This guide shows you how to use the Google Mobile Ads SDK to load and display ads from Chartboost using mediation, covering waterfall integrations. It covers how to add Chartboost to an ad unit's mediation configuration, and how to integrate the Chartboost SDK and adapter into a Unity app.
Supported integrations and ad formats
The AdMob mediation adapter for Chartboost has the following capabilities:
Integration | |
---|---|
Bidding | |
Waterfall | |
Formats | |
Banner | |
Interstitial | |
Rewarded |
Requirements
- Unity 4 or higher
- Latest Google Mobile Ads SDK
- To deploy on Android
- Android API level 21 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.
- Complete the mediation Get started guide
Step 1: Set up configurations in Chartboost UI
Sign up for a Chartboost account and log in once your account is verified. Click the + APP button on the left sidebar. Fill out the form and click Save to add your app to Chartboost. If your app supports both Android and iOS platforms, you need to add each of them separately.
Android
iOS
Then, in your Chartboost dashboard for your app, navigate to App Settings > Basic Settings to locate your App ID and App Signature.
Android
iOS
AdMob requires the Chartboost User ID and User Signature for setting up your AdMob ad unit ID. You can find these parameters on your Chartboost dashboard by navigating to Tools > API Explorer. Your User ID and User Signature are located under the Authentication section.
Turn on test mode
Test ads can be enabled for your app from Chartboost's dashboard under the App Settings > Basic Settings.
Android
iOS
Once test mode is enabled, you can request ads using the ad unit ID created earlier and receive a Chartboost test ad.
Step 2: Set up Chartboost demand in AdMob UI
Configure mediation settings for your ad unit
You need to add Chartboost to the mediation configuration for your ad unit. First sign in to your AdMob account.
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 Chartboost as an ad source.
To create a new mediation group, select Create Mediation Group.
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.
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.
Add Chartboost as an ad source
In the Ad Sources card, select Add Ad Network. Then select Chartboost.
Enable the Optimize switch. Enter your User ID and User Signature obtained in the previous section to set up ad source optimization for Chartboost. Then enter an eCPM value for Chartboost and click Continue.
If you already have a mapping for Chartboost, you can simply select it. Otherwise, click Add mapping.
Next, enter the App ID and the App Signature obtained in the previous section. Also, enter an Ad Location (e.g. "Game Over Screen") that uniquely identifies this placement in your app. Then click Done.
Chartboost Ad Locations (Named Locations) are simple names representing a place in your app where you want to show an ad. AdMob sends requests to the location specified in the settings. Once requests are sent, Chartboost will add the location to its dashboard for reporting purposes.
In the Chartboost dashboard, your Ad Locations can be revealed in the Basic Settings page by clicking Advanced Settings.
Finally, click Done to add Chartboost as an ad source, and then click Save.
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 Chartboost as an ad source.
To create a new mediation group, select Create Mediation Group.
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.
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.
Add Chartboost as an ad source
Enable the Optimize switch. Enter your User ID and User Signature obtained in the previous section to set up ad source optimization for Chartboost. Then enter an eCPM value for Chartboost and click Continue.
If you already have a mapping for Chartboost, you can simply select it. Otherwise, click Add mapping.
Next, enter the App ID and the App Signature obtained in the previous section. Also, enter an Ad Location (e.g. "Game Over Screen") that uniquely identifies this placement in your app. Then click Done.
Chartboost Ad Locations (Named Locations) are simple names representing a place in your app where you want to show an ad. AdMob sends requests to the location specified in the settings. Once requests are sent, Chartboost will add the location to its dashboard for reporting purposes.
In the Chartboost dashboard, your Ad Locations can be revealed in the Basic Settings page by clicking on Advanced Settings.
Finally, click Done to add Chartboost as an ad source, and click Save.
Add Chartboost to GDPR and US state regulations ad partners list
Follow the steps in GDPR settings and US state regulations settings to add Chartboost to the GDPR and US state regulations ad partners list in the AdMob UI.
Step 3: Import the Chartboost SDK and adapter
Download the latest version of Google Mobile Ads mediation plugin for Chartboost
from the download link in the
Changelog and extract
GoogleMobileAdsChartboostMediation.unitypackage
from the zip file.
In your Unity project editor, select Assets > Import Package >
Custom Package and find the GoogleMobileAdsChartboostMediation.unitypackage
file you downloaded. Make sure that all the files are selected and click
Import.
Then, select Assets > Play Services Resolver > Android Resolver >
Force Resolve. The Unity Play Services Resolver library will perform
dependency resolution from scratch and copy the declared dependencies into the
Assets/Plugins/Android
directory of your Unity app.
Step 4: Implement privacy settings on Chartboost SDK
EU Consent and GDPR
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 Chartboost version 3.1.0 includes the
Chartboost.AddDataUseConsent()
method. The following sample code sets data use
consent to NonBehavioral
. If you choose to call this method, it is recommended
that you do so prior to requesting ads via the Google Mobile Ads SDK.
using GoogleMobileAds.Api.Mediation.Chartboost;
// ...
Chartboost.AddDataUseConsent(CBGDPRDataUseConsent.NonBehavioral);
US states privacy laws
U.S. states privacy laws require giving users 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 U.S. states privacy laws compliance 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.
The Google Mobile Ads mediation plugin for Chartboost version 3.1.0 includes the
Chartboost.AddDataUseConsent()
method. The following sample code sets data use
consent to OptInSale
. If you choose to call this method, it is recommended
that you do so prior to requesting ads via the Google Mobile Ads SDK.
using GoogleMobileAds.Api.Mediation.Chartboost;
// ...
Chartboost.AddDataUseConsent(CBCCPADataUseConsent.OptInSale);
Step 5: Add required code
Android
No additional code is required for Chartboost integration.
iOS
SKAdNetwork integration
Follow Chartboost's
documentation
to add the SKAdNetwork identifiers to your project's Info.plist
file.
Step 6: Test your implementation
Enable test ads
Make sure you register your test device for AdMob and enable test mode in Chartboost UI.
Verify test ads
To verify that you are receiving test ads from Chartboost, enable single ad source testing in ad inspector using the Chartboost (Waterfall) ad source(s).
Step 7: Prepare app for production
After you are able to receive Chartboost test ads, your app will be placed on Chartboost's Publisher App Review. Once your app is approved, you can then create your Publishing Campaign to configure your app for live Chartboost ads.
Navigate to Monetization > Publishing Campaigns from the left-side menu and click Add a Campaign (or + Add Campaign at the top right corner of your dashboard if you already have other campaigns) and choose Network Publishing when prompted.
Android
iOS
Enter a Name for your publishing campaign. Select the Platform that your app supports. If your app supports both platforms, you need two Campaigns, one for each.
If your app has been approved by Chartboost, you'll be able to select your app and apply it to this campaign. Fill out the rest of the form and click Save to finish adding the campaign.
Android
iOS
Optional Steps
Android
Permissions
For optimal performance, Chartboost recommends adding the following optional
permissions to your app's AndroidManifest.xml
file:
<uses-permission android:name="android.permission.WRITE_EXTERNAL_STORAGE" />
<uses-permission android:name="android.permission.ACCESS_WIFI_STATE" />
<uses-permission android:name="android.permission.READ_PHONE_STATE" />
iOS
No additional steps are required for iOS integration.
Error codes
If the adapter fails to receive an ad from Chartboost,
publishers can check the underlying error from the ad response using
ResponseInfo
under the following classes:
Android
com.google.ads.mediation.chartboost.ChartboostAdapter
com.google.ads.mediation.chartboost.ChartboostMediationAdapter
iOS
GADMAdapterChartboost
GADMediationAdapterChartboost
Here are the codes and accompanying messages thrown by the Chartboost adapter when an ad fails to load:
Android
Error code | Reason |
---|---|
0-99 | Chartboost SDK returned an error. |
101 | The requested ad size does not match a Chartboost supported banner size. |
102 | Chartboost can only load 1 ad per location at a time. |
103 | Chartboost server parameters configured in the AdMob UI are missing/invalid. |
104 | The Chartboost interstitial or rewarded ad is not ready to be shown. |
iOS
Error code | Reason |
---|---|
101 | Chartboost server parameters configured in the AdMob UI are missing/invalid. |
102 | The Chartboost SDK returned an initialization error. |
103 | The Chartboost ad is not cached at show time. |
104 | The requested ad size does not match a Chartboost supported banner size. |
105 | Device's OS version is lower than Chartboost SDK's minimum supported OS version. |
200-299 | Chartboost SDK cache errors. See code for more details. |
300-399 | Chartboost SDK show errors. See code for more details. |
400-499 | Chartboost SDK click errors. See code for more details. |
Chartboost Unity Mediation Plugin Changelog
Version 4.4.0
- Supports Chartboost Android adapter version 9.5.0.0.
- Supports Chartboost iOS adapter version 9.5.1.0.
- Built and tested with the Google Mobile Ads Unity Plugin version 8.5.3.
Version 4.3.0
- Supports Chartboost Android adapter version 9.4.0.0.
- Supports Chartboost iOS adapter version 9.4.0.0.
- Built and tested with the Google Mobile Ads Unity Plugin version 8.5.0.
Version 4.2.0
- Supports Chartboost Android adapter version 9.3.0.0.
- Supports Chartboost iOS adapter version 9.3.0.0.
- Built and tested with the Google Mobile Ads Unity Plugin version 8.2.0.
Version 4.1.1
- Moved adapter content to
GoogleMobileAds/Mediation/Chartboost/
. - Refactored adapter namespace to use
GoogleMobileAds.Mediation.Chartboost
. - Supports Chartboost Android adapter version 9.2.1.1.
- Supports Chartboost iOS adapter version 9.2.0.0.
- Built and tested with the Google Mobile Ads Unity Plugin version 8.1.0.
Version 4.1.0
- Supports Chartboost Android adapter version 9.2.0.0.
- Supports Chartboost iOS adapter version 9.2.0.0.
- Built and tested with the Google Mobile Ads Unity Plugin version 7.4.1.
Version 4.0.0
- Supports Chartboost Android adapter version 9.1.1.0.
- Supports Chartboost iOS adapter version 9.1.0.0.
- Built and tested with the Google Mobile Ads Unity Plugin version 7.3.0.
Version 3.5.1
- Supports Chartboost Android adapter version 8.4.3.1.
- Supports Chartboost iOS adapter version 8.5.0.2.
- Built and tested with the Google Mobile Ads Unity Plugin version 7.0.2.
Version 3.5.0
- Supports Chartboost Android adapter version 8.4.2.0.
- Supports Chartboost iOS adapter version 8.5.0.2.
- Built and tested with the Google Mobile Ads Unity Plugin version 7.0.0.
Version 3.4.1
- Supports Chartboost Android adapter version 8.3.1.0.
- Supports Chartboost iOS adapter version 8.5.0.2.
- Built and tested with the Google Mobile Ads Unity Plugin version 7.0.0.
Version 3.4.0
- Supports Chartboost Android adapter version 8.3.0.0.
- Supports Chartboost iOS adapter version 8.5.0.1.0.
Version 3.3.1
- Supports Chartboost Android adapter version 8.2.1.0.
- Supports Chartboost iOS adapter version 8.4.1.1.
Version 3.3.0
- Supports Chartboost Android adapter version 8.2.0.0.
- Supports Chartboost iOS adapter version 8.4.0.0.
Version 3.2.0
- Supports Chartboost Android adapter version 8.1.0.0.
- Supports Chartboost iOS adapter version 8.3.1.0.
Version 3.1.0
- Removed
RestrictDataCollection()
method from theChartboost
class. - Added
AddDataUseConsent()
helper methods to pass GDPR and CCPA information to Chartboost. - Supports Chartboost Android adapter version 8.1.0.0.
- Supports Chartboost iOS adapter version 8.2.0.0.
Version 3.0.1
- Supports Chartboost Android adapter version 8.0.3.1.
- Supports Chartboost iOS adapter version 8.1.0.1.
Version 3.0.0
- Supports Chartboost Android adapter version 8.0.2.0.
- Supports Chartboost iOS adapter version 8.1.0.0.
Version 2.0.1
- Supports Chartboost Android adapter version 7.5.0.1.
- Supports Chartboost iOS adapter version 8.0.4.0.
Version 2.0.0
- Supports Chartboost Android adapter version 7.5.0.0.
- Supports Chartboost iOS adapter version 8.0.1.1.
Version 1.3.0
- Updated the plugin to support the new Rewarded API.
- Supports Chartboost Android adapter version 7.3.1.1.
- Supports Chartboost iOS adapter version 7.5.0.0.
Version 1.2.0
- Supports Chartboost Android adapter version 7.3.0.0.
- Supports Chartboost iOS adapter version 7.3.0.0.
Version 1.1.1
- Supports Chartboost Android adapter version 7.2.0.1.
- Supports Chartboost iOS adapter version 7.2.0.1.
Version 1.1.0
- Supports Chartboost Android SDK version 7.2.0.
- Supports Chartboost iOS SDK version 7.2.0.
- Added
Chartboost.RestrictDataCollection()
method to enable GDPR data collection restrictions for the Chartboost SDK.
Version 1.0.0
- First release!
- Supports Chartboost Android SDK version 7.0.1.
- Supports Chartboost iOS SDK version 7.1.2.