Server Guided Ad Insertion (SGAI) is a solution that leverages Pod Serving DAI to provide on-device stitching of Google-provided ad breaks. In SGAI, a client video player application schedules when to request pre-conditioned ads from Google Ad Manager as a pod serving manifest. As an option, you can have a stream server insert ad markers in the content manifest to guide the ad schedule of the client application.

SGAI key benefits are as follows:

  • High Scalability: Handles millions of concurrent user sessions.
  • Cost-Effectiveness: Optimizes resource usage by distributing work load on client devices, leading to cost savings.
  • Reduced Client-Side Complexity: Leverages DAI pod serving for highly efficient ad selection and reliable VAST creative processing.
  • Smooth Transitions: Leverage proven adaptive streaming capability of the client video player to create seamless transitions between content and ads, ensuring overall viewing experience for the user.
  • Versatility: You can implement SGAI on platforms with and without IMA SDK support.

We recommend you call the Early Ad Break Notification (EABN) API approximately one minute or more before each scheduled ad break with ad targeting information. This advance notice lets Google Ad Manager prepare and optimize ad delivery, resulting in a better ad fill rate, more relevant ads and smoother transitions in and out of ad breaks for your viewers. While using EABN is entirely optional, we recommend it for all production and test streams, especially if you have any programmatic campaigns in your Google Ad Manager network.

The overall SGAI flow has the following steps:

  1. The client application makes a stream registration request to Google Ad Manager, including targeting parameters to Google Ad Manager. This request creates a livestream session.
  2. Google Ad Manager responds with a livestream session that includes a unique stream ID, ad metadata URL for polling, and a base media verification URL.
  3. The client application begins playing the content livestream and polls Google Ad Manager at regular intervals for upcoming ad event metadata.
  4. When an upcoming ad break is detected or scheduled, the client video player app retrieves an ad pod manifest URL and starts loading the ad pod.
    • If your manifest manipulator server inserts the ad pod manifest URLs in the ad markers, refer to your video player's guide on observing the ad break event.
    • If your client video player uses another mechanism to detect an upcoming ad break, follow the SGAI endpoint reference to construct the ad pod manifest URL on the client side.
  5. During the ad break, the client application switches from the content stream manifest to play the ad pod manifest.
  6. The client application listens to the ad video player for ID3 events, and computes the media verification URLs for activity pings.
  7. The client application sends activity pings to Google Ad Manager.
To get started with SGAI, see the following guide:
Livestream