Video.playbackmethod

How playback starts and whether sound is on, as integers from AdCOM List: Playback Methods, for example 1 for autoplay with sound or 6 for start on entering the viewport with sound off. If absent, any method may be in use.

Currentinteger arrayOptionalSince 2.0

Field facts

Path: imp.video.playbackmethod
Object: Video
Type: integer array
Requirement: Optional
Added: OpenRTB 2.0
Values: AdCOM list Playback Methods
Spec section: 3.2.7

How it is used

Since 2.5 the spec has advised sending a single value, the first element, because the array may become an integer in a future version. The value should agree with Video.plcmt: Instream implies sound on or clear intent to watch, so a sound-off method beside plcmt 1 is a contradiction worth fixing. Values 8 to 11 cover playback started by pausing content or by idling, which fit the Pause and Screensaver placement types.

Allowed values

Value	Meaning
`1`	Initiates without any specific user interaction with Sound On: Starts without user interaction, sound on. Reworded in AdCOM 1.0-202607; was Initiates on Page Load with Sound On.
`2`	Initiates without any specific user interaction Sound Off by Default: Starts without user interaction, sound off. Reworded in AdCOM 1.0-202607; was Initiates on Page Load with Sound Off by Default.
`3`	Initiates on Click with Sound On: Click-to-play: the viewer starts playback deliberately, with sound on.
`4`	Initiates on Mouse-Over or cursor over with Sound On: Starts when a pointer or cursor moves over the player, sound on. Reworded in AdCOM 1.0-202607; was Initiates on Mouse-Over with Sound On.
`5`	Initiates on Entering Viewport or scrolling into view with Sound On: Starts when the player enters the viewport, sound on. Added in OpenRTB 2.5; reworded in AdCOM 1.0-202607 to add scrolling into view.
`6`	Initiates on Entering Viewport or scrolling into view with Sound Off by Default: Starts when the player enters the viewport, sound off. Added in OpenRTB 2.5; reworded in AdCOM 1.0-202607 to add scrolling into view.
`7`	Continuous Playback: The player keeps playing further media on its own until the viewer stops it. An AdCOM addition, not in OpenRTB 2.5.
`8`	Initiated by user pausing content, Sound on: Starts when the viewer pauses content, sound on. Added in AdCOM 1.0-202607.
`9`	Initiated by user pausing content, Sound off: Starts when the viewer pauses content, sound off. Added in AdCOM 1.0-202607.
`10`	Initiated by idling: Starts when the device goes idle, for example into a screensaver, sound on. Added in AdCOM 1.0-202607.
`11`	Initiated by idling: Starts when the device goes idle, for example into a screensaver, sound off. Added in AdCOM 1.0-202607.

Example

Where the field sits in a payload, with everything else left out:

{
  "id": "req-1",
  "imp": [
    {
      "video": {
        "playbackmethod": [
          1
        ]
      }
    }
  ]
}

Common mistakes

Listing several methods for one player. Only the first element is meant to be read.
Declaring 1, autoplay with sound on, for a muted outstream player, which overstates the inventory.

Version history

Added in OpenRTB 2.0, and present in the latest snapshot. The table shows how each version's spec text types the field.

Versions	Type in the spec	Required	Deprecated
2.0	array of teger	No	No
2.1	array of integer, default All I a P p	No	No
2.2	array of integers, default All	No	No
2.3 to 2.4	integer array	No	No
2.5	integer array	No	No
2.6-202210 to 2.6-202606	integer array	No	No