Passback Tag

[torrpedo]

I'm losing 10%-15% of our served impressions from a single ad supplier. They've requested a 'passback tag' to send requests back to us that they don't fill. I'd like to have them 'passback' to either a 'house ad' or, waterfall...as I've seen here as a term, to another ad supplier. How can I do this?

[Erik Geurts]

A passback tag is a fancy term for what would be called a zone's invocation code in Revive Adserver. When the third party doesn't know how to fill your ad request, they will instead call a tag (invocation code) you provided them.

So you can create a new zone, then link at least one banner to it that can serve at all times.

Make sure NOT to link the banners that contain the third party's own tags to the new zone, otherwise you will create a feedback loop, which will bring down the entire internet :)

Next, generate the invocation code for that zone (I recommend picking the async javascript) and send that to that third party ad supplier.

However, you might also include some pressing questions like: why don't you fill 100% of the inventory I send you?

[torrpedo]

Thanks Erik! 

To do this I'm assuming there is a way to 'layer' two zones into the same inventory position, e.g. top leaderboard? Can you tell me how to do this? 

[Erik Geurts]

You only have to put one zone's invocation code on your website. I usually call that the primary zone.

That primary zone delivers a banner with the third party's tag in it. 

If the third party is unable to deliver a paid ad of their own, they will serve your own passback zone's invocation code. And that zone (let's call it the secondary zone) delivers one of your own alternative banners, closing the sequence.

So the secondary zone is not placed directly onto your site, it will appear through the third party's system automatically, if and when needed. 

This setup is also referred to as daisy chaining or waterfall.