Last edited: 2024/12/16
Prebid Stack requires some time to gather bids. This time is controlled by number of timeouts explained in this article.
The dependencies and flow of particular timeouts is presented on the timeline below:
<aside> <img src="/icons/link_yellow.svg" alt="/icons/link_yellow.svg" width="40px" /> Prebid documentation on timeouts: link
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Prebid modules that handle passing user consent info from CMP to Bidders in a Prebid Auction rely on a timeout to wait for the CMP stub. Learn more about these modules in our article on Consent Managment.
In Yieldbird Platform Failsafe Timeout applies to the entire Yieldbird configuration, not only to Prebid. Learn more about Failsafe timeout
Auction Delay (auctionDelay
) is the duration of time added after loading prebid.js but before sending bid requests to Bidders. Some User ID or Vendor Specific modules may require this delay to be extended, allowing more time for them to complete their actions.
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Best practices:
Default auction delay applies to all inventory in your Workspace unless you select value specific for particular Domain. To manage it go to Global setup > Prebid > Defaults: Timeouts.
If you require more granular settings, you can adapt the Auction Timeout for particular Domains. To do that:
Prebid Auction Timeout sets the duration available for coordinating header bidding activities on the page. In other words, this is the timeframe within which Yieldbird will await for bids from SSPs that are connected to your inventory.
Default Prebid auction timeout applies to all inventory in your Workspace unless you select value specific for particular Domain, (or in Old Platform’s case Page or Viewport). To manage it go to Global setup > Prebid > Defaults: Timeouts.
If you require more granular settings, you can adapt the Auction Timeout for particular Domains. To do that:
<aside> <img src="/icons/info-alternate_blue.svg" alt="/icons/info-alternate_blue.svg" width="40px" /> This refers to Layouts
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If you require you can set timeout for specific Page only. It will override the Timeout set for Domain and default Prebid auction timeout. To do that:
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Also read: FAQ: Which setting applies to the ad unit when the parameter is set at multiple levels?
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Setting this value requires careful consideration:
Publishers need to identify the optimal value by weighing various factors such as the average time users spend on the page, direct sell-through rates, the importance of different advertising channels, and the typical network delay experienced by users.
Typically, from our experience the efficient timeout is within 800 - 2000ms range.
Also, setting Prebid Auction timeout require to take into account Failsafe timeout as well - Generally, the recommended relationship between Prebid Auction timeout and Failsafe timeout is that Failsafe is at least 2x longer than Prebid Auction timeout. To make it easier to set it up properly Yieldbird Platform automatically validates the relationship between these two. You can also see the current setting of Failsafe timeout in the Related settings info box.
<aside> <img src="/icons/arrow-right_green.svg" alt="/icons/arrow-right_green.svg" width="40px" /> Good practice: When analyzing the results of changing Prebid Auction timeout it is recommended to:
From our experience, once you set the right timeout you don’t have to change it frequently (unless of course you do some significant changes to the setup, especially those including changing the set of bidders.
<aside> <img src="/icons/info-alternate_blue.svg" alt="/icons/info-alternate_blue.svg" width="40px" /> See also the Guide to prebid timeouts published on our blog.
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This setting is applicable to Yieldbird Platform 2.0 only
To ensure that bids from Prebid Server return to the client in time for the ad server call, the timespan for Prebid Server to return the bids to the Client is lower than the Prebid Auction Timeout.
S2S config timeout multiplier set’s the timeout for performing S2S auction as percentage of entire Prebid Auction timeout. This means that for example if the Prebid Auction Timeout is 1000ms and the S2S config timeout multiplier is 75%, the S2S timeout for that auction will be 750ms.
<aside> <img src="/icons/arrow-right_green.svg" alt="/icons/arrow-right_green.svg" width="40px" /> Good practice: The recommended range is 50-75%
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This setting is available only on workspace level. To set it up go to Global setup > Prebid > Defaults: Timeouts.
To reduce the risk of missing the ad server call on the client side, Prebid Server trims a safety buffer and sends a response to the client slightly before the S2S config timeout. For example, if for particular ad requests the S2S config timeout is 750ms and S2S timeout adjustment is set to 40ms, S2S Bidders will actually time out at 710ms.
This setting is available only on workspace level. To set it up go to Global setup > Prebid > Defaults: Timeouts.
When you are using Amazon UAM/TAM implementation through the Yieldbird Platform, the same timeouts that you set for Prebid apply to Amazon as well. To ensure optimal competition between Amazon and Prebid, we do not allow setting different timeouts for Amazon and Prebid.
<aside> <img src="/icons/info-alternate_blue.svg" alt="/icons/info-alternate_blue.svg" width="40px" /> More about Amazon UAM / TAM in Yieldbird Platform: Amazon UAM/TAM
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