Set up client-side beaconing for SSAI

Using JWX’s POST workflow and the Datazoom player SDK, you can extend your SSAI implementation for VOD to support client-side ad beaconing. This allows the playback device (web, mobile, or CTV) to fire ad tracking events directly, rather than relying on default server-side beaconing.

Client-side beaconing provides several advantages over default server-side tracking:

• Enables third-party verification (like IAS or DoubleVerify) required by advertisers
• Supports OMID-certified measurement across platforms
• Improves trust and transparency for programmatic demand
• Enhances measurement transparency for buyers

POST workflow with beaconing summary

This workflow uses the POST SSAI session endpoint along with two key parameters to return a MediaTailor-compatible response that integrates with the Datazoom SDK.

When configured for client-side beaconing, the POST workflow follows this sequence:

1. Your application initializes an SSAI session using the POST endpoint.
2. The request enables client-side reporting and AWS-compatible schema.
3. The response returns:
   • A manifest URL for playback
   • A tracking URL for ad event polling
4. The player begins streaming content using the manifest URL.
5. The Datazoom SDK polls the tracking URL during playback.
6. The SDK fires ad beacons and verification events from the client device.

Prerequisites

Set up client-side beaconing

📘

This guide is designed to be used alongside Configure SSAI for VOD using the POST workflow while setting up your implementation.

Follow these steps to configure SSAI for VOD using the POST workflow:

1. Make a POST request to the SSAI manifest endpoint that includes the following parameters and values:

   • "reportingMode": "client" (determines that ad reporting will be handled on the client-side)
   • "schema": "aws" (returns a response aligned with a MediaTailor-compatible structure)
     
     
   cURL

   curl --request POST \
     --url https://cdn.jwplayer.com/v2/sites/{site_id}/media/{media_id}/ssai.{manifest_extension} \
     --header 'Content-Type: application/json' \
     --data '{
       "ad_config_id": "{ad_config_id}",
       "reportingMode": "client",
       "adsParams": {
         "cust_params": "genre=sports&tier=premium",
         "ppid": "user-12345"
       },
       "stitch_mode": "default",
       "schema": "aws"
     }'
   

2. Retrieve the manifest URL (manifest_url) and tracking URL (tracking_url) from the JSON response.

   JSON

   {
     "manifest_url":   "https://cdn.jwplayer.com/v2/sites/{site_id}/media/{media_id}/ssai_session/{session_id}/jit.m3u8",
   
     "tracking_url": 
   "https://cdn.jwplayer.com/v2/sites/{site_id}/media/{media_id}/ssai_session/{session_id}/info.json"
   }
   

3. Complete the SSAI configuration for VOD (steps 3-6).

4. Use the tracking_url returned from the session initialization to configure the Datazoom SDK. The SDK will:

   • Poll the tracking URL during playback
   • Receive ad event metadata
   • Trigger OMID verification and third-party measurement events
   • Fire impression and tracking beacons from the client

     🚧

     Do not attempt to manually fire beacons. The SDK handles polling, parsing, and event dispatch automatically.

     See Datazoom’s SDK documentation to learn more.

FAQs