TTD forces Kokai adoption amid platform resistance

The Trade Desk has begun restricting agencies from launching new campaigns without using its Kokai platform, according to internal notifications appearing in the company's legacy Solimar interface. According to Reddit posts from media buyers on August 13, 2025, users attempting to create campaigns through Solimar are now presented with messages directing them to "create all your new campaigns in Kokai" while still allowing management of Kokai-created campaigns through the older interface.

The notification comes despite assurances from The Trade Desk that agencies could continue using their preferred interface. According to a source familiar with Kokai's development speaking to AdExchanger, the restriction appears when "the media buyer's agency or its parent holding company decided to switch to using Kokai for all new campaign creation."

Platform transition challenges

The forced migration to Kokai has generated resistance from programmatic advertising professionals. According to feedback posted on Reddit's programmatic marketing community on March 16, 2025, one media buyer criticized the platform's user interface, stating that "ttd UI became shit and overloaded" and that the periodic table-style menu system is "not intuitive." The same user noted that while The Trade Desk "probably the best DSP" in terms of features, "almost every feature costs extra money."

Multiple industry professionals have expressed concerns about Kokai's functionality compared to Solimar. According to a comment from August 13, 2025, one trader reported that "conversions dropped, cpm went wild and changing things takes too much time." Another user described the platform transition as causing "aggressive" changes that require "seemingly non publicized" moves.

The Trade Desk launched Kokai on June 6, 2023, as "a new approach to digital advertising innovation that incorporates major advances in distributed artificial intelligence (AI), measurement, partner integrations and a revolutionary, intuitive user experience." According to the company's announcement, the platform was designed to process more than 13 million advertising impressions every second, with each impression potentially containing thousands of distinct signals.

Financial performance decline

The platform transition has coincided with declining financial metrics for The Trade Desk. According to the company's February 12, 2025 earnings report, Q4 2024 revenue reached $741.01 million, missing market expectations and representing growth of 22.3% year-over-year. This marked a significant deceleration from the company's previous consistent 25%-plus growth rate.

The Trade Desk's Q1 2025 guidance projects revenue of "at least $575 million," translating to approximately 17% year-over-year growth according to analyst Stephen Ayers. The company's stock price has declined 55% since November 2024, reflecting investor concerns about the platform transition.

During the February earnings call, CEO Jeff Green acknowledged implementation challenges, noting that the company had undergone its "largest reorganization in company history in December." The combination of this reorganization and the slower-than-expected Kokai implementation appears to have created operational inefficiencies.

Technical implementation details

Kokai distributes artificial intelligence capabilities across all aspects of the digital media buying process. According to The Trade Desk's technical documentation, the platform's AI innovations include predictive clearing for optimal bidding, impression scoring based on advertiser relevance, improved measurement and forecasting, increased resilience without identifiers, budget optimization, and KPI scoring.

The platform builds on The Trade Desk's pioneering AI work with Koa, launched in 2018. While Koa assisted marketers in campaign setup and performance optimization, Kokai distributes AI capabilities across various aspects of media buying on The Trade Desk platform.

Recent updates to Kokai have focused on improving search capabilities and portfolio management efficiency. According to company documentation from June 12, 2025, the platform now includes "improved feature discoverability" and "expanded search functionality" allowing users to search by advertiser, campaign, or ad group in addition to searching by partner.

The platform also features bulk editing capabilities across ad groups. According to documentation from June 11, 2025, media buyers can now "edit faster with the ability to adjust multiple ad groups at once without jumping from campaign to campaign" and can "filter by key performance indicator (KPI)" to quickly find campaigns tied to specific goals.

Agency adoption patterns

Despite technical improvements, some agencies are actively moving away from The Trade Desk due to Kokai implementation challenges. According to a Reddit post from March 16, 2025, one agency representative stated they were "actively moving away from TTD because of this product for 2026 planning" and would be "onboarding" alternative platforms including "DV360 & Yahoo mostly."

The same user explained that the decision was driven by functionality and trader efficiency concerns rather than cost considerations. "This is mostly about functionality and our trader's time in platform, time = money, to say that it's '2 clicks' fundamentally misunderstands the scale and complexity of an enterprise trading operation," they noted.

Industry feedback suggests that bulk upload functionality has been reduced with the Kokai transition. According to comments from March 16, 2025, features like fold placement optimization for viewability and engagement "no longer able to be updated via bulk upload." Additionally, enabling or disabling Koa optimizations for performance-based campaigns "is not possible to do via bulk upload."

The Trade Desk maintains that over 70% of client spend now flows through Kokai as of Q2 2025. However, the company's goal to reach complete client migration to Kokai by the end of 2025 faces obstacles from agencies that prefer the legacy Solimar interface.

Industry implications

The forced adoption of Kokai highlights broader tensions in programmatic advertising technology adoption. According to industry analysis from February 21, 2025, some observers suggest The Trade Desk's platform changes reflect a strategic shift toward direct brand partnerships and away from traditional agency relationships.

Chris Vanderhook, Co-Founder & COO of Viant Technology, suggested in February 2025 that "TTD now treats agencies as a pass-through" and that "agency reluctance to adopt Kokai" represented "the final straw" in deteriorating relationships.

For the marketing community, these platform transitions demonstrate the challenges of balancing innovation with user experience. According to PPC Land's previous analysis, the slower-than-expected Kokai implementation has created operational inefficiencies despite the platform's advanced AI capabilities.

The Trade Desk's approach contrasts with competitors who have maintained parallel systems during major platform updates. The company's decision to restrict new campaign creation to Kokai suggests confidence in the platform's long-term value despite current user resistance.

Executive departures

The Kokai transition has coincided with significant leadership changes at The Trade Desk. Bill Simmons, former VP of Product, announced his departure on March 14, 2025, just days after industry critics shared skepticism about the Kokai platform on social media.

In his LinkedIn departure announcement, Simmons acknowledged the timing of his exit, stating: "It's not lost on me that the very same week that I'm announcing my departure, many critics of TTD's Kokai platform are sharing their skepticism on social media." Despite leaving, Simmons defended the platform, describing it as "a bold, fundamental reinvention of what a DSP can be, dramatically improving advertising quality and value across the Open Internet."

Simmons suggested that critics "only see the surface—they haven't seen the whole picture yet" and expressed continued belief in Kokai's potential. He noted that "the biggest ideas always face a tidal wave of doubt" when addressing platform skepticism.

The executive departure followed The Trade Desk's December 2024 reorganization, which CEO Jeff Green described as the company's "largest reorganization in company history." The restructuring included streamlining client-facing teams and reorganizing engineering operations into 100 scrum teams.

Current platform capabilities

Kokai now includes several measurement innovations designed for connected TV and retail media channels. The platform features retail measurement data from partner retailers including Albertsons Media Collective and Walgreens Advertising Group when audience data is enabled.

The system incorporates three measurement indices: the Retail Sales Index for measuring online and offline retail sales against retail ad spend; the TV Quality Index for assessing viewer ad experiences across streaming platforms; and the Quality Reach Index to help marketers expand their customer base through relevant profile targeting.

The platform also features a Partner Portal for streamlined integrations, allowing thousands of partners to connect directly with The Trade Desk using standardized adapters. This portal supports integrations for OpenPath, Unified ID 2.0, retail onboarding, measurement, third-party audience data, and contextual targeting.

Recent updates have focused on campaign management efficiency. According to documentation from July 13, 2025, Kokai now includes tools designed to "increase control and visibility of ads across channels" with "fast and accessible" functionality for managing "complex, omnichannel campaigns."

Market outlook

The Trade Desk continues developing new products despite Kokai implementation challenges. The company announced "Ventura" in November 2024, described as a "new streaming TV operating system" designed to provide a "much cleaner supply chain for streaming TV advertising."

Digital advertising represents a substantial growth opportunity with an estimated total addressable market of approximately $1 trillion and a 14.5% compound annual growth rate. Connected TV and retail media networks represent particularly promising segments within this market.

However, The Trade Desk faces ongoing challenges including competition from technology giants like Alphabet and Meta, privacy regulation changes, and the decline of third-party cookies. While the company's Unified ID 2.0 initiative aims to address privacy concerns, industry-wide adoption remains uncertain.

The company maintains strong financial fundamentals with $1.369 billion in cash and cash equivalents, $552 million in short-term investments, and a current ratio near 2. Customer retention rates exceed 95%, and the platform processed $12 billion in gross spend in FY24.

Timeline

• June 6, 2023: The Trade Desk launches Kokai platform with distributed AI capabilities, measurement tools, Partner Portal, and The Programmatic Table interface
• November 2024: The Trade Desk announces "Ventura," a new streaming TV operating system expected to launch in H1 2025
• December 2024: The Trade Desk undergoes its "largest reorganization in company history"
• February 12, 2025: Q4 2024 earnings report shows slowing growth at 22.3% year-over-year, missing expectations
• February-March 2025: Company stock price drops 55% from November levels
• March 14, 2025: VP of Product Bill Simmons announces departure from The Trade Desk while defending Kokai against industry criticism
• June 9, 2025: Trade Desk launches Deal Desk to manage advertising deals
• June 11, 2025: Work more efficiently in Kokai's portfolio view update released
• June 12, 2025: Get to know Kokai's new search capabilities update released
• July 13, 2025: Meet the Kokai tools designed to save you time update released
• August 13, 2025: Users report forced Kokai adoption for new campaign creation

Summary

Who: The Trade Desk, a leading programmatic advertising platform headquartered in Ventura, California, with agencies and media buyers using the platform globally.

What: The Trade Desk has begun restricting new campaign creation on its legacy Solimar interface, forcing users to adopt its newer Kokai platform. This transition has generated significant resistance from users who prefer the older system's functionality and interface design.

When: The forced adoption was first reported by users on August 13, 2025, though the Kokai platform was originally launched on June 6, 2023. The transition has been ongoing for nearly two years with varying levels of user adoption.

Where: The restrictions appear within The Trade Desk's platform interface globally, affecting agencies and advertisers who previously relied on the Solimar system for campaign management and creation.

Why: The Trade Desk aims to complete migration of all clients from Solimar to Kokai by the end of 2025, promoting the newer platform's artificial intelligence capabilities and advanced measurement tools. However, the forced adoption comes amid user complaints about interface design, reduced functionality, and implementation challenges that have impacted the company's financial performance and led to executive departures.

PPC Land explains

Kokai Platform: The Trade Desk's next-generation advertising technology platform launched on June 6, 2023, designed to replace the legacy Solimar system. Kokai incorporates distributed artificial intelligence capabilities across all aspects of digital media buying, processing more than 13 million advertising impressions per second with each impression potentially containing thousands of distinct signals. The platform represents a fundamental architectural shift from reactive optimization to predictive decisioning, using AI algorithms for bid clearing, impression scoring, measurement forecasting, and budget optimization across programmatic advertising campaigns.

The Trade Desk: A publicly traded demand-side platform (DSP) headquartered in Ventura, California, that enables advertisers to purchase digital advertising inventory across websites, mobile applications, and streaming services through real-time bidding auctions. Founded by CEO Jeff Green, the company went public in 2016 and has positioned itself as an independent alternative to advertising platforms operated by major technology companies. The Trade Desk generated $2.4 billion in revenue in 2024 while processing $12 billion in gross advertising spend through its platform.

Solimar: The Trade Desk's legacy advertising platform that preceded Kokai, used by agencies and advertisers for programmatic campaign management from approximately 2018 through 2025. Solimar featured a traditional interface design that many users found intuitive for campaign setup, optimization, and reporting. The platform supported manual campaign creation, bulk editing capabilities, and comprehensive portfolio management tools that experienced traders preferred for complex enterprise-level advertising operations before the forced migration to Kokai.

Artificial Intelligence (AI): Machine learning algorithms integrated throughout Kokai's architecture to automate and optimize advertising decisions in real-time. The Trade Desk's AI implementation builds on their earlier Koa system, distributing predictive capabilities across bidding strategies, audience targeting, creative optimization, and performance measurement. These AI systems analyze massive datasets to make split-second decisions about ad placements, automatically adjusting campaigns based on performance signals and market conditions to improve advertiser return on investment.

Campaign Management: The process of creating, optimizing, and monitoring digital advertising campaigns across multiple channels and platforms. Within The Trade Desk ecosystem, campaign management involves setting targeting parameters, budget allocation, creative asset assignment, and performance tracking through either the legacy Solimar interface or the newer Kokai platform. Effective campaign management requires balancing reach objectives, cost efficiency, and brand safety considerations while navigating complex programmatic advertising environments.

Platform Transition: The technical and operational process of migrating users from The Trade Desk's legacy Solimar system to the newer Kokai platform, initiated in June 2023 and expected to complete by end of 2025. This transition involves transferring campaign data, retraining users on new interface designs, updating API integrations, and ensuring continuity of advertising operations. The transition has faced resistance due to interface complexity, reduced functionality in certain areas, and operational disruptions affecting agency workflows and campaign performance.

Programmatic Advertising: Automated buying and selling of digital advertising inventory through real-time bidding auctions, enabling precise audience targeting and efficient budget allocation across websites, mobile apps, and streaming platforms. Programmatic systems use data signals and algorithms to make instantaneous decisions about ad placements, allowing advertisers to reach specific demographics while publishers maximize revenue from their available inventory. The Trade Desk operates as a demand-side platform within this ecosystem, representing advertiser interests in programmatic transactions.

User Interface: The visual and interactive elements through which advertisers and agencies access The Trade Desk's platform functionality, including navigation systems, data visualization tools, and campaign management workflows. Kokai introduced a "Periodic Table" design concept that organizes features into tile-based layouts, contrasting with Solimar's more traditional menu structure. Interface design significantly impacts user adoption rates, operational efficiency, and overall platform satisfaction among trading professionals who spend extensive time managing campaigns.

Connected TV (CTV): Television content delivered through internet-connected devices including smart TVs, streaming sticks, and gaming consoles, representing The Trade Desk's largest and fastest-growing advertising channel. CTV enables advertisers to combine the visual impact and premium content association of traditional television with the precise targeting and measurement capabilities of digital advertising. The Trade Desk's platform reaches over 90 million households through CTV, capitalizing on the shift from linear television consumption to streaming services.

Revenue Growth: The percentage increase in The Trade Desk's quarterly and annual financial performance, which has decelerated from consistent 25%-plus growth rates to 22.3% year-over-year in Q4 2024 and projected 17% growth for Q1 2025. This slowdown coincides with the Kokai platform transition challenges and has contributed to investor concerns, resulting in a 55% stock price decline since November 2024. Revenue growth serves as a key indicator of platform adoption success and market competitiveness in the programmatic advertising sector.