking

Future Trends

Looking ahead, technologies like AI and machine learning are set to revolutionize the way VAST ad requests are processed. Additionally, data privacy regulations will continue to shape the way user data is handled, with implications for personalized advertising.

Conclusion

In conclusion, understanding the lifecycle of a VAST ad request is fundamental to successful ad campaigns. By examining each stage in detail, advertisers can optimize their strategies to deliver a seamless viewing experience and achieve better results.

Understanding the VAST lifecycle is essential for AdOps professionals and ad developers who need comprehensive knowledge of video advertising workflows and implementation processes.