Dec 10th 2019
Vungle Adopts Sellers.json & SupplyChain Object to Boost the Value of Publisher Inventory
As the mobile ad industry tightens its grip around fraud, top DSPs (demand-side platforms) have become more selective of the inventory they buy. Giants such as The Trade Desk now no longer buy open market inventory unless they detect three essential IAB (Interactive Advertising Bureau) standards: app-ads.txt, sellers.json, and a SupplyChain object.
Recently we made our network publishers aware of app-ads.txt, a method to authenticate a seller’s inventory on the Vungle network so fraud-conscious DSPs don’t pass them over. Today we’re excited to announce that Vungle has adopted sellers.json and the SupplyChain object, the next pieces of the puzzle to make our valued publishers’ inventory more attractive to larger buyers. With these additions, Vungle now supports all three supply qualifiers.
What is sellers.json?
Sellers.json is essentially a supply-side platform (SSP) version of app-ads.txt — a public text record of publisher accounts who are allowed to transact with the SSP. This information is formatted into a JSON file and placed under the SSP’s root domain (see https://www.vungle.com/sellers.json for a real-life example).
How does sellers.json work?
Buyers (DSPs) do a lookup of both the SSP’s sellers.json files and the publisher’s app-ads.txt file, matching allowed names to verify an authentic, existing relationship between publisher and SSP. (Are you a publisher without an app-ads.txt file to verify your inventory? So far 31% of the top 1,000 Android apps and 25% of the top 1,000 iOS apps are now earning more revenue because of app-ads.txt. Here’s how you can also earn more by being a verified seller.)
Afterwards, the SupplyChain object — a series of data nodes — tracks every vendor interaction during the bid request’s journey, giving the DSP more visibility into exactly who has touched the bid request from start to fill.
The combination of these three standards — app-ads.txt, sellers.json, and the SupplyChain object — sheds light on the true quantitative value of SDK direct publisher relationships. By tracking who is selling to whom throughout the entire supply chain, buyers gain more confidence in the origin of bid requests and the path through which they’re buying. Vungle anticipates this type of directness to grow exponentially popular, as Vungle is determined to illuminate this path with more transparency initiatives in the future.
What do publishers need to do?
Make sure you’ve uploaded an app-ads.txt file (with an entry for Vungle and our Reseller partners included) so that DSPs can verify your inventory and you can earn more revenue.
