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How to set up a SmartZone

Applies to: Publishers · needs the matching permission on your account

A SmartZone puts another ad network's tag inside one of your own ad zones. The ad server then decides per visit whether that network serves or your own campaigns do, by a fixed share or by which one pays best. You can put several networks in one ad zone and let them compete. This guide connects a network, creates the SmartZone and reads its results.

Before you start#

  • You need an ad zone on your site that already serves: How to create an ad zone.
  • Get the network's ad code or tag URL for that placement from the network's own panel.
  • For accurate eCPM selection, get your API key (or username and password) from the network, so its earnings can be pulled in automatically.
  • The Smart Zones menu item only appears when your account has Smart Zones enabled.

Steps#

1. Connect the network#

  1. Open Smart Zones in the left menu and go to the Networks tab.
  2. Click Add Network.
  3. Choose the Network, give it a Name, and enter the credentials it uses: API Key, Username and Password, or User ID.
  4. Switch on Pull Stats via API if the network supports it. This fetches the network's earnings, which eCPM selection needs.
  5. Click Save.

Connect the network once; every SmartZone can use it.

2. Create the SmartZone#

  1. Go to the Zones tab and click Add Smart Zone.
  2. On the Adzone tab, choose the Website and the Ad Zone this SmartZone lives in. The other tabs appear once the ad zone is set.
  3. On the General tab:
    • Name: for example "Exo header 728".
    • Network: the network from step 1.
    • Selection: how the network competes (see the table below) and its percentage.
    • Optional serving controls such as skipping bots, capping, a daily cap, referrer stopwords and keywords.
  4. On the Targeting tab, optionally limit the zone to countries and device types. Leave both empty for all traffic.
  5. On the Creative tab, choose the Creative Type and paste what the network gave you: an iFrame URL, HTML Code, a VAST URL for video zones, or a URL for pop and redirect zones. Tags that start with // are fine.
  6. Click Save and make sure the zone is Active.
Selection Use it when
Percentage-based You agreed a fixed share of the traffic with the network. The percentage is that share.
eCPM Based The best-paying source should win. The percentage only gives a new zone some traffic until it has an eCPM.
eCPM + Limit % The best payer should win, but never on more than this percentage of the traffic.
RTB The network buys through real-time bidding instead of a fixed tag. There is no Creative tab.

3. Read the results#

  • The Stats tab shows earnings, views, clicks and eCPM per SmartZone, by website, ad zone, network and date. More reports are under Smart Zone Reports in the menu.
  • The Distribution tab shows each network's share of the traffic, its revenue and the weighted eCPM, and marks the days the best-paying network changed.
  • The Health column in the zone list shows OK, attention, warning or no traffic, so a SmartZone that stopped earning stands out.

Check it worked#

  1. Open the page with the ad zone, with ad blockers off, a few times. Some views show the network's ad.
  2. The next day, the Stats tab shows views for the SmartZone. With Pull Stats via API on, earnings appear once the network reports them.

Troubleshooting#

Symptom Likely cause Fix
"Choose a website and ad zone." when saving The Adzone tab is empty. Pick the website and the ad zone first.
"Add a valid ad URL or code on the Creative tab." The creative is missing or not a valid URL or code. Paste the tag exactly as the network gave it.
The network never serves The zone is inactive, or targeting excludes your traffic. Switch it Active; empty the country and device lists to test.
eCPM zones never win No earnings are known for the network yet. Switch on Pull Stats via API, or start with Percentage-based for a few days.
Earnings show 0 while views come in The network has not reported yet, or the API credentials are wrong. Check the credentials under Networks; network figures can lag a day.