Google Ads this week has ceased purchasing ads through multicall requests in waterfalls that lack bidding ad units, and it will fully eliminate multicall support within hybrid setups in January 2024.
This is part of the move of Google Ads moving towards real-time bidding (RTB) auctions for app advertising. This move aligns with Google Ads' ongoing efforts to enhance transparency and efficiency in the app advertising ecosystem. By prioritizing RTB, Google Ads aims to provide advertisers with the most relevant and valuable placements across app networks.
To further safeguard the integrity of its app advertising platform, Google Ads will be implementing measures to detect and deter multicall abuse. Multicall abuse involves manipulating the bidding process by submitting multiple requests for ad inventory, potentially inflating ad prices and hindering effective targeting.
Specifically, Google Ads will scrutinize attempts to circumvent multicall detection systems, including techniques like ad unit misrepresentation. This practice involves creating, utilizing, or manipulating new ad units within multicall queries, often employed to conceal chains of related multicall requests.
Starting January 20, 2024, Google Ads may temporarily pause app ad purchases from publishers found to engage in multicall abuse. The duration of the pause will depend on the severity of the detected violations.