Release Notes: December 16, 2024

This release introduces significant enhancements across Kevel’s Self-Serve, Ad Server, and Reporting platforms. In Self-Serve, publishers can now configure campaign templates to support autobid options, enabling advertisers to set ROAS goals and max CPC, and apply ad frequency caps automatically as background settings. Ad-level attribution settings in the Ad Server UI allow advertisers to define granular purchase attribution criteria, including merchant-aware options for marketplace customers. Reporting improvements include publicly accessible CSV download links for queued reports and the ability to group by bid modifiers in the Ad Server UI.

Self-serve

Self-serve UI & Advertiser API

Added

• Autobid in the Advertiser API and Self Serve UI - Publishers can now specify whether a campaign template should offer manual bidding, autobid, or both. If both options are offered, then advertisers will be able to choose between them.
  • Advertisers setting up a campaign with autobid will specify a ROAS goal and maximum CPC.
  • Autobid bidding strategies require tracking GMV and ROAS with Kevel.
  • Learn more about budget configurations available to publishers on campaign templates here, and learn more about budget settings visible to self serve advertiser here.
• Ad frequency caps as a campaign template background setting - Publishers can now enable ad frequency caps as a background setting for any campaign template.
  • If enabled, all ads on campaigns created via the Advertiser API or Self Serve UI with that campaign template will automatically carry the frequency cap, cap duration, and cap type specified on the campaign template.
  • Because they are a background setting, these settings will be configured automatically on each ad upon campaign creation. The advertiser will not need to specify frequency cap values.
  • Learn more about using campaign template background settings to establish ad frequency caps in our documentation.
• Product bids, new product bulk actions, and product step redesign in the Self Serve UI - Publishers can now choose to enable product-specific bids for products in sponsored listings campaigns. This enables the advertiser to override the campaign bid for certain products they choose to promote. We also added new bulk actions and redesigned the products step to enable this added functionality.
  • As part of this change, the Budget step is moved before Products. This enables advertisers to reference the campaign bid when choosing product-specific bids.
  • Learn more about creating a campaign in Kevel Self-serve.

Ad Server

Campaign Management UI + API

Added

• Ad-level attribution settings in the UI — Kevel’s attribution system offers fine-grain control, allowing you to define the criteria that qualify purchases for attribution to any ad format. This release introduces an Attribution Settings panel in the Ad creation and editing experience of the Ad Server UI where you can specify the products, categories, brands, and/or merchants that make a purchase eligible for attribution to a given Ad. Using display ads as an example, this functionality allows you to track brand-specific engagement and attribute future purchases to clicks and views on those ad units. Watch a demo of attribution settings in the Ad Server UI and learn more on the Attribution page of the knowledge base.
• Merchant-aware attribution — Two new attribution options are available to support marketplace customers who have multiple merchants selling the same products:
  1. A broadening of the attribution halo to include "same merchant" matches (a level beyond the current "same brand" halo). This is the broadest possible match between an ad and a purchased product. To get this match, a shopper purchases a product that's only connection to the attributed ad was that it was sold by a merchant that matches attribution criteria on the ad.
  2. Enforcing that for each level of the halo the purchased product merchant must match the attribution criteria on the ad effectively making all "product match" options have a "+ merchant" suffix—so the options become:
     1. Same Product + Merchant
     2. Same Category + Brand + Merchant
     3. Same Brand + Merchant
     4. Same Merchant [less relevant in this use case]
        To use this functionality you must pass the merchantId parameter on purchase events. Reference the AttributionClick and AttributionView parameters in the Create Flight endpoint for details on how to use these options via API. To enable these options in the Ad Server UI, contact your account team or Kevel Support.

Reporting

Added

• Publicly accessible CSV download URL for Queued Reports — Previously only available for scheduled reports, it is now possible to request an unauthenticated download link for on-demand repots as well. This option is especially useful when you want to programmatically generate reports to be shared directly with advertisers without further post processing. Use the csv_report_visibility field to indicate whether the report should be made publicly available. Once a report is ready, the URL can be found in the report_run_csv_url field. See the Get Report Runs endpoint for more details.
• Bid Modifier group by in the Ad Server UI — when generating reports via the UI, it is now possible to include Bid Modifier Type, Value, Multiplier, and Price group bys.