How to Integrate AdMob with Prebid Mobile: A Publisher’s Guide

Mobile publishers seeking to boost in-app ad revenue often turn to header bidding solutions like Prebid Mobile. Yet, connecting Prebid to major demand sources such as AdMob can seem complex, especially with the nuances of mediation groups and custom events.

This guide distills the Prebid Mobile + AdMob integration into clear, actionable steps for ad ops teams. Learn how to set up, configure, and optimize your AdMob mediation for seamless header bidding competition, unlocking true revenue potential from your in-app inventory.

Understanding Prebid Mobile and AdMob Mediation

Prebid Mobile enables header bidding within apps, allowing multiple demand partners to bid in real time, including direct connections to networks like AdMob. Mediation in AdMob acts as a gatekeeper, orchestrating how different ad sources (network and bidding) compete to fill your inventory.

How Mediation Impacts Header Bidding

Without proper mediation settings, programmatic demand from Prebid may be undervalued or overlooked by AdMob, missing true auction competition. The tech stack must be configured so that every Prebid bid fairly competes against AdMob’s own and other mediation partners’ demand.

Real-World Publisher Example

Consider a publisher running both AdMob and Prebid SDK in the same app placement. By integrating Prebid as a custom event and matching price points, the publisher ensures Prebid’s bids are evaluated by AdMob on equal footing with traditional network bids.

Setting Up Your AdMob Mediation Group for Prebid Mobile

Configuring your mediation group in AdMob is the backbone of successful Prebid Mobile integration. Precision here ensures that each Prebid bid can actually contend for each impression, maximizing yield.

Step-by-Step Overview

1. In AdMob, access the Mediation section and create a new Mediation Group. Select the desired format—banner, interstitial, native, or rewarded—and your target platform (iOS/Android).
2. Name the group and select the ad units to target. Make sure these match your actual inventory.
3. Save your changes and move to the core component: adding custom events for Prebid.

Common Publisher Pitfalls

A typical misstep is setting up only a single custom event or neglecting price granularity. This can starve your waterfall of competitive Prebid bids, drastically reducing revenue potential. Another frequent error is mismatching ad unit configuration between Prebid and AdMob, leading to lost or misrouted impressions.

Configuring Custom Events: Precision Bidding in Action

AdMob’s custom events bridge your Prebid bids into the mediation stack. The more granular and accurate your mapping, the more revenue you can unlock.

Custom Event Mechanics

Each custom event represents a specific price bucket. For optimal competition, you’ll want to create as many events as granularity demands—typically one for every price increment you expect (e.g., $0.05 or $0.10 steps).

The Class Name must correspond to your platform and format:
– Example (iOS Banner): PrebidAdMobBannerAdapter
– Example (Android Banner): org.prebid.mobile.admob.PrebidBannerAdapter

Keyword Parameter Matching

Every custom event should include a Parameter that matches Prebid’s targeting keywords, such as {“hb_pb”:”0.10″}. If these keywords don’t align perfectly with the winning bid, your impression won’t render the right ad—even if you have a winning Prebid bid.

Why Granularity Matters

If you only set up custom events for $0.50 and $1.00, bids at $0.60 or $0.90 will be ignored. Detailed mapping directly translates to improved fill and revenue.

What this means for publishers

Thorough AdMob-Prebid integration unlocks greater competition for every in-app impression. Publishers gain more control over their monetization stack but must commit to regular updates and checks across both Prebid and AdMob interfaces. Overlooking details—like missing price granularity or incorrect adapters—can quietly erode yield and make troubleshooting harder when performance drops.

Practical takeaway

To get the most from Prebid Mobile in AdMob environments:

– Configure mediation groups and custom events meticulously, using fine-grained price buckets that match your Prebid setup.
– Regularly review your adapter/class name assignments and keyword parameters to ensure flawless bid matching and ad rendering.

Operationally, revisit your mapping and configurations each time you adjust your pricing or add new ad units. A small setup misstep can translate into substantial lost revenue, so treat the implementation and ongoing maintenance as a critical, recurring ad ops workflow.