The Absolute Beginner’s Guide to DFP
Organize your ad stack and increase your ad revenue with this step-by-step guide.
D o u b le Cl ic k fo r P u b l ish e rs (D F P ) is a comprehens iv e
host ed a d serv ing p la t f orm t ha t s t rea ml ines y our ad
m an ag e m e n t , whet her y ou de l iv er a ds t o webs it es ,
mobi le pa ges , mobi le a pps , ga mes , or a combina t ion.
“
- D o u b l e C l i c k f o r P u b l i s h e r s H e l p
3What This Guide Will Teach You
Common DFP terms, such as line items, creatives, and orders
Start-to-finish instructions on everything from creating ad units to setting the tags live on your page
Tips for organizing multiple ad partners in DFP
4
DFP Small Business
DFP Small Business is a free product best suited for smaller to growing
publishers.
How do you qualify for a DFP Small
Business account?
To qualify for a DFP Small Business
account you need a Google AdSense account. However, you do not need to
use Google AdSense ads while using DFP Small Business.
DFP Premium
DFP Premium is a paid service geared towards sites with high traffic and
complex advertising setups. DFP Premium also includes Google Support
in the form of an assigned account manager.
How do you qualify for a DFP Premium account?
To qualify, your site must garner at least 90 million monthly impressions.
What is DFP?
DoubleClick for Publishers (DFP) is a powerful ad server run by Google. It helps publishers
organize their ad stacks and sell their advertising inventory more efficiently.
There are two DFP platforms: DFP Small Business and DFP Premium.
And what about DoubleClick AdExchange?
Once your site receives 90 million impressions or more, you are obligated to use and pay for DFP Premium. But this also means you can use AdExchange, Google’s programmatic real-time
bidding exchange for premium publishers.
5Why DFP is Better Than HardcodingR E A S O N S W H Y D F P I S A S T E P - U P F R O M H A R D - C O D I N G A D S D I R E C T L Y O N Y O U R S I T E .
First off, what is hardcoding?Hardcoding is when you implement ad code from ad networks directly on your website.
Hardcoding has many drawbacks, especially as you start to grow your website traffic. With hardcoding, you need
additional technology in order to manage and analyze the performance of your ads. It also complicates managing
multiple sources of demand/advertising as you will soon find yourself having to log into many different platforms to
manage your ads.
The benefits of DFP
1. With DFP you can manage multiple advertising partners in one platform.
2. DFP provides powerful, world-class reporting, meaning you will have all the data you need to help optimize your ads.
3. It decreases latency, meaning your website loads faster.
4. With DFP you can also segment international and domestic traffic, which is helpful if you have predominantly
international traffic.
6Key DFP Terminology
DFP NetworkThe publisher’s DFP account.
Confused about the difference between a
company and a creative, a line item and an
order? Don’t sweat it. Here’s our glossary of
frequently used DFP terms.
OrderThe organizational container for campaign line items which contain ad creatives or ad tags.
CompanyWhere third-party entities are set up by name in DFP to be associated to orders.
Line itemThe campaign consisting of flight starts and end dates, targeted ad unit or other.
AdvertiserThe agency, network, or direct brand advertiser that will be trafficking ads via DFP.
CreativeThe actual ad creative either in the form of an ad tag code snippet or script.
Ad unitThe basic unit of web page inventory made up of one* or more available spaces or slots where an ad can appear.
PlacementsGroupings of ad units.
*Though you can group one or more ad slots into an ad unit, for clear organization and tracking, we recommend that you keep a 1:1 relationship between ad slots and ad units.
7A Helpful Metaphor for Understanding DFPD F P C A N B E L I K E N E D T O T H E D E L I V E R Y O F A P A C K A G E .
F
Orders = Warehouse
Orders are the warehouse where the packages are assembled. Each order should correspond to an ad network, i.e. Order #1 – Sovrn, Order #2 1 – AdSense, etc.
Line Items = TrucksLine items should correspond to specific ad zones on specific pages, i.e. a 300x250 that only serves on your home page. That way you can optimize more precisely.
Creatives = Packages
Creatives are the packages that hold ad tags.
Ad tags = Package Contents
Ad tags are held “inside” creatives. They are inserted to render the ad creative on the web page.
Ad units are spaces that are used to display
ads on your site. Placements are groups of ad
units.
For example, the following ad units compose
one placement.
Ad unit 1: 300x250, top position on home page
Ad unit 2: 300x250, second position on home
page
Ad unit 3: 300x250, third position on home
page
Organizing Website Inventory
9Tips for Organizing your Ad Partners in DFP
Create a separate order for each advertiser.In order to simplify your reporting, create a separate order for each ad partner, i.e. Order #1 is Sovrn, Order #2 is OpenX, Order #3 is AdSense, etc.
There are many ways to organize your ad stack in DFP. Here are some best practices for keeping your ad partners organized.
And what about passbacks?Passbacks ensure that no ad impressions ‘left on the table’ by having unsold impressions delivered back to DFP to re-deliver to your website.
Create a separate line item for each ad zone on your website.In order to make the most revenue through DFP, create a separate line item for each ad zone. For example, let’s say you have a 300x250 ad zone on your home page, and you’re targeting that ad zone with three ad networks. Within each of those ad network’s orders, create a line item, i.e. a Sovrn line item targeting the 300x250 home page, an OpenX line item targeting the 300x250 on the home page, etc.
This is smart because some of your ad zones will make more revenue than others, i.e. the 300x250 on your highly trafficked home page will garner higher CPMs than the 300x250 on your seldom-seen contact page.
12
3
10How to Implement Passbacks in DFP
It’s a good idea to use passbacks when you’re first starting out with DFP. However, they’re similar to training wheels.
Once you know what to expect from your ad partners, you will be able to arrange them from top to bottom based on
who has historically garnered the highest CPMs. Once you have that data, passbacks are no longer necessary as DFP
will optimize your ad stack automatically.
Passbacks are implemented in two ways:
1. Using DFP. You can create specific ad units with passback-enabled ad unit (GPT) code that can be targeted by ad
partners to send unsold impressions back into DFP. However, there are limitations to this approach. If not
implemented correctly, it can cause infinite looping that can cause discrepancies and improper ad delivery. For these
reasons, we recommend the more direct, ad network to ad network approach.
2. Ad network to Ad network. With this method, there is no need to create special ad units in DFP. All you need to do is
insert the ad code of the second ad partner in the waterfall within the first partner’s advertising platform, and so on.
That way the first network will pass back to the second network in your waterfall, who will pass back to the third, etc.
AdSense is often the last partner in a waterfall because they offer 100% fill.
11Sample DFP Setup
Premium advertisers –200,000 impressions Sally sells around 200,000 impressions a month directly to premium brands. This month, Keen purchased 200,000 impressions for their new summer shoe campaign. For every 1,000 impressions, they pay Sally $25.
Ad networks – 780,000 impressionsSally allocates the majority of her impressions to networks. She is currently using three ad networks: Sovrn, OpenX, and AdSense.
She arranges the networks in order of past performance, with the strongest network at the top. The networks are arranged in a waterfall – Sovrn at the top, followed by OpenX and finally AdSense.
The ads that appear are generated programmatically, i.e. they are based on the readers’ cookies.
House ads – 20,000 impressions Sally allocates the remaining 2% of her inventory to house advertising, or advertising she creates herself for her site. Her house ads promote her latest ebook, The Best Stilettos for Summer.
Sally has a shoe review website, sallysshoes.com, that receives one million page views a month. Sally uses DFP to organize her advertising. She allocates her inventory into three different buckets: premium advertisers, ad networks, and house ads.
12Sample DFP Setup Continued –How Orders Work
728x90 Ad Unit (Top)Sovrn is targeting a $3.00 CPM for the 728x90 on the home page.
If Sovrn doesn’t fill the impression, DFP automatically passes the bid to OpenX, who is targeting a $2.00 CPM. If OpenXcan’t fill it, it passes to AdSense.
300x250 Ad Unit (Sidebar)Sovrn is targeting a $4.00 CPM for the 300x250 on the home page, while OpenX is targeting a CPM of $3.00.
As with the 728x90, if Sovrn can’t fill the $4.00 CPM, DFP will automatically pass the bid to OpenX, and then AdSense.
Sally uses three ad partners (Sovrn, OpenX, AdSense) to target the two ad units on her home page. Each ad partner has its own order, i.e. order one is Sovrn, order two is OpenX, order three is AdSense. Within each order, Sally has two line items: one that targets the 300x250 on the home page, and one that targets the 728x90 on the home page.
13How to create and implement ad tags in DFP
14Step 1: Create the Ad UnitClick on the Inventory tab in the upper menu bar.
Name the ad unit, and make sure there is no space in the ad unit name, i.e. ‘yoursite300x250ATF’.
Fill in ad unit details for where you will want ads to serve. Save the ad unit.
Click ‘Ad units” in the left-hand sidebar. Then click ‘New ad unit’.
15Step 2: Generate the Ad Unit CodeT H I S I S A L S O C A L L E D G E N E R A T I N G T H E G O O G L E P U B L I S H E R T A G ( G P T ) .
Select ‘Generate tags’. In the inventory tab, select ‘Generate tags’ from the left-hand menu. Select the ad unit that was created and click ‘include’, and then ‘Generate tags’.
1
Select tag options.The default setting ‘Enable Single Request’ enables all ad units on a page to be called via one call. If you want ad units to be called individually, deselect ‘Enable Single Request’. We recommend deselecting it for performance reasons.
3Copy and paste generated code for the body. From the second field of this page, you can copy the generated code to paste into the body ‘<body>’ of your website’s HTML code. You can do this by inserting it into your website’s content management system (CMS) or by directly pasting into the <body> section of your website’s HTML.
4Select tag type.Select tag type (Google Publisher Tag), and click ‘Continue’. 2
Copy and paste generated code for the header. From the first field of this page, you can copy the generated code to paste into the header ‘<head>’ of your website’s code. You can do this by inserting it into your website’s content management system (CMS) or by directly pasting into the <head> section of your website’s HTML.
5
PremiumLine ItemDeliveryTypes
Sponsorship
Sponsorship line items have the
highest delivery priority.
Best for: Time-based campaigns
where an advertiser buys a
percentage of all available targeted
inventory. Sponsorship line items
can target a CPM, CPC, or CPD rate
or goal.
Example: Sally has a direct
partnership with a large premium
brand (ex. Nike). They formally agree
via a signed insertion order (IO) that
Nike will buy 100% of all 728x90
impressions at the top of her home
page for the month of March.
Standard
Standard line items are most
commonly used for directly sold
campaigns that have an agreed-
upon impression quantity with an
advertiser.
Best for: Time-based campaigns
where a specific number of
impressions is to be delivered over
specific dates for an advertiser.
Standard line items can target a
CPM or CPC rate or goal.
Example: Sally has a direct
partnership with a brand of any size.
They formally agree via a signed
insertion order (IO) that the brand
partner will be guaranteed a specific
number of impressions over specific
dates for an advertiser.
Line items are an important piece of
how you organize your ad stack.
Premium line items (sponsorship,
standard, and network), will deliver the
highest CPMs.
Remnant Line Item Delivery
TypesPrice Priority
Best for: Time-based or open-ended
schedule campaigns where typically
an ad network buys an unlimited or
specific number of remnant, non-
guaranteed impressions, either
based on the total time of the line
item’s schedule (lifetime) or based
on a daily impression goal within a
defining or open-ended schedule.
Example: Sally has a partnership
with Sovrn to target multiple ad units
or placements for remnant inventory
on her site at various CPM rates with
an open-ended end date to deliver as
many available impressions as
possible until Sally determines that
the campaigns need to be paused or
updated. Price Priority Line items
can target a CPM or CPC rate or
goal.
BulkBulk is similar to price priority but
you must have a fixed quantity of
impressions. They deliver evenly by
default.
Best for: Time-based or open-ended
schedule campaigns where typically
an ad network buys a specific
number of remnant, non-guaranteed
impressions, either based on the
total time of the line item’s schedule
(lifetime) or open-ended schedule.
Example: Sally has a partnership
with another remnant partner to
target all unsold inventory (Run of
Network or Run of Site) on her site at
a CPM rate $1 below her Sovrn line
items. Bulk Line items can only
target a CPM rate or goal.
HouseHouse line items are typically used
for ads that promote products or
services chosen by you. House ads
are commonly non-revenue
generating and always have the
lowest delivery priority.
Best for: Campaigns where
publishers serve their own product
or services for marketing and not
necessarily to directly impact
revenue.
Example: Sally wants to ensure that
if there are any unsold impressions
from her remnant line items, then
her in-store product cleaning and
repair services are advertised
instead of a blank ad slot. House
Line items can target a CPM or CPC
rate or goal.
NetworkBest for: Time-based campaigns where typically an
ad network buys a percentage of all available
targeted impressions remaining after direct or
guaranteed line items have met their daily pacing
goals. Though not always required, these ad buys
can also be agreed upon via signed insertion order
(IO), with the ad buy on behalf of multiple
advertisers without a direct relationship to the
publisher. Network line items can target a CPM,
CPC, or CPD rate or goal.
Example: Sally has a partnership with Sovrn to
target multiple ad units or placements for remnant
inventory on her site at various CPM rates from
January to July with allocation percentages varying
depending on the ad unit.
Step 3: Create Orders and Line Items
In the Delivery menu, select
‘Orders’ to create a new order.01
02
03
Fill in order details. Give the
order a name, select an
advertiser, or create a new
one.
Create an initial DFP line
item that will deliver the ad
via the call for a creative.
Step 3: Create Orders and Line Items (continued)
Fill in the delivery and
targeting details. Line items
can be targeted to individual
ad units, placements or the
entire site.
04
05
06
Click ‘Save’.
Now you’re ready to add a
creative!
Step 4: Add a Creative
Click ‘Creatives’ on the left-hand side menu of the Line Item page and then select ‘Add Creative’ from the Creativesmenu page.
Next, select an Advertiser from the dialogue box and click ‘Continue’.
Our MissionSesame snaps jelyy dessert tootsie roll
sweet roll. 1500s, when an unknown printer
took a galley of type and scrambled.01On the next page, select ‘Third party’.
Name the creative in a way that corresponds to the ad tag, with the ad network, ad size, and position on the page listed, i.e. Sovrn_300x250_ATF.
Click ‘Creatives’
Select advertiser
Select ‘Third party’
Name creative
Step 4: Add a Creative (continued)
Here you have the option to add macros, which are strings of text that can be added to the ad tag URL to enable supported functionalities in DFP. Sovrn tags do not need macros.
Select the same ad size that you intend to target on the size.
Our MissionSesame snaps jelyy dessert tootsie roll
sweet roll. 1500s, when an unknown printer
took a galley of type and scrambled.01Uncheck ‘Serve into SafeFrame’, which is checked by default.
You’re done!
Track macros (or not)
Target ad unit size
Uncheck ‘Safeframe’
Click ‘Save’
22Step 5: Associate Creatives to Line Items
Step 1Click ‘Add Line Items’ from the new Creative page.
Step 2 Search and select the Line Item and click ‘Include’ to
associate the Line Item.
Step 3 Click ‘Save’!
23Step 6: Verify Creative to Line Item AssociationT H E F I N A L S T E P – Y O U ’ R E C L O S E !
Click ‘Associations’Click ‘Associations’ to check that the creative is linked to the correct line item.
Check line itemVerify that the appropriate line item displays.
You’re done!Click ‘Approve” to enable the line item to start delivering impressions within 30 minutes or so.
24In Conclusion
DFP isn’t easy to learn and it can take a while to fully understand. But it’s a worthwhile platform to learn if you want to increase your ad revenue.
You’ve got this!
25Ashley Fleckenstein
Marketing Associate, Sovrn
Ashley is on the Marketing Team at Sovrn, and works as a blogger and freelance writer on
the side. When not creating content for the web, she can be found skiing, hiking, or making a
mess of her kitchen.
Jose RosarioSenior Product Sales Engineer, Sovrn
Jose is an ad tech guru, sometimes electronic musician, DJ, and bookworm. As Sovrn’s
Sr. Product Sales Engineer, Jose is the liaison between product, sales, support, and
engineering.
Meet the authors!