Adform unveils new features and fixes in August 2024 Product Update

Adform this week announced several new features and improvements to its platform, as part of its August product update. The release, which came just four days ago, introduces enhancements aimed at streamlining workflows, improving user experience, and expanding capabilities for digital advertisers and publishers.

According to the official Adform release notes, one of the key additions is the ability to send tags to multiple publishers simultaneously. This new functionality allows users to select tags for distribution, with the system automatically splitting them by assigned media and processing them accordingly. The feature is designed to save time and simplify the tag management process for advertisers working with multiple publishing partners.

Another significant improvement is the implementation of instant notifications in Adform FLOW, the company's unified advertising platform. Users will now receive real-time alerts when new notifications arrive, indicated by an illuminated bell icon in the header. This update eliminates the need for manual page reloads or switches between sections to stay informed about important events or changes within the platform.

Adform has also expanded its automated deal syncing capabilities, particularly for users of the Adform Demand-Side Platform (DSP). The update now includes automatic import of all deals from publishers utilizing Microsoft Monetize, formerly known as Xandr. This enhancement is intended to reduce manual input errors and save time for media buyers managing programmatic deals across multiple supply sources.

In a move that expands Adform's reach in the Asian market, the company announced its certification as an official measurement partner for Disney Hotstar. This certification allows Adform tags to be used across all Hotstar properties, providing advertisers with additional measurement capabilities on one of India's largest streaming platforms.

The August update also addressed several issues reported by users. Notably, Adform resolved a problem where programmatic budget amounts with decimal values were sometimes displayed incorrectly as "NaN" due to locale settings. This fix ensures more accurate budget reporting and management within the platform.

Another resolved issue pertained to the editing of line item banner sections. Previously, users who removed columns from the view were unable to re-select them. Adform has addressed this by removing the option to hide columns, ensuring all relevant information remains visible at all times.

The company also tackled a display issue related to inline budget editing on the campaign overview page. Previously, editing budget values over 1,000 resulted in incorrect displays immediately after the change. This has been corrected, allowing for accurate representation of budget figures without requiring a page refresh.

To prevent potential system overloads, Adform introduced limits on tag creation. Users can now select up to 500 line items and 300 ads when creating tags. This change aims to balance efficiency with system performance, ensuring that bulk tag creation processes do not cause delays or errors.

Additionally, Adform resolved an issue where the first column in campaign lists and overviews could not be resized. Users can now adjust the width of all columns and save these preferences as part of custom views, enhancing the platform's customizability.

Despite these improvements, Adform acknowledged several known issues that are currently being addressed. These include:

1. The AdGap ID is not being passed to Integral Ad Science (IAS) when wrapping tags.
2. In some cases, tags can be created for previously rejected third-party ads.
3. Occasional discrepancies in total audience price displays for certain data providers.
4. Limited access to site tracking functionality for some clients.
5. Display of "Unidentified Manager" in campaign details for some user roles.
6. Incomplete ad dimension filters in the tags list.
7. Some users not appearing in selection lists for campaign managers and co-managers.
8. Disabled toolbar buttons in the DMP FLOW audience list.
9. Deal renaming not reflecting in reports.
10. Search functionality issues in the DMP audience builder.

Adform stated that its development team is actively working on resolving these known issues and provided workarounds where applicable.

To support users in leveraging the platform's capabilities, Adform has also released new learning resources. These include a comprehensive guide on creating impactful Digital Out-of-Home (DOOH) campaigns, covering deal setup, campaign creation in Adform DSP, ad specifications, and best practices. Additionally, a new course on creating and uploading display ads has been made available, focusing on image and HTML standards, rich ads, and the process of checking and editing clickTAGs.

This August 2024 update from Adform demonstrates the company's ongoing efforts to enhance its advertising technology suite, addressing user needs and industry trends. As the digital advertising landscape continues to evolve, such regular updates and improvements are crucial for platforms to remain competitive and provide value to their users.

Key facts

• Announcement date: September 4, 2024
• New features:

• Multi-publisher tag sending
• Instant notifications in Adform FLOW
• Automated deal syncing with Microsoft Monetize
• Disney Hotstar measurement partner certification
  • Fixed issues:
• Corrected budget display for decimal values
• Resolved column visibility issues in line item banner sections
• Fixed inline budget editing display problems
• Introduced tag creation limits (500 line items, 300 ads)
• Enabled resizing of all columns in campaign lists and overviews
  • Known issues: 10 reported and being addressed
  • New learning resources:
• Guide to DOOH campaigns
• Course on creating and uploading display ads