Integrate AdColony with Mediation

This guide shows you how to use the Google Mobile Ads SDK to load and display ads from AdColony using mediation, covering both bidding and waterfall integrations. It covers how to add AdColony to an ad unit's mediation configuration, and how to integrate the AdColony SDK and adapter into a Unity app.

Supported integrations and ad formats

The AdMob mediation adapter for AdColony has the following capabilities:

Integration
Bidding
Waterfall
Formats
Banner
Interstitial
Rewarded

Requirements

  • Unity 5.6 or higher
  • Latest Google Mobile Ads SDK
  • [For bidding]: Google Mobile Ads mediation plugin for AdColony 1.0.5 or higher (latest version recommended)
  • To deploy on Android
    • Android API level 19 or higher
  • To deploy on iOS
    • iOS deployment target of 11.0 or higher
  • A working Unity project configured with Google Mobile Ads SDK. See Get Started for details.

Step 1: Set up AdColony

Sign up or log in to your AdColony account. Add your app to the AdColony publisher dashboard by clicking the Setup New App button.

If your app supports both Android and iOS platforms, you need to set up each one of them separately.

AdColony setup new app

Fill out the form and click Create at the bottom of the page to add your app to AdColony.

Android

AdColony create app

iOS

AdColony create app

Once your app is created you can obtain your App ID by navigating to Monetization > Apps under your app's Basic App Information section.

Android

AdColony app id

iOS

AdColony app id

Next, create a new Ad Zone to be used with AdMob mediation. We recommend creating a new Ad Zone for mediation with AdMob even if you already have one. To create a new Ad Zone click the Setup New Ad Zone button in the Ad Zones section of your app's page.

Android

AdColony setup zone

iOS

AdColony setup zone

For additional instructions on creating an ad placement, select the tab corresponding to your preferred ad format.

  1. Set Zone is Active? to Yes.

  2. Enter a Name for your Ad Zone.

  3. Choose Banner as the Ad Zone Size.

  4. Enter a value for the Daily play cap.

Interstitial

  1. Set Zone is Active? to Yes.

  2. Enter a Name for your Ad Zone.

  3. Choose Preroll/Interstitial as the Zone Type.

  4. Enter a value for the Daily play cap.

Rewarded

  1. Set Zone is Active? to Yes.

  2. Enter a Name for your Ad Zone.

  3. Choose Value Exchange/V4VC as the Zone Type.

  4. Set Client Side Only? to Yes and enter a Virtual Currency Name, Daily Max Videos per User and Reward Amount.

  5. Enter a value for the Daily play cap.

When finished, click the Create button to create the Ad Zone.

Once the Ad Zone is created, you can locate your Zone ID under the Integration section of the Ad Zone. The Zone ID will be used in the next step.

AdColony zone id

[Waterfall only] Locate your AdColony API Key

For waterfall only, you will need your AdColony API Key for setting up your AdMob ad unit ID. Navigate to Account Settings in your AdColony publisher dashboard to locate your API Key.

AdColony settings

Step 2: Configure mediation settings for your AdMob ad unit

You need to add AdColony to the mediation configuration for your ad unit. First sign in to the AdMob UI.

If you're deploying your Unity app to both Android and iOS, you need two AdMob ad units, one for each platform.

Android

Navigate to the Mediation tab. If you have an existing mediation group you'd like to modify, click the name of that mediation group to edit it, and skip ahead to Add AdColony as an ad source.

To create a new mediation group, select Create Mediation Group.

AdMob mediation tab

Enter your ad format and platform, then click Continue.

Give your mediation group a name, and select locations to target. Next, set the mediation group status to Enabled. Then click Add Ad Units, which will open up the ad unit selection overlay.

New mediation group 2

Associate this mediation group with your existing AdMob ad unit. Then click Done.

You should now see the ad units card populated with the ad units you selected.

Mediation group ad units

Add AdColony as an ad source

Bidding

Under the Bidding card in the Ad Sources section, select Add Ad Source. Then select AdColony.

Click How to sign a partnership agreement and set up a bidding partnership with AdColony.

Click Acknowledge & agree, then click Continue.

If you already have a mapping for AdColony, you can simply select it. Otherwise, click Add mapping.

Next, enter a Mapping name, the App ID and the Zone ID obtained in the previous section. Then click Done.

Waterfall

Under the Waterfall card in the Ad Sources section, select Add Ad Source. Then select AdColony.

Enable the Optimize switch. Enter your API Key obtained in the previous section to set up ad source optimization for AdColony. Then enter an eCPM value for AdColony and click Continue.

If you already have a mapping for AdColony, you can simply select it. Otherwise, click Add mapping.

Next, enter a Mapping name, App ID and Zone ID obtained in the previous section. Then click Done.

iOS

Navigate to the Mediation tab. If you have an existing mediation group you'd like to modify, click the name of that mediation group to edit it, and skip ahead to Add AdColony as an ad source.

To create a new mediation group, select Create Mediation Group.

AdMob mediation tab

Enter your ad format and platform, then click Continue.

New mediation group 2

Give your mediation group a name, and select locations to target. Next, set the mediation group status to Enabled. Then click Add Ad Units, which will open up the ad unit selection overlay.

New mediation group 2

Associate this mediation group with your existing AdMob ad unit. Then click Done.

You should now see the ad units card populated with the ad units you selected.

Mediation group ad units

Add AdColony as an ad source

Bidding

Under the Bidding card in the Ad Sources section, select Add Ad Source. Then select AdColony.

Click How to sign a partnership agreement and set up a bidding partnership with AdColony.

Click Acknowledge & agree, then click Continue.

If you already have a mapping for AdColony, you can simply select it. Otherwise, click Add mapping.

Next, enter a Mapping name, the App ID and the Zone ID obtained in the previous section. Then click Done.

Waterfall

Under the Waterfall card in the Ad Sources section, select Add Ad Source. Then select AdColony.

Enable the Optimize switch. Enter your API Key obtained in the previous section to set up ad source optimization for AdColony. Then enter an eCPM value for AdColony and click Continue.

If you already have a mapping for AdColony, you can simply select it. Otherwise, click Add mapping.

Next, enter a Mapping name, App ID and Zone ID obtained in the previous section. Then click Done.

Rewarded ads

In the settings for your rewarded ad unit, check the Apply to all networks in Mediation groups box so that you provide the same reward to the user no matter which ad network is served (recommended approach).

Mediation override reward

If you don't check this setting, the AdColony adapter passes back the reward specified in the AdColony dashboard.

For more information on setting reward values for AdMob ad units, see Create an ad unit.

Step 3: Import the AdColony SDK and adapter

Download the latest version of Google Mobile Ads mediation plugin for AdColony from the download link in the Changelog and extract the GoogleMobileAdsAdColonyMediation.unitypackage from the zip file.

In your Unity project editor, select Assets > Import Package > Custom Package and find the GoogleMobileAdsAdColonyMediation.unitypackage file you downloaded. Make sure all the files are selected and click Import.

Then, select Assets > Play Services Resolver > Android Resolver > Force Resolve. The External Dependency Manager library will perform dependency resolution from scratch and copy the declared dependencies into the Assets/Plugins/Android directory of your Unity app.

Step 4: Additional code required

No additional code is required for AdColony integration.

Step 5: Test your implementation

To enable test ads on AdColony, go to your AdColony dashboard and navigate to Monetization > Apps. Select the Zone for which you would like to enable test ads under the Ad Zones section of your app. Test ads can be enabled by checking Yes to Show test ads only? under the Development section.

AdColony test

Optional steps

Android

Permissions

For optimal performance, AdColony recommends adding the following optional permissions into the AndroidManifest.xml file located under the Assets/Plugins/Android/GoogleMobileAdsPlugin directory of your Unity project.

<uses-permission android:name="android.permission.WRITE_EXTERNAL_STORAGE" />
<uses-permission android:name="android.permission.VIBRATE" />

iOS

No additional steps are required for iOS integration.

Network-specific parameters

The AdColony mediation package supports additional configuration and request parameters, which can be passed to the adapter using the AdColonyMediationExtras and AdColonyAppOptions classes.

The AdColonyMediationExtras class includes the following methods:

SetShowPrePopup(bool)
Sets whether or not to show a popup before showing an ad. Set to false if you don't want to show a popup before ads display.
SetShowPostPopup(bool)
Sets whether or not to show a popup after showing an ad. Set to false if you don't want to show a popup after ads display.

The AdColonyAppOptions class includes the following methods:

SetUserId(string)
Sets the User ID for the AdColony SDK that provides further analytics to the AdColony Ad Server.
SetTestMode(bool)
Sets whether or not to enable test mode for the AdColony SDK.

Here's a code example of how to set these configurations and ad request parameters:

// Set app-level configurations
AdColonyAppOptions.SetUserId("myUser");
AdColonyAppOptions.SetTestMode(true);

// Set ad request parameters
AdColonyMediationExtras extras = new AdColonyMediationExtras();
extras.SetShowPrePopup(true);
extras.SetShowPostPopup(true);

AdRequest request = new AdRequest.Builder()
        .AddMediationExtras(extras)
        .Build();

Under the Google EU User Consent Policy, you must ensure that certain disclosures are given to, and consents obtained from, users in the European Economic Area (EEA) regarding the use of device identifiers and personal data. This policy reflects the requirements of the EU ePrivacy Directive and the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). When seeking consent, you must identify each ad network in your mediation chain that may collect, receive, or use personal data and provide information about each network's use. Google currently is unable to pass the user's consent choice to such networks automatically.

The Google Mobile Ads mediation plugin for AdColony version 2.6.1 added the AdColonyAppOptions class with the SetPrivacyFrameworkRequired() and SetPrivacyConsentString() methods, to let you to pass consent to the AdColony SDK. The following sample code demonstrates how to pass consent information to the AdColony adapter, which are then used in AdColony’s initialization method. These options must be set before you initialize the Google Mobile Ads SDK to ensure they get forwarded properly to AdColony's SDK.

using GoogleMobileAds.Api.Mediation.AdColony;
// ...

AdColonyAppOptions.SetPrivacyFrameworkRequired(AdColonyPrivacyFramework.GDPR, true);
AdColonyAppOptions.SetPrivacyConsentString(AdColonyPrivacyFramework.GDPR, "myPrivacyConsentString");

See AdColony's Consumer Privacy article and Privacy Laws implementation guide for more details and the values that can be provided in the method.

Add AdColony to GDPR ad partners list

Follow the steps in GDPR settings to add AdColony to the GDPR ad partners list in the AdMob UI.

CCPA

The California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) requires giving California state residents the right to opt out of the "sale" of their "personal information" (as the law defines those terms), with the opt-out offered via a prominent "Do Not Sell My Personal Information" link on the "selling" party's homepage. The CCPA preparation guide offers the ability to enable restricted data processing for Google ad serving, but Google is unable to apply this setting to each ad network in your mediation chain. Therefore, you must identify each ad network in your mediation chain that may participate in the sale of personal information and follow guidance from each of those networks to ensure compliance with CCPA.

The Google Mobile Ads mediation plugin for AdColony version 2.6.1 added the AdColonyAppOptions class with the SetPrivacyFrameworkRequired() and SetPrivacyConsentString() methods, to let you to pass consent to the AdColony SDK. The following sample code demonstrates how to pass consent information to the AdColony adapter, which are then used in AdColony’s initialization method. These options must be set before you initialize the Google Mobile Ads SDK to ensure they get forwarded properly to AdColony's SDK.

using GoogleMobileAds.Api.Mediation.AdColony;
// ...

AdColonyAppOptions.SetPrivacyFrameworkRequired(AdColonyPrivacyFramework.CCPA, true);
AdColonyAppOptions.SetPrivacyConsentString(AdColonyPrivacyFramework.CCPA, "myPrivacyConsentString");

See AdColony's Consumer Privacy article and Privacy Laws implementation guide for more details and the values that can be provided in the method.

Add AdColony to CCPA ad partners list

Follow the steps in CCPA settings to add AdColony to the CCPA ad partners list in the AdMob UI.

Error codes

If the adapter fails to receive an ad from AdColony, publishers can check the underlying error from the ad response using ResponseInfo under the following classes:

Android

com.jirbo.adcolony.AdColonyAdapter
com.google.ads.mediation.adcolony.AdColonyMediationAdapter

iOS

GADMAdapterAdColony
GADMediationAdapterAdColony

Here are the codes and accompanying messages thrown by the AdColony adapter when an ad fails to load:

Android

Error code Reason
100 The AdColony SDK returned an error.
101 Invalid server parameters (e.g. missing Zone ID).
102 An ad was already requested for the same Zone ID.
103 The AdColony SDK returned an initialization error.
104 The requested banner size does not map to a valid AdColony ad size.
105 Presentation error due to ad not loaded.
106 Context used to initialize the AdColony SDK was not an Activity instance.

iOS

Error code Reason
0 - 3 AdColony SDK returned an error. See documentation for more details.
101 Invalid server parameters (e.g. missing Zone ID).
102 Root view controller presenting the ad is nil.
103 The AdColony SDK returned an initialization error.
104 The AdColony SDK does not support being configured twice within a five second period.
105 Failed to show ad.
106 Zone used for rewarded is not a rewarded zone on AdColony portal.

AdColony Unity Mediation Plugin Changelog

Version 2.6.2

Version 2.6.1

  • Updated the privacy APIs from the AdColonyAppOptions class to the following methods to support GDPR and CCPA:
    • SetGDPRRequired(bool) -> SetPrivacyFrameworkRequired(AdColonyPrivacyFramework, bool)
    • IsGDPRRequired() -> GetPrivacyFrameworkRequired(AdColonyPrivacyFramework)
    • SetGDPRConsentString(string)-> SetPrivacyConsentString(AdColonyPrivacyFramework, string)
    • GetGDPRConsentString() -> GetPrivacyConsentString(AdColonyPrivacyFramework)
  • Supports AdColony Android adapter version 4.8.0.1.
  • Supports AdColony iOS adapter version 4.9.0.2.
  • Built and tested with the Google Mobile Ads Unity Plugin version 7.4.1.

Version 2.6.0

Version 2.5.0

Version 2.4.1

Version 2.4.0

Version 2.3.0

Version 2.2.0

Version 2.1.0

Version 2.0.3

Version 2.0.2

Version 2.0.1

Version 2.0.0

Version 1.0.6

Version 1.0.5

  • Moved the following methods from the AdColonyMediationExtras Builder class to the AdColonyAppOptions class:
    • SetGDPRRequired()
    • SetGDPRConsentString()
    • SetUserId()
    • SetTestMode()
  • Added the following methods to the AdColonyAppOptions class:
    • IsGDPRRequired()
    • GetGDPRConsentString()
    • GetUserId()
    • IsTestMode()
  • Removed the SetZoneId() method from the AdColonyMediationExtras Builder class.
  • Supports AdColony Android adapter version 3.3.10.1.
  • Supports AdColony iOS adapter version 3.3.7.2.

Version 1.0.4

  • Updated the plugin to support the new open-beta Rewarded API.
  • Supports AdColony Android adapter version 3.3.8.1.
  • Supports AdColony iOS adapter version 3.3.6.1.

Version 1.0.3

  • Supports AdColony Android adapter version 3.3.5.1.
  • Supports AdColony iOS adapter version 3.3.5.0.

Version 1.0.2

  • Supports AdColony Android SDK version 3.3.4.
  • Supports AdColony iOS SDK version 3.3.4.
  • SetTestMode() from the AdColonyMediationExtras Builder class is now ignored for Android. Publishers can now request test ads from AdColony for Android by specifying a test device via AddTestDevice() from the AdRequest Builder class.
  • Added the following methods to the AdColonyMediationExtras Builder class:
    • SetGDPRRequired()
    • SetGDPRConsentString()

Version 1.0.1

  • Supports AdColony Android SDK version 3.3.0-unity.
  • Supports AdColony iOS SDK version 3.3.0.

Version 1.0.0

  • First release!
  • Supports AdColony Android SDK version 3.3.0.
  • Supports AdColony iOS SDK version 3.3.0.