IMA SDK for html doesn't update correlator after destroying AdsManager

[Dario Nahuel Rodriguez]

Hi there

I'm trying to update the correlator value on each request. I used the adsLoader.contentComplete and adsManager.destroy functions before the ad request but I still see the same correlator.

Does anyone have some idea which could be the problem?

thanks

[IMA SDK]

Hi Dario,

Thank you for your message. Could you please try the following steps and let me know if this would work for you?

• Once content ends, load the new content URL.
• Make a new ad request (can use same ad-tag)
• call 'adsLoader.contentComplete();
• Once the ad request has resolved, content can play. (If you do not wait at this step, the preroll may not load in time to be played before the content.).

Regards,

Sherwin Diesta IMA SDK Team

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[Dario Nahuel Rodriguez]

Hi

Thanks for the answer.I tried those steps but it didn't work, I know the contentComplete function should reset the correlator but the SDK still use the same correlator for each request, it's soo weird.

Regards

[IMA SDK]

Hi Dario,

I work with Sherwin and will assist you. I modified the Ads.prototype.onAllAdsCompleted_  function Advanced Sample in the Ads.js file -to look like this:

Ads.prototype.onAllAdsCompleted_ = function(){
this.adsLoader_.contentComplete();
this.adsManager_.destroy();
// this.adsLoader_.destroy();
// this.adsLoader_ = new google.ima.AdsLoader(this.adDisplayContainer_);
this.requestAds(this.adset_);
}

this.adset_ is the adtag set in the tag text box. The result was the correlator didn't change. When I uncommented the other lines the correlator also didn't change. Note that adsLoader's contentComplete() has been deprecated. Let me bring this up with my team. We will get back to you as soon as possible.

Regards,

Aryeh Baker IMA SDK Team

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[Dario Nahuel Rodriguez]

Hey

Thanks for the details, I appreciate it 

[Dario Nahuel Rodriguez]

Morning

I hope you are well, I want to ask if there is any new about it?

thanks

[IMA SDK]

Hi Dario,

We are actively working on it. I relayed your request to my team and will get back to you as soon as possible.

[Dario Nahuel Rodriguez]

thanks for the update

[IMA SDK]

Hi Dario,

Could you supply us with an example app based on one of our samples which demonstrates how you are calling the correct functions but the correlator doesn't change so we can address your use case?

[Dario Nahuel Rodriguez]

Hi

here the example with my changes https://darionahuel.github.io/google-ima-playlist-sample/

repo: https://github.com/DarioNahuel/google-ima-playlist-sample

where I did the changes https://github.com/DarioNahuel/google-ima-playlist-sample/blob/master/ads.js#L45

let me know if you need anything else from my side. 

thanks

[IMA SDK]

Hi Dario,

Thank you for the samples. I work along with Aryeh and will be assisting you today. I was able to look over the sample that you sent us and saw that the correlator did not change as the ad changed. With that in mind I have passed this along to our team so as to allow them to also look at it more. Once we have some feedback we will pass this along to you. Also here are 2 sample of things that might help to resolve this for you that we have been suggested to us, sample 1 , samplke 2 .

Regards,

William Pescherine IMA SDK Team

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[Dario Nahuel Rodriguez]

Hey

Thanks for the update, I will take a look at the samples

[IMA SDK]

Hi Dario,

Could the 'scor' parameter (description here ) which does change be enough to make your creatives re-eligible for the next clip? If not, could you elaborate on what you need?

[Dario Nahuel Rodriguez]

Hey

The problem I have is the correlator value is not being reset, so the same value is being used when someone re-watches a video in the same session. I will check how works the scor parameter with the competitive exclusions

[IMA SDK]

Hi Dario,

Thank you for responding back to us. I have been looking more into this for you and also found this article . While it is a little older, I think it might also offer a bit of insight into what could be causing the issue. Which I would say to just consider while testing out on your end also.

Regards,

William Pescherine IMA SDK Team

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[IMA SDK]

Hi Dario,

My team circled back and would like to know, does using the 'scor' parameter effectively solve your issue?

[Dario Nahuel Rodriguez]

Hey

I put some information about my current issue when the user re-watches a video in the same session, it appears the same ad on the page view.

The 'scor' parameter did not solve this issue, I did a test with the same video, and the 'scor' change but still showing the same ad

correlator: 1951627186241576

scor: 645922439615913

correlator: 1951627186241576

scor: 4162754646954934

correlator: 1951627186241576

scor: 4235408875032408

so do you have any idea how can we solve my issue with another workaround?

Regards

[IMA SDK]

Hi Dario,

Thank you for the feedback. It looks like you want new content to display an ad that was run for old content, but replaying content should have a new ad. I relayed this to my team. We will get back to you as soon as possible.

[IMA SDK]

Hi Dario,

My team wants to know the following:

1. Could you clarify when you want the user to not see ads he has seen already?
2. Are there scenarios that or ok for the user to see the same ad that was already been seen on the page?
3. Could you walk us through all scenarios in our Sample apps to get a better picture of what you are trying to accomplish?

[Dario Nahuel Rodriguez]

Hey

1 - so the case is, when the video starts, it shows ads, so when the video finishes, the user can rewatch the same video, and in this case,  the user should see new ads and not the previous one.
2 - it would be great to not have repeat ads in the page view session
3 - I will check them. After that, I'll posted here if I find something useful for my case.

[IMA SDK]

Hi Dario,

Thank you for confirming you prefer no repeat ads in same correlator session. I brought your request to my team and they are looking forward to seeing your use cases in the samples with steps to take.

[Maverick Chacón]

Hi,

Just following up to see if there are any updates regarding the correlator behavior in the IMA HTML5 SDK.

We're still observing that new ad requests reuse the same correlator, even after calling both adsManager.destroy() and adsLoader.contentComplete(). This is causing repeated ads, incorrect targeting, and ineffective competitive exclusion—especially in cases like replaying a video or loading a new video in a playlist.

[Maverick Chacón]

Hi, 

Yes, issue could be replicated in the playlist sample from IMA SDK github. See it here https://mdtp-a.akamaihd.net/sandbox/playlist/ 

On Mon, Jun 23, 2025 at 12:30 AM IMA SDK <ima...@forumsupport.google> wrote:

Hi, 

Thank you for contacting the IMA SDK Support team.

Could you confirm whether the mentioned issue is reproducible in our Sample apps?

Thanks,
 

IMA SDK Team

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[2025-06-23 06:30:52Z GMT] This message is in relation to case "ref:!00D1U01174p.!5004Q0275BoF:ref" (ADR-00050418)

[IMA SDK]

Hi,

Thank you for confirming that the issue is replicating in IMA SDK github.

Based on the correlator documentation my understanding is that the correlator value should remain the same for the same page view. Based on that I believe the correlator value remaining the same is correct. If it is important to get a new value, I recommend taking steps to make a new ad request when the new correlator value is needed. 

Since you have stated that the new ad requests reuse the same correlator, may I please know the business use case for doing so. 

In the thread I can see that you would get back to us for this query: Could you walk us through all scenarios in our Sample apps to get a better picture of what you are trying to accomplish?

Also, I ran the advancedExample and I can see the correlator value is changing when called adsLoader.contentComplete(). We would require a sample project reproducing the issue along with the VAST tag URL so that we can check in the Google sample apps and VSI tool  to find the root cause and may provide the solution.

You can provide the following details via reply privately to the author option or below link.

If the file(s) you are looking to share are less than 25mb in total you can attach them to this case on your next reply. If you are having trouble attaching your file to this case or if your file(s) are larger than 25mb, you can share your files with me by performing the following steps:

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Thanks,
 

IMA SDK Team

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[2025-06-24 00:01:39Z GMT] This message is in relation to case "ref:!00D1U01174p.!5004Q0275BoF:ref" (ADR-00050418)

[IMA SDK]

Hi,

In order to make progress on this issue, please provide the sample project in which the issue is reproducible as requested earlier so that we can check your implementation to find the root cause of the issue and may provide the solution. 

You can provide the following details via reply privately to the author option or below link.

If the file(s) you are looking to share are less than 25mb in total you can attach them to this case on your next reply. If you are having trouble attaching your file to this case or if your file(s) are larger than 25mb, you can share your files with me by performing the following steps:

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3. Please reply back on this thread when you have uploaded your file(s). Please do not share this link.

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IMA SDK Team

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[2025-06-24 23:19:49Z GMT] This message is in relation to case "ref:!00D1U01174p.!5004Q0275BoF:ref" (ADR-00050418)

[IMA SDK]

Hi,

Thank you for getting back to us.

Please note that we didn’t receive the files which you have shared. Could you kindly reshare the files using the link below. . 

If the file(s) you are looking to share are less than 25mb in total you can attach them to this case on your next reply. If you are having trouble attaching your file to this case or if your file(s) are larger than 25mb, you can share your files via reply to author option or by performing the following steps:

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3. Please reply to this thread when you have uploaded your file(s). Please do not share this link.

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[2025-06-25 05:43:00Z GMT] This message is in relation to case "ref:!00D1U01174p.!5004Q0275BoF:ref" (ADR-00050418)

[IMA SDK]

Hi,

We've reproduced the issue where the correlator value remains the same even after destroying the AdManager. I will check this issue with the broader team and will update you as soon as I hear back. Meanwhile, your patience is important.

Thanks,
 

IMA SDK Team

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[2025-06-25 18:00:11Z GMT] This message is in relation to case "ref:!00D1U01174p.!5004Q0275BoF:ref" (ADR-00050418)

[IMA SDK]

Hi,

The expected behavior is, for the same page view, the correlator value remains the same, and scor value changes for new IMA sessions (calling contentComplete() and adsManager.destroy()). The correlator value should remain constant for the case the publisher is describing.

Can you explain the need for a different correlator value, or what issue having the same correlator value? 

Thanks,
 

IMA SDK Team

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[2025-06-30 14:07:57Z GMT] This message is in relation to case "ref:!00D1U01174p.!5004Q0275BoF:ref" (ADR-00050418)

[Maverick Chacón]

Thanks,
In our case, users can select and play multiple videos on the same page without reloading. For each video change, we destroy the AdsManager, call contentComplete(), and make a new ad request.

However, since the correlator stays the same, we often see the same ads repeated or targeting inconsistencies. This impacts the user experience and limits ad diversity across video views.

We’re looking for a way to force a new correlator per ad request—either via the IMA SDK or a supported manual method—so each video playback is treated as a separate ad session, similar to how it would behave on a new pageview.

Is there any workaround or setting we could apply to achieve this?

[IMA SDK]

Hi,

Thank you for providing the business logic.

I will check with our team about this and one of my team members will reach out to you once we have an update. Meanwhile, I would appreciate your patience.

Thanks,
 

IMA SDK Team

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[2025-07-02 23:48:01Z GMT] This message is in relation to case "ref:!00D1U01174p.!5004Q0275BoF:ref" (ADR-00050418)

[IMA SDK]

Hi,

The scor parameter should change for each different video playback, while the correlator should remain constant for the page view. Because if the scor value changes, the same ad may display again. 

To prevent repeated ads, a frequency cap can be configured at  line item level, but modifying either the scor or correlator will still allow the same ad to show. Based on our review SDK is functioning correctly. As next steps, I would recommend you to reach out to your Google Ads Manager account representative for further guidance.

Thanks,
 

IMA SDK Team

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[2025-08-13 17:57:52Z GMT] This message is in relation to case "ref:!00D1U01174p.!5004Q0275BoF:ref" (ADR-00050418)