Help Center | YieldMaximizer

What is Header Bidding?

Header bidding is an advanced programmatic advertising technique that allows publishers to offer their ad inventory to multiple ad exchanges simultaneously before making calls to their ad servers. This creates a more competitive auction environment, typically resulting in higher CPMs and increased revenue.

Unlike the traditional waterfall method where ad networks are called sequentially, header bidding enables real-time competition among all demand sources, ensuring you get the highest possible bid for each impression.

Prerequisites

Before implementing header bidding, ensure you have:

An active Google Ad Manager (GAM) account
Access to your website's HTML/JavaScript
Accounts with at least 3-5 demand partners (SSPs)
Basic understanding of JavaScript and ad operations

Step 1: Download and Include Prebid.js

First, download Prebid.js from prebid.org with the adapters you need for your demand partners.

<!-- Add to your <head> section -->
<script async src="https://cdn.example.com/prebid.js"></script>
<script>
  var pbjs = pbjs || {};
  pbjs.que = pbjs.que || [];
</script>

Step 2: Configure Ad Units

Define your ad units with the sizes and bidders you want to include:

var adUnits = [{
  code: 'div-gpt-ad-1234567890',
  mediaTypes: {
    banner: {
      sizes: [[300, 250], [300, 600]]
    }
  },
  bids: [{
    bidder: 'appnexus',
    params: { placementId: '12345678' }
  }, {
    bidder: 'rubicon',
    params: { accountId: '1234', siteId: '5678', zoneId: '9012' }
  }]
}];

Step 3: Set Timeout and Request Bids

Configure your timeout (we recommend 1000ms to start) and initiate the bid request:

pbjs.que.push(function() {
  pbjs.setConfig({
    priceGranularity: 'dense',
    enableSendAllBids: true
  });
  
  pbjs.addAdUnits(adUnits);
  pbjs.requestBids({
    bidsBackHandler: sendAdserverRequest,
    timeout: 1000
  });
});

Step 4: Configure Google Ad Manager

Create line items in GAM to capture Prebid bids. You'll need line items for each price bucket:

Create a new Order for "Prebid Header Bidding"
Create line items for price ranges ($0.01-$0.05, $0.05-$0.10, etc.)
Set targeting to match hb_pb key-values
Add creatives that render the winning bid

Step 5: Test Your Implementation

Before going live, thoroughly test your setup:

Use Prebid Debug mode: pbjs.setConfig({debug: true});
Check browser console for bid responses
Verify bids are being sent to GAM
Test on multiple browsers and devices

Optimization Tips

Start with 5-8 bidders

Too many bidders increase latency without proportional revenue gains

Optimize timeout

Monitor timeout rates and adjust between 400-1000ms based on performance

Use lazy loading

Only request bids for ads about to enter the viewport

Monitor bidder performance

Remove bidders with low bid rates or high latency

What is Header Bidding?

Step 2: Configure Ad Units

Define your ad units with the sizes and bidders you want to include:

var adUnits = [{
  code: 'div-gpt-ad-1234567890',
  mediaTypes: {
    banner: {
      sizes: [[300, 250], [300, 600]]
    }
  },
  bids: [{
    bidder: 'appnexus',
    params: { placementId: '12345678' }
  }, {
    bidder: 'rubicon',
    params: { accountId: '1234', siteId: '5678', zoneId: '9012' }
  }]
}];

Step 3: Set Timeout and Request Bids

Configure your timeout (we recommend 1000ms to start) and initiate the bid request:

pbjs.que.push(function() {
  pbjs.setConfig({
    priceGranularity: 'dense',
    enableSendAllBids: true
  });
  
  pbjs.addAdUnits(adUnits);
  pbjs.requestBids({
    bidsBackHandler: sendAdserverRequest,
    timeout: 1000
  });
});

Optimization Tips

Start with 5-8 bidders

Too many bidders increase latency without proportional revenue gains

Optimize timeout

Monitor timeout rates and adjust between 400-1000ms based on performance

Use lazy loading

Only request bids for ads about to enter the viewport

Monitor bidder performance

Remove bidders with low bid rates or high latency

How to Implement Header Bidding

What You'll Learn

What is Header Bidding?

Prerequisites

Step 1: Download and Include Prebid.js

Step 2: Configure Ad Units

Step 3: Set Timeout and Request Bids

Step 4: Configure Google Ad Manager

Step 5: Test Your Implementation

Optimization Tips

Start with 5-8 bidders

Optimize timeout

Use lazy loading

Monitor bidder performance

Need Help With Implementation?

How to Implement Header Bidding

What You'll Learn

What is Header Bidding?

Prerequisites

Step 1: Download and Include Prebid.js

Step 2: Configure Ad Units

Step 3: Set Timeout and Request Bids

Step 4: Configure Google Ad Manager

Step 5: Test Your Implementation

Optimization Tips

Start with 5-8 bidders

Optimize timeout

Use lazy loading

Monitor bidder performance

Need Help With Implementation?