Get started with secure signals

Secure signals are encoded data that is collected on the client device and shared with select bidders. This guide shows you how to collect and send secure signals to Google Ad Manager using the IMA SDK.

The secure signals API requires version 3.18.1 or higher of the IMA SDK for iOS.

To select signals and bidders, and enable secure signal sharing, see Share secure signals with bidders.

Use a third-party signal provider

To use secure signals, you must deploy a signal collector adapter class in your app to collect signals, encode them, and pass them to the IMA SDK.

Follow your third-party provider's instructions to set up an account with them, include frameworks, and set up their secure signals adapter in your app.

The IMA SDK for iOS automatically initializes each secure signals adapter, without any additional changes to your code.

Here's an example of how you might add a secure signals adapter to your project:

Send custom data

In addition to using a third-party signal provider, you can also collect, encode, and send signals with custom data. Before you can send secure signals with custom data, you must turn on custom signals in Ad Manager.

For each stream request, do the following:

1. Create an IMASecureSignals object containing your encoded custom data as a string.
2. Add the IMASecureSignals object to your stream request by setting the IMAStreamRequest.secureSignals attribute:

Objective-C

app/ViewController.m

- (void)requestStream {
  // Create a stream request. Use one of "Livestream request" or "VOD request",
  //  depending on your type of stream.
  IMAStreamRequest *request;
  if (kStreamType == StreamTypeLive) {
    // Livestream request. Replace the asset key with your value.
    request = [[IMALiveStreamRequest alloc] initWithAssetKey:kLiveStreamAssetKey
                                                networkCode:kNetworkCode
                                          adDisplayContainer:self.adDisplayContainer
                                                videoDisplay:self.imaVideoDisplay
                                                userContext:nil];
  } else {
    // VOD request. Replace the content source ID and video ID with your values.
    request = [[IMAVODStreamRequest alloc] initWithContentSourceID:kVODContentSourceID
                                                          videoID:kVODVideoID
                                                      networkCode:kNetworkCode
                                                adDisplayContainer:self.adDisplayContainer
                                                      videoDisplay:self.imaVideoDisplay
                                                      userContext:nil];
  }
  
  IMASecureSignals *signals =
      [[IMASecureSignals alloc] initWithCustomData:@"My encoded signal string"];
  request.secureSignals = signals;
  
  [self.adsLoader requestStreamWithRequest:request];
}

Swift

app/ViewController.swift

 func requestStream() {
  // Create a stream request. Use one of "Livestream request" or "VOD request".
  let signals = IMASecureSignals(customData: "My encoded signal string")
  if ViewController.requestType == StreamType.live {
    // Livestream request.
    let request = IMALiveStreamRequest(
      assetKey: ViewController.assetKey,
      networkCode: ViewController.networkCode,
      adDisplayContainer: adDisplayContainer!,
      videoDisplay: imaVideoDisplay,
      userContext: nil)
    request.secureSignals = signals
    adsLoader?.requestStream(with: request)
  } else {
    // VOD stream request.
    let request = IMAVODStreamRequest(
      contentSourceID: ViewController.contentSourceID,
      videoID: ViewController.videoID,
      networkCode: ViewController.networkCode,
      adDisplayContainer: adDisplayContainer!,
      videoDisplay: imaVideoDisplay,
      userContext: nil)
    request.secureSignals = signals
    adsLoader?.requestStream(with: request)
  }
}