Journey Of Online Media

DoubleClick Macros – An Overview… Part 1

A macro is a short piece of code that serves as a shortcut for a message to the ad server. Macros will expand into a longer code string that the ad server can understand when they’re included in creative code or click through URLs. Ad server macros are useful for passing important information to your proprietary systems or third-party ad servers.

If the creative code is recognized as being from a certified vendor, then it will automatically insert the proper macros. If DFP don't recognize the third-party creative code, then we need to insert the macros manually. We can manually insert the macro at the cursor's position in the 'Code snippet' field by clicking one of the insert macro buttons. Work with respective third-party to determine where to insert the macro.

For clients upgrading from DART for Publishers: Creatives that we trafficked in DART with DART macros will continue to serve as expected after we upgrade. However, it is strongly recommend that we use the new syntax, where available. This list represents all of the macros it supports in DoubleClick for Publishers for Creatives which traffic after upgrading.

Cache-busting (random number) macro

The cache-busting macro ensures that a fresh call is made to the ad server every time the code is executed, so we’re accurately counting impressions. Here is what the cache-busting macro looks like:

%%CACHEBUSTER%%

If we don't add the cache-busting macro to the creative code, we’re more likely to see impression counting discrepancies between DoubleClick for Publishers and a third-party ad server. Note that not all third parties require the cachebuster macro.

Most creative vendors will offer a placeholder in their tag to insert cachebuster macros. 

For example, if your third-party creative code contains something like this:

http://abc.3rd-party-serving.com/Targeting/adServer.php?ab=cd&e=12fg=click&ord=[RANDOM_NUMBER]

We will want to select [RANDOM_NUMBER] and click the Insert cachebuster macro button so that it replaces the placeholder:

http://abc.3rd-party-serving.com/Targeting/adServer.php?ab=cd&e=12fg=click&ord=%%CACHEBUSTER%%

Notes:

• %n will still work for creatives trafficked in DART, but we strongly recommend using the new syntax for all new creatives trafficked in the DFP upgrade.
• DART macros are case-sensitive. That is, %N is not a valid macro.

Click macro

A click macro allows us to track clicks on our third-party creatives. There are two types of click-tracking macros:

• Un-escaped click macro: %%CLICK_URL_UNESC%%
• Double-escaped click macro: %%CLICK_URL_ESC_ESC%%

As a best practice, we recommend using an un-escaped click macro when the creative hosted by another server is a standard image file (GIF/JPG). We should use the double-escaped click macro for Flash (SWF) creatives and for certain third parties. We can preview the ad and right-click it to determine its file type. If we see a “Save Image As...” or “Save Picture As...” option appear in the right-click menu, the creative is a standard image. If we see an “About Adobe Flash Player...” option, the creative is a Flash creative.

Notes:

• A small number of third parties use double escaping (%%CLICK_URL_ESC_ESC%%). For certified third parties, we’ll auto-insert this double-escaped click macro; however, if you’re unsure if you need a double-escaped macro, you should reach out to the third party for confirmation.
• %c will still work for creatives trafficked in DART, but we strongly recommend using the new syntax for all new creatives trafficked in the DFP upgrade.
• Warning: If you don't put a click-tracking macro in the correct place in your third-party code, you will most likely not track clicks on the creative. Talk to your third-party creative provider to learn where to put the click macro.

Tips:

Do not enter the click macro as the source of an image or iframe. Doing so results in a click being recorded every time the image or iframe renders, which is not legitimate and is filtered out as an invalid click.

Click-through URL macro

This macro can be helpful if we are traffic a custom creative and we want the click-through URL that you set in the creative trafficking screen to override the click-through URL built into the custom creative code.

There are three URL macros you can use:

• %%DEST_URL%%
• %%DEST_URL_ESC%%
• %%DEST_URL_ESC_ESC%%

Normally the amount of escaping (whether we include ESC once, twice, or not at all) depends on the third-party click-tracking company. Some third-party click-tracking companies require the URL to be escaped, while others do not.

The level of escaping required by a third-party click-tracking company is normally specified in the tag with the click= string in the third-party ad tag or custom creative code in DFP:

• click= escape it once (%%DEST_URL_ESC%%)
• click1= escape it once (%%DEST_URL_ESC%%)
• click0= don't escape it (%%DEST_URL%%)
• click2= escape it twice (%%DEST_URL_ESC_ESC%%).

Notes:

%u will still work for creatives trafficked in DART, but strongly recommend using the new syntax for all new creatives trafficked in the DFP upgrade.

Expand macro

This macro is most commonly used to track line items with your backend reporting system. %e is used in combination with match tables, which provide a relationship between the ID number in the database and the ID number in DoubleClick for Publishers. This can be useful for troubleshooting; for example, a trafficker only has to look at the ad server response in order to see the line item ID or creative ID that served to an ad tag.

We can insert the %e macro at the end of the ad's click through URL in its creative assignment (for example: http://www.firstautomobile.com/?%ecid!; inserts the creative ID for the line item).

The different expand macros available are:

• %eaid! -- expands with line item ID
• %ecid! -- expands with the creative ID
• %eenv! -- expands with the environment (tag type) indicator. For example, 'i' if iframe, 'j' if JavaScript, etc.
• %esid! -- expands with the first-level ad unit ID serving the line item
• %epid! -- expands with the second-level ad unit ID serving the line item
• %eadv! -- expands with the advertiser ID of the line item being served
• %ebuy! -- expands with the order ID of the line item being served

The %e macros can be separated from one another in the click through URL with any character that is safe for use in DFP click through URLs: 

http://www.site.com/?%eaid!;%ecid!              

Could become: http://www.site.com/?1234567;4265598

Notes:

The %e macro cannot be used by DFA clients running click-commands on DFP sites. The advertiser_id or page_id values, for instance, will populate with the DFP values instead of the intended DFA values.

This article will continue to Part 2