[Change] § 5.2 — Say what each impression is: rewarded, interstitial, video placement, skippability, API frameworks, refresh #89

What kind of change?

Add a new field

Which section?

5.2 — Inventory composition

Current text

| `environments` | Object | selectable | `available[]` from `web_desktop` \| `web_mobile` \| `app_mobile` \| `ctv` \| `dooh` \| `audio_streaming` |

Proposed text

§ 5.2, add a row after `environments`:

| Field | Type | Required | Mutability | Description |
| :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- |
| `placement` | Placement | REQUIRED when `channel` is `video` or `audio` | seller-set | What every impression of this line item is: rewarded, interstitial, video placement subtype, skippability, playback, API frameworks, refresh, server-side insertion and audio feed. See 5.2.2 |

Add § 5.2.2 after § 5.2.1, `environments`. The PRs also carry its opening
notes, which link AdCOM 1.0 and its code lists, each open to any code.

#### 5.2.2 placement

**`Placement`** keys:

| Key | Type | Required | Meaning | AdCOM 1.0, OpenRTB 2.6 |
| :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- |
| `reward` | IntegerFlag | OPTIONAL | The user receives a reward for viewing the ad | `Placement.reward`, `imp.rwdd` |
| `instl` | IntegerFlag | OPTIONAL | The ad is interstitial or full screen | `DisplayPlacement.instl`, `imp.instl` |
| `plcmt` | Integer | REQUIRED when `channel` is `video` | A value from List: Plcmt Subtypes - Video, such as Instream (1). Its presence states that the line item is video, so a `ctv` line item that sells video carries it | `VideoPlacement.ptype`, `video.plcmt` |
| `skip` | IntegerFlag | OPTIONAL | Video or audio. The placement lets the user skip the ad | `VideoPlacement.skip`, `AudioPlacement.skip`, `video.skip` |
| `skipafter` | Integer | OPTIONAL | When `skip` is `1`: seconds the ad plays before the placement enables skipping | `VideoPlacement.skipafter`, `AudioPlacement.skipafter`, `video.skipafter` |
| `playmethod[]` | Array[Integer] | OPTIONAL | Video or audio. Values from List: Playback Methods in use, such as Initiates without any specific user interaction with Sound On (1), Initiates without any specific user interaction Sound Off by Default (2), Initiates on Click with Sound On (3) and Continuous Playback (7) | `VideoPlacement.playmethod`, `AudioPlacement.playmethod`, `video.playbackmethod` |
| `api[]` | Array[Integer] | OPTIONAL | Values from List: API Frameworks that every impression supports, such as MRAID 3.0 (6), OMID 1.0 (7) and SIMID 1.1 (9) | `DisplayPlacement.api`, `VideoPlacement.api`, `AudioPlacement.api`, `banner.api`, `video.api`, `audio.api` |
| `refresh` | Refresh | OPTIONAL | How often the slot refreshes | OpenRTB 2.6 only: `imp.refresh.refsettings[].minint` |
| `feed` | Integer | REQUIRED when `channel` is `audio` | A value from List: Feed Types, such as Podcast (3) | `AudioPlacement.feed`, `audio.feed` |
| `ssai` | Integer | OPTIONAL | Whether server-side ad insertion is in use and what it does to asset and tracker retrieval, in the values of AdCOM 1.0 `Placement.ssai`, such as all server-side (3) | `Placement.ssai`, `imp.ssai` |

**`Refresh`** keys:

| Key | Type | Required | Meaning |
| :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- |
| `min_interval_s` | Integer | REQUIRED | Minimum seconds a creative renders before the slot refreshes |

- A key that is present holds for every impression of the line item. An
  absent key does not constrain it: a line item that omits `instl` can
  deliver to interstitial and non-interstitial impressions alike. AdCOM 1.0
  reads an absent `reward` or `instl` as `0`; here it means either value.
- The seller MUST NOT deliver the line item to an impression that does not
  match a key that is present. An impression matches `api[]` when it
  supports every listed framework, `playmethod[]` when its playback method
  is one of the listed values, and `refresh` when the slot renders each
  creative for at least `min_interval_s` seconds before it refreshes, or
  does not refresh. It matches any other key when its value is equal.
- Unless `api[]` includes OMID 1.0 (7), a line item whose
  `committed_metrics[]` includes `viewable_rate` and whose
  `environments.available[]` includes `app_mobile` or `ctv` SHOULD NOT
  offer a `measurement_source` option whose `measured_by` is not `seller`.

§ 2.1, add to the `LineItemSummary` paths: `placement.reward`,
`placement.instl`, `placement.plcmt`, `placement.skip` and `placement.feed`.

Why

An in-app line item can't say whether its impressions are rewarded, interstitial, in-stream, or skippable, or whether third-party measurement and rich media can run. We ask for a placement object in AdCOM 1.0 Placement terms. Omitted keys stay open, so run-of-app lines can mix banners and interstitials.

In the public draft, channel: video on app_mobile covers rewarded, interstitial, and out-stream video. A buyer commits to one, the seller delivers another, and both stay conformant.

• Price. On #5, @fgranata notes that "rewarded and interstitial of the same duration clear at very different rates".
• Viewer controls. Skippable ads complete less often, so skip changes what a § 5.7 completion_rate means.
• Measurement. In apps, verification providers run through the Open Measurement SDK, signaled as OMID 1.0 (7) (OpenRTB advisory for OM SDK). The § 6.2 example lets a buyer select IAS or DoubleVerify. Without OM SDK, the selected provider can't measure a committed viewable_rate.
• Creative. An MRAID creative doesn't render without MRAID; a SIMID creative loses its interactive layer.
• Refresh. A banner that refreshes every 30 seconds is a different exposure (OpenRTB 2.6 RefSettings).

Our draft PR for this change request (#120) writes the base text. Our video and audio PR aligns it with our audio and channel filings.

Definitions: AdCOM 1.0 List: Plcmt Subtypes - Video, List: Playback Methods, List: API Frameworks, List: Feed Types.

Details and examples: Placement in AdCOM terms: full rationale and examples

Knock-on effects

• #5: a third answer to @fgranata's either/or. App-open has no AdCOM value, so it stays a format id with instl: 1. @unreconciled's interactive and verification spec keys state per format what api[] states per placement; the two must agree.
• #32: placement.api[] gives creative review a list to check MRAID and SIMID creatives against. Whether review does so is open in the supporting material.
• § 5.9 serving_mode drops client_side and ssai, because placement.ssai states server-side insertion.
• Our channel definitions change request (#90) makes Connected Device (6) a TV device type, so the OM SDK rule's ctv covers it.

Open questions for the working group

1. Answered by @fgranata on this issue. Should the OM SDK rule be MUST, or stay SHOULD because some verification providers still measure in-app with their own SDKs? It stays SHOULD.
2. A controlling_measurement option can name a counted_by that isn't seller (our settlement change request (#95)). Should the OM SDK rule cover it, or stay limited to measurement_source on app_mobile and ctv?
3. Answered by @fgranata on this issue. Should placement sit on the line item or on each app in properties? On the line item: a multi-app line item whose apps differ in OM SDK support omits OMID 1.0 (7) or splits.
4. @unreconciled's interactive and verification format spec keys on format registry entries for audio, CTV, and DOOH (#5) can disagree with placement.api[]. Which one governs, or should the spec carry only one of them?
5. Answered by @fgranata on this issue. AdCOM and OpenDirect 2.1 read an absent reward or instl as 0, but here it means either value. How should such a line item map to OpenDirect 2.1 Placement.spec: one Placement per value, or a new way to say "either"? One Placement per value.
6. Answered in our video and audio PR. No field says, in a way a validator can check, whether a ctv line item sells video. The REQUIRED condition on plcmt depends on it. Should the condition key on the format ids in formats.available[] (§ 5.4), or should plcmt be RECOMMENDED on ctv? Neither: plcmt is REQUIRED when channel is video, and its presence states that a line item is video.
7. A REQUIRED plcmt can't be omitted, so the answer to question 3 (omit the keys that apps don't share) doesn't cover it. A video line item whose impressions differ in plcmt splits into one line item per value, as @fgranata does when apps disagree. Should plcmt stay one value, or become plcmt[], like playmethod[]?

Would this break an implementation already built to this draft?

Yes — breaking

Alternatives you considered and rejected

• A placement_type enum (#5): duplicates AdCOM, and a rewarded interstitial is two values.
• Placement in the format id (app/rewarded-video-30s, #5): ids multiply by duration and placement, and an id can't say OMID.
• placement as selectable with deltas: an option carries only a price delta, but completion commitments differ too.

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Revised 2026-11-03: Rewritten to match our video and audio PR. placement is REQUIRED for video and audio, and plcmt is REQUIRED when channel is video, which answers question 6. feed and ssai join the table, and questions 1, 3, and 5 state their answers.

Analyzed and generated with the help of Claude, fully reviewed by me.