Skip to main content

Features Overview

Comprehensive guides to OpenAdServe's publisher-first features. This section covers everything from real-time analytics to machine learning optimization, inventory forecasting, and programmatic integration.

Analytics & Reporting​

Real-time campaign performance tracking and optimization.

  • Analytics - ClickHouse integration for real-time reporting

    • Event tracking: impressions, clicks, ad requests, custom events
    • Registered dimensions for optimized queries
    • Campaign reporting CLI tool
    • Grafana dashboard integration
    • Query performance comparison (indexed vs JSON extraction)

  • CTR Optimization - Machine learning for CPC campaigns

    • Bayesian CTR estimation for new campaigns
    • Historical performance learning
    • eCPM boost for competitive ranking
    • Configurable baseline CTR and smoothing weights

Inventory Management​

Advanced forecasting and budget delivery features.

  • Forecasting - Inventory availability prediction (Beta)

    • Bid-aware conflict detection attempts
    • Priority-based preemption modeling
    • Historical traffic pattern analysis (30-day lookback)
    • Multi-budget type support (CPM/CPC)
    • Configurable eCPM conflict threshold
    • Opportunity-based analysis (includes unfilled requests)
    • Note: Algorithm needs revision - use as rough estimates only

  • Synthetic Data - Test data generation for development

    • Fake campaign, line item, and creative data
    • Traffic simulator for load testing
    • Realistic targeting and budget scenarios
    • Quick demo environment setup

Engagement & Tracking​

Flexible event tracking and click URL customization.

  • Events - Custom event tracking beyond clicks

    • Server-to-server event recording
    • Custom event types and metadata
    • ClickHouse storage for analytics
    • Event querying and reporting

  • Click URLs - Customizable click-through URLs

    • Macro substitution for dynamic values
    • Advertiser click tracking integration
    • Landing page URL configuration
    • Signed token validation

Programmatic Integration​

Connect to programmatic demand sources.

  • Programmatic - Header bidding and RTB integration
    • OpenRTB-compatible bid requests
    • Programmatic line item configuration
    • Bid response parsing and validation
    • eCPM normalization for competitive ranking
    • Timeout handling and fallback logic

Feature Maturity​

FeatureStatusProduction ReadyNotes
AnalyticsStableYesClickHouse integration tested at scale
CTR OptimizationStableYesBayesian estimation with proven accuracy
ForecastingBetaNoAlgorithm needs revision - use as rough estimates
EventsStableYesFlexible custom event tracking
Click URLsStableYesMacro substitution and validation
ProgrammaticBetaYesOpenRTB compatible, limited DSP testing
Synthetic DataDev ToolNoInternal testing and demo purposes only

Feature Dependencies​

Understanding how features interact with core systems.

Analytics Dependencies​

  • ClickHouse - Required for event storage and querying
  • Redis - Optional for real-time counters (graceful degradation)
  • Dimension Registration - Optional for indexed analytics columns

CTR Optimization Dependencies​

  • Analytics - Requires historical click/impression data
  • ClickHouse - CTR calculations query event history
  • CPC Line Items - Only applies to cost-per-click campaigns

Forecasting Dependencies​

  • Analytics - Historical traffic pattern analysis
  • ClickHouse - 30-day lookback for opportunity data
  • PostgreSQL - Active line item configuration

Programmatic Dependencies​

  • External Bidders - Requires RTB endpoint URLs
  • Network Access - Outbound HTTP requests to bidders
  • Timeout Configuration - Tunable via environment variables

Common Feature Workflows​

Set Up Real-Time Analytics​

  1. Configure ClickHouse connection
  2. Enable dimension registration (optional)
  3. Generate demo data for testing
  4. Run campaign reports
  5. Set up Grafana dashboards

Enable CTR Optimization for CPC​

  1. Configure baseline CTR
  2. Create CPC line items
  3. Generate traffic
  4. Monitor eCPM calculations

Forecast Inventory Availability​

  1. Configure line item targeting
  2. Send forecast request
  3. Analyze conflict detection
  4. Review availability estimates

Integrate Programmatic Demand​

  1. Configure programmatic line items
  2. Set bidder endpoint URLs
  3. Test bid responses
  4. Monitor bid performance

Track Custom Engagement Events​

  1. Generate event tokens
  2. Send S2S event requests
  3. Query events in ClickHouse
  4. Build custom reports

Publisher-First Design Philosophy​

Many of these features reflect OpenAdServe's publisher-first approach:

Quality Over Quantity​

  • Ad Reporting: User-facing quality control for problematic ads
  • Rate Limiting: Protect line items from budget exhaustion
  • Pacing: Even delivery prevents early budget depletion

Transparency and Control​

  • Forecasting (Beta): Inventory estimation with bid-aware conflict detection attempts
  • Analytics: Real-time visibility into campaign performance
  • Custom Events: Track engagement beyond standard metrics

Performance and Reliability​

  • CTR Optimization: Maximize revenue from CPC campaigns
  • Single-Pass Filtering: 6.3x faster ad decisioning
  • Graceful Degradation: System continues without Redis