Campaign Audits
Part of Programmatic agency and trading-desk operations
Reviewing a campaign when platform access is limited
Review agency-managed delivery, settings, changes and costs using a defined evidence pack when DSP access is restricted.
When direct buying-platform access is limited, review the agency's dated evidence pack and state what each record can establish. Treat any unavailable setting or cost as an explicit gap. A supplied export can support a conclusion, but it does not make the whole campaign independently audited.
Process for Reviewing Campaigns with Limited Platform Access
- Define the access limit and review questionClarify what is missing: full access, role-based field hiding, account visibility, or report detail.
- Request a bounded evidence packEnsure all five components are provided as per defined requirements.
- Test the claims the pack makesVerify ID, date, timezone, filter and cost alignment; trace key items to source rows.
- State the conclusion at the right strengthUse one of three levels: verified, plausible, or unresolved—based on evidence availability.
Define the access limit and review question
Determine whether access is missing entirely, a role hides fields, you can see the advertiser but not the partner account, or a report lacks the requested detail. Check which cost fields the supplied view shows; do not assume a login exposes every billing detail.
Choose the decision the review must support. An in-flight review might ask whether buying stays inside authorised boundaries and whether a proposed change is justified. A close-out review might ask whether delivery and charges match the agreed records. Request evidence at the level that decision needs.
Request a bounded evidence pack
Ask for:
- A delivery export with stable buying IDs, report period, currency, named time zone, filters, cost metric, impressions and agreed outcome.
- A dated settings extract or capture for the affected budget, dates, inventory and required exclusions.
- A change record with material edits, editor and effective time, plus the agency’s explanation of why they were made.
- The applicable cost definitions and the route to the advertiser invoice.
- A list of fields the agency cannot provide and the reason for each gap.
Keep the original export with the summary. Ask the agency to retain the report specification and explain material changes, with supporting records where available.
Bounded Evidence Pack Requirements
- Delivery export with stable buying IDs, report period, currency, named time zone, filters, cost metric, impressions and agreed outcomeRequired
- Dated settings extract or capture for affected budget, dates, inventory and required exclusionsRequired
- Change record with material edits, editor and effective time, plus agency explanationRequired
- Applicable cost definitions and route to advertiser invoiceRequired
- List of fields the agency cannot provide and reason for each gapRequired
Test the claims the pack makes
Match IDs, dates, time zone, filters and cost basis before comparing totals. Trace a few material claims to source rows: the largest-spend line items, a required deal, a significant setting change and a disputed charge. Confirm the summary includes all relevant buying IDs. A screenshot without a visible account, entity ID or capture time is weak evidence for a saved state.
Treat fresh reporting as provisional until its data completeness and reporting window are clear. Record extraction times and rerun a disputed comparison once updated data is available. A blank field may reflect access, report compatibility or missing data; do not read it automatically as zero.
State the conclusion at the right strength
For each question, use verified from supplied records, plausible but not independently verified, or unresolved. A report may support an impression total while leaving a required exclusion’s saved state unverified. A client-cost summary may explain a charge while leaving underlying platform fees inaccessible to the reviewer.
Ask for a narrow follow-up when one missing item affects the decision: a saved setting for a named line item, a rerun of a defined report or a bridge for one charge. Escalate persistent gaps through the agreed account and contract contacts. Describe the review’s evidence and limits in the final finding.
Review Conclusion Strength Levels
- Verified from supplied records
- Evidence fully supported by provided data; no gaps in traceability
- Plausible but not independently verified
- Supporting evidence exists but cannot be confirmed without direct access
- Unresolved
- Critical data missing or inaccessible; decision cannot be made
