Prefix Downloads Counting Methodology (IAB Certified) – Podscribe

Introduction

This Document of Methodology (DOM) outlines the methods and practices employed by Podscribe for measuring unique impressions. The methodologies specified herein align with the requirements set by the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) and ensure the integrity and accuracy of the collected data. This document includes details on the measurement window, self-audit practices, unique impression counting, IP handling, and inclusion list validation.

Measurement Window

The measurement window for counting unique impressions is set to 1 day. This ensures that all impressions are aggregated and analyzed within a daily cycle, providing consistent and timely data for reporting purposes.

Self-Audit

Podscribe conducts self-audits twice per year to ensure compliance with IAB standards and practices. These self-audits include:

Annual IAB Certification: Ensuring that all measurement and reporting methodologies meet the IAB’s rigorous standards.

Biannual Internal Reviews: Comprehensive internal reviews are performed every six months to maintain adherence to best practices and to identify and rectify any discrepancies.

Unique Impressions Counting

Unique impressions are determined by grouping events based on a specific set of elements. The unique combination of the following elements is used to identify distinct impressions:

Series ID: Unique identifier for the podcast series.

Episode ID: Unique identifier for each episode within the series.

Date: The specific date of the event.

User Agent: Information about the user’s browser or application.

IP Address: The IP address of the user.

By using this combination, Podscribe ensures that each impression is accurately counted and attributed to the correct user and episode.

Handling IPv4/IPv6 Addresses

The methodology for handling IP addresses involves specific practices for both IPv4 and IPv6 addresses to maintain consistency and accuracy:

IPv6 Addresses: When an IP address is identified as IPv6, it is truncated down to the first four segments before creating the event identifier.

IPv4 Addresses: IPv4 addresses are used without modification. The straightforward nature of IPv4 addressing allows for direct utilization in creating event identifiers.

These practices ensure that IP addresses are consistently processed, reducing the potential for discrepancies in unique impression counts.

Inclusion List

Podscribe maintains and re-validates its inclusion lists at least every 90 days to ensure that only valid and recognized sources are included in the measurement process. This practice includes:

User-Agent Header Submission: Platforms are recommended to submit their user-agent header values to the IAB Spiders and Bots inclusion list. This submission helps in distinguishing legitimate user agents from bots and other non-human traffic, thus improving the accuracy of device information and impression counts.

Identifying IAB-certified Prefix vs Pixel Impressions

Prefix-based Impressions measure embedded ads by counting downloads based on an IAB compliant methodology.

Pixel-based Impressions measure dynamically inserted ads using pixels triggered by third-party ad providers, and can include more than one count per download.

Here is how to tell which is being used:

UI: click a Campaign row to open the side panel. If the icon is a megaphone, then the campaign is using pixel impressions. If it’s an RSS icon, then prefix.

Reports: in the By Campaign report, see the column Prefix/Pixel to know whether the Podcast Downloads column is using Prefix or Pixel counts for impressions.