Guides
OpenRTB guides
Task-focused walkthroughs on the OpenRTB protocol and on validating it: how a bid request is built, where versions differ, why bids get dropped, and how to catch all of it before production. For object-by-object reference, see the docs.
How to validate an OpenRTB bid request
Step-by-step: validate a bid request in the browser or the CLI, read rule IDs and JSON paths, and fix what the spec says is wrong.
Read the guide →Common OpenRTB bid request mistakes
Ten spec-grounded mistakes that drop bid requests: missing imp, string at, stale placement, gdpr in the wrong path, schain drift, and more.
Read the guide →placement vs plcmt in OpenRTB video
video.placement was superseded by video.plcmt in 2.6. The enums do not map 1:1. Both value tables and how to migrate.
Read the guide →OpenRTB no-bid reason codes (nbr)
The full nbr code table, HTTP 204 versus an empty response, and how to debug a bidder that stops bidding.
Read the guide →OpenRTB 2.5 vs 2.6: what changed
GPP, first-class gdpr and consent, plcmt, ad pods, duration floors, and AdCOM enum lists: the full 2.5 to 2.6 delta with a migration checklist.
Read the guide →OpenRTB 2.6 vs 3.0
3.0 is a layered redesign built on AdCOM, not an upgrade of 2.x. How the two models differ and why most traffic still runs 2.6.
Read the guide →OpenRTB validation in CI
Gate builds on bid request validity: rtblint in GitHub Actions, machine-readable JSON output, pinned spec snapshots, and rule-ID gating.
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