Campaign Setup
Programmatic agency and trading-desk operations
Set buying authority, reporting access, cost definitions and review rules for a programmatic agency or trading-desk relationship.
Advertisers need to know who controls a programmatic buy, what the desk may change, which records they can inspect, and how the final charge is explained. Settle these points before buying starts, then apply the same definitions at campaign reviews and invoice handoffs.
An agency may involve an affiliated trading desk or other suppliers. The arrangement's name does not establish who holds the buying account or which contract governs the work. Ask the agency to map the route used for this campaign.
Map the relationship
Record the advertiser's decision owner, agency lead, trader, reporting contact and billing contact. Identify the contracting entity, buying account owner and any affiliated service involved. Keep stable platform IDs beside names so a renamed buying record remains traceable.
| Question | Decision to record |
|---|---|
| Who approves the plan? | The owner of the budget, inventory limits and outcome definition. |
| Who changes the buy? | The desk’s authority over bids, allocation, targeting, deals and suppliers. |
| Who can inspect it? | The access role or recurring exports available to the advertiser. |
| Who explains the charge? | The owner of the bridge from buying records to the advertiser invoice. |
| Who resolves an exception? | The approver, escalation contact and decision record. |
Set decision rights
Separate fixed requirements from choices delegated to the desk. The advertiser might approve the total amount, required exclusions and permitted markets, while the desk adjusts bids within a defined range. State which changes need approval, such as a higher authorised amount or a new supplier where the agreement requires one.
If a constraint prevents delivery, ask the desk to explain the options and likely effects. Underspend alone does not authorise a broader buy. Put the detailed responsibility agreement in the operating schedule; the campaign brief remains the source of the campaign's objective and buying requirements.
Match platform access to responsibilities
In Display & Video 360, a user has one role for each partner or advertiser they can access. Roles across those partners and advertisers must belong to the same role family, so check access across the whole account relationship, not just one advertiser.
An Admin role sits at partner level and can manage users for partners the admin can access. Admin users have full access to billing features; Standard users can manage campaigns and reports but cannot access billing features. Treat these capabilities as distinct when deciding who administers the account and who conducts a commercial review.
Read only users can view data and build reports for the partners or advertisers they can access. Reporting only users can create and manage reports. Planner users can view all cost data, campaigns and reports, and can modify planning-related features.
Users can find their administrators in Display & Video 360 under User management and email preferences, then User management. Record the administrator contact and the advertiser or partner scope of each role, and revisit that record when account access or responsibilities change.
Platform Access Roles in Display & Video 360
- AdminFull access to billing, user management, and all account features at partner level
- StandardCan manage campaigns and reports; cannot access billing features
- Read OnlyCan view data and build reports for accessible partners or advertisers
- Reporting OnlyCan create and manage reports but not modify campaigns or billing
- PlannerCan view cost data, campaigns, reports, and modify planning features
Make platform cost definitions auditable
Display & Video 360 defines billable cost as the amount invoiced to partners for using the platform. It is media costs plus any invoiced partner costs, such as CPM fees or media fees; the calculation depends on each partner's configuration. A Partner-level Billing report shows a partner's billable cost.
An invoiced fee appears on Display & Video 360 invoices. The platform's own fee is a non-editable partner cost automatically included in billable cost; CPM fees set to zero do not appear in reports. Agree which configured fees the oversight cost view includes, so a missing report line is not mistaken for proof that no fee exists.
Display & Video 360's Revenue column represents the final price charged to clients for managed line items. A total media cost markup model adds a fixed percentage of total media cost, which can include partner and data costs; a 20% markup on $20,000 of total media cost produces $24,000 in revenue.
Set the partner's default revenue model in partner settings, and set a model for an individual line item. A CPM value model bases revenue on a fixed price per thousand impressions and is not tied to the actual cost of purchasing impressions; Google advises using it with caution. Record the applicable model and the costs it includes as part of the agreed commercial explanation.
Key Cost Definitions in Display & Video 360
- Billable CostMedia costs + invoiced partner costs (e.g. CPM fees)
- Revenue (Client Price)Final price charged to client; includes markup on total media cost
- Markup Model Example20% on $20,000 media cost = $24,000 revenue
- CPM Value Model CautionFixed price per thousand impressions; not tied to actual cost – use with care
Set the evidence and cost rules
Agree the reporting period, currency, named time zone, buying IDs, cost fields and delivery date. Request the underlying export where available alongside the agency's summary. Specify how material changes and exceptions will be recorded. Direct platform access can help, but its role may hide fields needed for a commercial review.
Keep media cost, platform billable cost and the advertiser's charge distinct. In Display & Video 360, billable cost concerns amounts invoiced to the platform partner; a configured Revenue field can represent a client price. Charges raised outside the platform still need explanation from the agency agreement and invoice. Ask which components sit inside the approved budget, which are separate, and how credits and tax are handled.
At each review, compare the agreed outcome with delivery and inspect material decisions since the previous cut-off. Close the flight with a dated delivery report, change and exception record, and invoice bridge. Leave missing evidence as an open question; do not treat an unexplained total as verified.
In this guide
- Agreeing on buying responsibilities with a trading deskAssign budget, inventory, measurement and change authority between an advertiser and trading desk.
- Requesting campaign-level transparency from an agencySpecify the campaign exports, cost definitions, change log and access needed to review an agency-managed programmatic buy.
- Reconciling media delivery with a trading desk invoiceMatch buying records, cost definitions, fees, credits and tax treatment when checking a trading desk invoice.
- Reviewing a campaign when platform access is limitedReview agency-managed delivery, settings, changes and costs using a defined evidence pack when DSP access is restricted.
