As part of Privacy Sandbox, Chrome proposed a Topics API. The Topics API provides third-party callers on the web page (including ad tech providers) with coarse-grained advertising topics that the page visitor might be interested in. These Topics can supplement the contextual information about the current page.
Display & Video 360 and Google Ads have found Topics to be a valuable signal in combination with other signals in delivering interest based advertising, without relying on third-party cookies. Learn more about Display & Video 360 and Google Ads approach to interest based advertising. Google encourages SSPs to include Topics in their requests to help increase the relevance of your publisher inventory.
The following guide provides the steps necessary for SSPs to integrate with Topics and to test these with Display & Video 360 and Google Ads or any other participating ad tech provider.
General Information
Before diving into the Topics API, first familiarize yourself with the Topics developer guide from Chrome. Starting in October 2023, Chrome requires callers of the Privacy Sandbox APis, including Topics, to be enrolled. For more information and latest updates, we recommend checking out Chrome's Topic API Status page & Topics API latest updates.
Methods of Accessing Topics
Here is a summary of the most common methods of accessing Topics. If these methods don't work for your configuration, DV360 encourages you to reach out to the Chrome team per the suggested channels outlined in the Chrome's Topic API Status page.
Direct Implementation
SSPs can request Topics on their publisher partner pages using javascript (documentation) or headers (documentation).
Using Prebid Module
SSPs that participate in Prebid can reference the Prebid Documentation to learn how to receive Topics using the topicsFpdModule. As publishers need to include this module in their prebid final package, DV360 encourages you to reach out to your publisher partners to make sure this requirement is on their radar.
Using Prebid 8.9.0+
Prebid has released a new feature in the Prebid 8.9.0+ core modules
that enable Topics to be called in outgoing bid requests
[release notes].
Prebid documentation
outlines how to include the Observe-Browsing-Topics in the server response.
Topics is available in the 'Sec-Browsing-Topics'
header
of the fetch() request.
SSPs may need to transfer the Topics from the header
to the bid request before sending to DV360.
As publishers need to have 8.9.0+ core implemented
for this capability to be available,
make sure your publisher partners are aware.
Using Open Bidding
SSPs that participate in Open Bidding can reference the Authorized Buyer Documentation to receive Topics in bid requests from Google using the OpenRTB Protocol.
Passing Topics to DV360 and Google Ads
The previous section outlined options for accessing Topics. Once you have accessed Topics you can share Topics in the bidstream with your DSP buyers. This section outlines how to pass to DV360 and Google Ads. DV360 and Google Ads expect Topics to be in the user.data object in OpenRTBRequest. Learn how to pass segment IDs in vendor-specific taxonomies using JSON.
Example
Chrome Topics API response, returned by document.browsingTopics():
[
{
"modelVersion": "classifier_v2",
"taxonomyVersion": "taxonomy_v2",
"topic": 351
},
{
"modelVersion": "classifier_v2",
"taxonomyVersion": "taxonomy_v2",
"topic": 163
},
{
"modelVersion": "classifier_v2",
"taxonomyVersion": "taxonomy_v2",
"topic": 59
}
]
OpenRTBRequest JSON:
{
...
"user": {
"data": [
{
"ext": {
"segtax": 601,
"segclass": "classifier_v1"
},
"segment": [
{ "id": "351" },
{ "id": "163" },
{ "id": "59" }
]
}
]
}
}
In the preceding example, taxonomy_version implies that the taxonomy_v2
mapping
is used. Based on the taxonomy, these topic IDs correspond to the following
Topics:
| Topic ID | Topic Value |
|---|---|
| 351 | /Arts & Entertainment/Comics & Animation |
| 163 | /Finance/Insurance/Travel Insurance |
| 59 | /Autos & Vehicles/Classic Vehicles |