Google bidding integration

Set up Google as a bidder network on Unity LevelPlay Mediation using the auto-setup tool or manual configuration.

Read time 5 minutes

This guide instructs you step-by-step on how to set Google as a bidder network on Unity LevelPlay Mediation.

Prerequisites
Prerequisites

Ensure that you have correctly integrated ironSource's Rewarded Video, Interstitial, or Banner into your application.

Google bidding is supported starting from ironSourcr SDK version 7.2.7+.

As of AdMob SDK 7.69.0+, AdMob are using XCFramework. If you are using CocoaPods for your AdMob integration, make sure you have CocoaPods Version 1.9.0+.

AdMob Supports Android Operating Systems Version 4.1 (API level 16) and up. The required Gradle Build Tool is 3.5.4. You can learn about the support for AndroidX here.

AdMob SDK supports iOS version 10+, and will server ads for users on iOS version 11+.

Step 1. Create an AdMob Account
Step 1. Create an AdMob Account

  1. To access Google's ad inventory through Unity LevelPlay Mediation, you need to create an account with AdMob.
  2. It's recommended to adjust the time zone of your AdMob account to UTC to align with the Unity LevelPlay platform. This will ensure accurate reporting. Learn more.

Step 2. Create an application and ad unit in AdMob
Step 2. Create an application and ad unit in AdMob

Next, you must add your app to your AdMob account.

Add Your App
Add Your App

  • Log into your AdMob account. On your dashboard, click Apps then Add app.
  • A modal will appear where you can either search for your app, add your app manually or simply select an existing app to monetize. You'll need a unique AdMob application per platform (iOS + Android), similar to your ironSource account.
  • Select interstitial, rewarded video, or banners as your ad unit format and enter the relevant details.
  • Interstitial
    • Ad unit name: Name the ad unit intuitively so it will be easy to recognize as the ad unit you'll be serving
    • Partner bidding: Check the box to indicate that you are using bidding on another mediation platform
  • Rewarded Video
    • Ad unit name: Name the ad unit intuitively so it will be easy to recognize as the ad unit you'll be serving
    • Partner bidding: Check the box to indicate that you are using bidding on another mediation platform
  •  Banners
    • Ad unit name: Name the ad unit intuitively so it will be easy to recognize as the ad unit you'll be serving
    • Partner bidding: Check the box to indicate that you are using bidding on another mediation platform

Step 3. Activate Google in your LevelPlay network setup module
Step 3. Activate Google in your LevelPlay network setup module

There are two ways that you can get Meta Audience Network setup on LevelPlay:

  • Auto-setup - Login with your Google account to automatically create new application and bidding placements and pull all the necessary configurations settings from Google AdMob platform
  • Manual - Go between the LevelPlay and Google AdMob platforms to retrieve and enter the necessary information.

Auto-setup
Auto-setup

  • Log into your LevelPlay account and go to the LevelPlay side nav bar > Setup > Networks
  • Select Google AdMob from the list of available ad networks
  • Click Login with Google and log in with your approved Google account
  • If you’re already logged in, click reset login (A new log-in is required)
  • After you’re logged in, toggle on Google auto-setup bidder
  • Now go to the Instances page, and select the app where you’d like to run interstitial, rewarded, or banner ads from Google. 
  • Click the Add Bidder button to automatically create new apps and bidding placements on the AdMob platform, and import the Ad Unit ID. If there is an App ID already attached to the app, you will be able to use the auto-setup tool if there is at least 1 placement without the Ad unit ID parameter value. In this case, a new bidding placement will be created.
  • Click Save to approve and accept all configurations. If you close the module without saving, the assets will be created on the AdMob platform without importing the data onto the LevelPlay platform.

The status of Google bidder instances will be the same as the status of the ironSource Ads bidder, by ad format. For example, if you’re not using the ironSource Ads bidder for rewarded videos, it will not be automatically activated for the Google network.

Manual Setup
Manual Setup

  • Log into your LevelPlay account and go to the LevelPlay side nav bar > Setup > Networks
  • Select Google AdMob from the list of available ad networks

There are a few pieces of data from your AdMob account that need to be inserted into your LevelPlay Network Setup Module in order for AdMob to work correctly with the ironSource SDK:

App IDThe unique ID assigned to your app on Admob's dashboard.
Ad Unit IDThe unique ID assigned to your app's ad unit on Admob's dashboard.
Client IDThis is the unique identifier that specifies the relationship between your account and the ad unit.
Client SecretThe secret key that pairs with the Client ID
Refresh TokenThis is the refresh token the client application already received.

After you obtain this information, you must configure AdMob's Parameters into LevelPlay.

      1. App ID To retrieve your App ID, go to 'Apps' tab on the left side bar on Admob's platform and click on 'App Settings' .  You will then see the application's settings, as well as the App ID. 2. Ad Unit ID To retrieve your Ad Unit ID, go to 'Apps' tab on the left side bar on Admob's platform and click on 'Ad Units'. You will then see the application's ad units, as well as the Ad Unit ID. 3. Client ID  and Client Secret
        1. To retrieve your Client ID & Client Secret, go to Google's API Manager.
        2. Click on the API Project drop-down at the upper-left of the page, select 'Create a project' or select the project you already created for this app. In the case you are creating a new project for this purpose,  provide a Project name, Billing account, and Location in the dialog box that appears and click Create.
        3. In the left sidebar, select Credentials, then select the OAuth consent screen tab.Then, provide a Product Name and click Save.
        4. In the left sidebar, select Dashboard**,** and go to Enable APIs and services.
        5. Next, enable the AdMob API.
        6. Select the Credentials tab in the left sidebar. Click the Create Credentials drop-down and select OAuth client ID.
        7. Select Web application, and provide a name for your app. In the fields below, you must enter https://developers.google.com/oauthplayground for at least one Authorized redirect URI. For example:
        8. Click Create, and you will be presented with your Client ID and Client Secret.
        9. Refresh Token
          1. To retrieve your Refresh Token, go to the OAuth 2.0 Playground.
          2. Click the settings icon in the upper right corner. Uncheck the box labeled Force approval prompt and check Use your own OAuth credentials. Input your Client ID and Client Secret.
          3. Next, in Step 1: Select & Authorize APIS, enter 'https://www.googleapis.com/auth/admob.report' and click Authorize APIs.
          4. Grant your project access to your AdMob data
          5. You should then receive the Authorization Code from Step 1 and will be able to click the Exchange authorization code for tokens button. Then you will get a Refresh token as well as an Access Token.

  • After you have all of these parameters, enter them into the Google AdMob account settings on LevelPlay.

  • Next, go to the Instances page. Select the app at the top of the page for which you’d like to run Unity LevelPlay's Mediation with Google bidding.

  • Select Google from the setup list of Ad Networks and click on the tool Define icon. Then insert the App ID and Ad Unit ID  under Interstitial, Rewarded Video or Banner Settings.

Step 4. Add the Admob adapter to your build
Step 4. Add the Admob adapter to your build

After you’ve completed SDK integration, you can download AdMob Adapter, using the Unity Integration Manager.

In your Unity Development platform, go to ironSource Integration Manager.

If you already have the latest version of the adapters, the action button will be changed to “Updated”, and will be disabled.

Android (Manual Resolve)

To apply your changes, make sure you use the “Resolve” process. This will download all relevant artifacts, according to your choices. For detailed information see instructions here. 

Add AdMob App ID
Add AdMob App ID

Android Add your AdMob App ID to the app’s AndroidManifest as a child of the <application></application> tag:

<meta-data android:name="com.google.android.gms.ads.APPLICATION_ID"
           android:value="[ADMOB_APP_ID]"/>

Replace the GADApplicationIdentifier with the APP ID value you retrieved in step 3. Not doing so results in crashes originated with AdMob's SDK. For more information, refer to AdMob's guide.

iOS Add your AdMob App ID to the app’s plist as described here. Alternatively, you can make this change programmatically

<key>GADApplicationIdentifier</key>
<string>[APP_ID]</string>

Replace the GADApplicationIdentifier value with the APP ID value you retrieve in step 3.

Step 5. Update Info.plist (For iOS)
Step 5. Update Info.plist (For iOS)

As of AdMob SDK V7.42.0 for iOS (Adapter version 4.3.3 + iOS / Unity ), AdMob's SDK requires publishers to add their AdMob App ID to the app’s plist as described here. Alternatively, you can make this change programmatically

<key>GADApplicationIdentifier</key>
<string>[APP_ID]</string>

Replace the GADApplicationIdentifier value with the APP ID value you retrieve in step 3. Not doing so results in crashes originated with AdMob's SDK. For more information, refer to AdMob's guide.

Step 6. Additional Steps
Step 6. Additional Steps

Child-directed setting - COPPA
Child-directed setting - COPPA

Unity LevelPlay mediation lets publishers communicate AdMob Child-directed settings directly to the AdMob network. This feature is enabled using ironSource SDK 6.14.0+, AdMob Unity Adapter 4.3.12+.

Use the following syntax, to set AdMob setTagForChildDirectedTreatment with the parameter "True":

 IronSource.Agent.setMetaData("AdMob_TFCD","true");

Use the following syntax, to set AdMob setTagForChildDirectedTreatment with the parameter "False":

 IronSource.Agent.setMetaData("AdMob_TFCD","false");

To learn more about Child-directed settings Under AdMob network visit here. here.

Users under the age of consent - GDPR
Users under the age of consent - GDPR

Unity LevelPlay mediation lets publishers communicate with AdMob network, a Tag For Users under the Age of Consent in Europe (TFUA) request. This feature is enabled using ironSource SDK 6.14.0+, AdMob Unity Adapter 4.3.12+.

Use the following syntax, to set setTagForUnderAgeOfConsent with "True":

 IronSource.Agent.setMetaData("AdMob_TFUA","true");

Use the following syntax, to set setTagForUnderAgeOfConsent with "False":

 IronSource.Agent.setMetaData("AdMob_TFUA","false");

To learn more about Child-directed settings Under AdMob network visit here. here.

Ad Content filtering
Ad Content filtering

Unity LevelPlay mediation lets publishers communicate with AdMob network,  maximum ad content rating for all ad requests. This feature is enabled using ironSource SDK 7.12.0+, AdMob Android Adapter 4.3.23+.

Use the following syntax, to set maxAdContentRating:

IronSource.Agent.setMetaData("AdMob_MaxContentRating","MAX_AD_CONTENT_RATING_G");

The possible values for this property are based on digital content label classification as defined by Google:

  • MAX_AD_CONTENT_RATING_G
  • MAX_AD_CONTENT_RATING_PG
  • MAX_AD_CONTENT_RATING_T
  • MAX_AD_CONTENT_RATING_MA

To learn more about Ad Content Rating property Under AdMob network visit here.

Content URL mapping support
Content URL mapping support

Unity LevelPlay supports Google’s content mapping for apps, and allows you to share URLs using "Google_Content_Mapping" settings. This feature is enabled using ironSource SDK 7.7.0+, AdMob Adapter 4.3.58+. Learn more about Google’s content mapping here.

To pass a single-content URL, use the following syntax:

IronSource.Agent.setMetaData("Google_Content_Mapping","https://www.example.com");

To support multiple urls, use the same key and share up to 4 URLs:

IronSource.Agent.setMetaData("Google_Content_Mapping",["https://www.expamle1.com","https://www.example2.com"]);

Verify Your Ad Network Integration
Verify Your Ad Network Integration

To verify your ironSource SDK and additional Ad Networks' integration, follow this document.

Next steps
Next steps

To leverage additional mediation ad networks, integrate the adapters and follow our integration guides.