Our network classifies impressions into three main categories as defined by the MRC Viewable Ad Impression Measurement Guidelines produced by the IAB.
Viewable / valid ad impressions
Any impression not identified as "visible" is still reported. However, it will not cost the advertiser nor earn revenue for publishers. This includes any vCPM placements or any clicks on a CPC campaign tied to a non-viewable impression.
How ad viewability is handled per advertising channel
Display ads - When an ad is served on the page, it is considered viewable if 50% or more of the pixels are visible for one second or more.
Recommended content ads - Although these types of campaigns are billed on a cost-per-click (CPC) basis, Mantis does track viewability and will not charge an advertiser if the widget hosting the content ad was not visible.
Video ads - Mantis will count your video ad as viewable after it has been watched by a person for 5 seconds or longer.
Note: The concept of a “viewable/visible” impression was not live until April 12th, 2016. Any impressions prior to that date are considered “Undetermined” or “Unmeasurable.”
Non-viewable / unviewed impressions
A non-viewable or unviewed ad impression means that Mantis had the capability to track if the creative was seen or not, but received no indication that it was.
For example, a creative could be rendered in the footer of a website but never viewed by the reader if they don't scroll down far enough. Mantis advertisers bidding on a vCPM basis do not pay for non-viewable ad impressions.
Unmeasurable impressions
Due to technical limitations (e.g., ads loading in an iFrame or third-party ad server), we may be unable to track if a creative is visible or not. These types of impressions are classified as unmeasurable impressions.
Mantis will automatically optimize for placements that are consistently untraceable and will prevent the delivery of vCPM campaigns to them. In other words, Mantis advertisers that are bidding on a vCPM basis do not pay for unmeasurable ad impressions. However, display CPC campaigns will still cost advertisers and earn revenue for publishers when ads are clicked even if the visibility is unmeasurable.
Flagged impressions
Flagged impressions on your Mantis dashboard refers to the total # of ad impressions flagged as potentially fraudulent by our third-party fraud vendors. Mantis advertisers are not charged for flagged impressions.
