Ability to get at data from the VAST

Ronak Patel

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Jun 9, 2021, 3:58:22 PM6/9/21

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Hello,

We want to use the IMA SDK for our CSAI implementation with a VAST compliant backend on Android. We are facing a few challenges from your SDK however:

1. We need the ability to get the image url so we can render the image in the device lock screen and notification area. From what it looks like, IMA doesn't provide a way to do this. What is the recommended approach for this? I understand your SDK looks to be helpful, but by not exposing the raw data here, you're getting in the way...

2. Is there any way to get at the CompanionAd or any Extension data: https://iabtechlab.com/standards/vast/ that's embedded in VAST? We tried to doctor a VAST and look at: https://developers.google.com/interactive-media-ads/docs/sdks/android/client-side/api/reference/com/google/ads/interactivemedia/v3/api/AdEvent.html#getAdData() but this is coming back blank.

Can you please sure

Ronak

IMA SDK

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Jun 9, 2021, 4:24:57 PM6/9/21

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Hi Ronak,

Currently there's no way to get an image URL or other media assets from the VAST in our Client Side Android SDK. To bring your use case to render an ad image in the device lock screen and notification area up with my team we will ned the following:

Could you state in business terms what you are trying to accomplish?
Are you trying to serve ads on a lockscreen?
Are you attempting to serve this image as a companion ad?

Regards,

Aryeh Baker
IMA SDK Team

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Ronak Patel

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Jun 9, 2021, 4:35:29 PM6/9/21

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Hey Aryeh,

We are playing audio ads, no video. We are displaying an image to accompany the audio. Our VAST vends the image as a CompanionAd. We need a way to display this image on the lock screen.

Can you also please help with the other question about Extension data? How exactly do we get your SDK to return data in the https://developers.google.com/interactive-media-ads/docs/sdks/android/client-side/api/reference/com/google/ads/interactivemedia/v3/api/AdEvent.html#getAdData() call? Your docs are lacking here, and the source is closed....so would appreciate a better explanation on how this can work.

Ronak

Ronak Patel

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Jun 9, 2021, 9:20:52 PM6/9/21

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My question about using the Extension data is basically a workaround for your limitations on how we can read Companion metadata.

Outside of the image, we may need to embed instructions to the client to display buttons, that when tapped, follow a particular link. Although the spec says we can embed things like this as CompanionAds, your SDK prevents us from doing this.

Please advise.

IMA SDK

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Jun 10, 2021, 1:44:00 AM6/10/21

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Hi Ronak,

I work with Aryeh, allow me to assist you here.

You can use the getAdData() method once the Ad has been loaded. This allows extra data to be passed from the Ad. But this doesn't return the raw data you need (e.g image URL) to be displayed in your UI, so I don't think this would resolved your issue. Let me raise this one up to my team and talk through it if this is feasible. We will update you the soonest we get the team's findings.

Regards,

Michael Angelo Legaspi
IMA SDK Team

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Ronak Patel

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Jun 10, 2021, 10:51:48 AM6/10/21

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Hi Michael,

Thanks for getting back to me. Can you help me understand what exact data getAdData() returns? Do you just read all the tags in the VAST and return the raw data there?

Ronak

IMA SDK

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Jun 10, 2021, 3:46:49 PM6/10/21

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Hi Ronak,

Thank you for the response back. In looking over the thread, I see that our team has given us some feedback to pass a long to you. They suggested to look into using this method. Which would definitely help get the image URL out of the raw data of the VAST.

Regards,

William Pescherine
IMA SDK Team

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Ronak Patel

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Jun 11, 2021, 8:39:28 AM6/11/21

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Hi William,

Unfortunately that API doesn't work because we're not using DAI here. You always return null.

Can you please provide answers to the following questions at the utmost speed?

1. The getAdData() API, you always say that it returns extra data, but there is no definition of what is extra. Can you please clearly define what this API returns, and point to the exact tags out of the VAST that you return?

2. Since you have no way to get at the image data or any other data for that matter within the CompanionAd segment today, how hard is it for you to add this so we can read an image url, and sizes out of there?

3. In addition, as I mentioned above, we would like to send down instructions to the device to display a button with some text and a url to go to on click. Since it seems like you don't support this within the CompanionAd segment, we will send it through as part of the Extension tags....but do you support reading these tags and expose it to us?

4. If required, I am happy to jump on a call to clear this up with you to explain our use cases, and understand how you can help, and the timeline for that.

Thanks,

Ronak

IMA SDK

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Jun 11, 2021, 2:05:55 PM6/11/21

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Hi Ronak,

Did you try William's suggestion? This is a client side method.

Ad Data that currently you can get is described here.

Your request for a way to click the companion was sent to my team and you may monitor our release notes for an update.

This support channel can only help via emails.

Feel free to ad other suggestions with business use cases.

Regards,

Aryeh Baker
IMA SDK Team

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IMA SDK

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Jun 11, 2021, 3:00:27 PM6/11/21

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Hi Ronak,

My team would like to know can you share privately a vast tag url that has the type of extension tag you are looking to ready through IMA?

Ronak Patel

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Jun 11, 2021, 4:34:33 PM6/11/21

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Hi,

Yes we tried William's suggestion, and as your docs mention, you return null.

Ronak

IMA SDK

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Jun 14, 2021, 1:13:47 AM6/14/21

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Hi Ronak,

I believe there is not a way for IMA to read these type of instructions from the VAST extension tags. That is why we have raised this issue to our team as a Feature request to see if this is feasible.

To get a better idea, can you please share a vast tag url that has the type of extension tag you are looking to ready through IMA? Please send the private information here in our alias imate...@gmail.com

Once sent, please inform us.

Regards,

Michael Angelo Legaspi
IMA SDK Team

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Ronak Patel

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Jun 14, 2021, 9:52:59 AM6/14/21

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Hey Michael,

Yes, I'm working on getting that to you. But can you please let us know the answer to the question we asked earlier?

The getAdData() API, you always say that it returns extra data, but there is no definition of what is extra. Can you please clearly define what this API returns, and point to the exact tags out of the VAST that you return?

Why is Google reluctant to answer this basic question?

Ronak

IMA SDK

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Jun 14, 2021, 12:48:01 PM6/14/21

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Hi Ronak,

Thank you for the response back. I want you to know that I have brought your concerns to the team and we are looking further into this so as to better be able to assist you. One of the other suggests that has been mentioned to us is that you should be able to pull some of the data that you requested from the Companion ad. As this has access to the URL that i used from clicking on the companion as well as many other calls to pull data, and does not require DAI.

Regards,

William Pescherine
IMA SDK Team

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Ronak Patel

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Jun 17, 2021, 2:17:48 PM6/17/21

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Hi William,

I confirmed again with my dev team that we're only getting nulls back for the CompanionAd URL.

Here's the code we have on Android that we use to load VAST:

"
AdsRequest request = sdkFactory.createAdsRequest();
request.setAdTagUrl("fake_url");

// The ContentProgressProvider is only needed for scheduling ads with VMAP ad requests
request.setContentProgressProvider(
new ContentProgressProvider() {
@Override
public VideoProgressUpdate getContentProgress() {
return new VideoProgressUpdate(exoPlayer.getCurrentPosition(), exoPlayer.getDuration());
}
});
request.setAdsResponse(response);
adsLoader.requestAds(request);"

Here's the sample VAST we've used for this test:

"

</TrackingEvents>

</MediaFiles>

</Linear>

</Creative>

</StaticResource>

</Companion>

</CompanionAds>

</Creative>

</Creatives>

</InLine>

</Ad>

</VAST>

Ronak Patel

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Jun 17, 2021, 3:57:57 PM6/17/21

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Can you please try out this VAST on your end with the latest version of your Android SDK? We see you guys returning null to us for the CompanionAd URL field.

IMA SDK

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Jun 17, 2021, 4:10:51 PM6/17/21

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Hi Ronam,

I brought your VAST response to my team. You are correct that only on DAI do you have access to the Companion ad. We are considering your request and you may monitor our release notes for an update.

Regards,

Aryeh Baker
IMA SDK Team

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Ronak Patel

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Jun 17, 2021, 4:20:27 PM6/17/21

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Thanks, Do you have a date in mind when this would be available? We are currently blocked on this issue...and have a strict timeline when we need to launch.

If required, I'm happy to talk via email to relay the priority of this.

Also FYI, I will send you a separate VAST/communication on the CTA issue I talked about above.

Interactive Media Ads SDK

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Jun 18, 2021, 1:40:24 AM6/18/21

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Reposting the last inquiry (https://groups.google.com/g/ima-sdk/c/hG_wXJ1WujA) from the forum as it wasn't routed to our support queue.

Regards,

Michael Angelo Legaspi

IMA SDK Team

IMA SDK

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Jun 18, 2021, 5:47:28 AM6/18/21

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Hi Ronam,

I'm afraid we cannot give an ETA when this would be available, as this is still being reviewed. We will update you the soonest our team share their feedbacks.

Please confirm once you sent another VAST to our alias imate...@gmail.com

Regards,

Michael Angelo Legaspi
IMA SDK Team

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Ronak Patel

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Jun 18, 2021, 4:10:36 PM6/18/21

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Hi,

I've just sent you an email with the sample VAST after confirming with my service teams. I've emailed you from my official email address, instead of GMail.

Thanks

Message has been deleted

IMA SDK

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Sep 16, 2021, 9:25:52 PM9/16/21

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Hi Ronak,

Thank you for your patience here.

I've connected with the team on this case, and at this time, the feature request is still under development. In the meantime, you may keep an eye on our blog and release notes regarding this.

Regards,

Teejay Wennie Pimentel
IMA SDK Team

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