Skip to main content
Sign in

Search

Flight Control Help Center

Programmatic Campaign Workflow

  • Updated

General

You can use this article for guidance when configuring logic for the following campaign types, which are transacted through a DSP or directly with publishers:

  • Display
  • Video
  • In-Banner Video
  • Interactive Video
  • Digital Out-of-Home Image
  • Audio

Note: Native campaigns require additional setup considerations. For more information, see Native Campaign Logic.

For more information on Flight Control campaign types, see Campaign Types & Specifications.

image2.png User Permissions 

  • You need the Campaigns user permission to create or change campaigns.

image.png Prerequisites

  • Have creatives stored in your account's Creative Library that apply to your campaign type.

Programmatic Campaign Workflow

Step 1: Handle Campaign Card Settings

  1. Enter the following within the campaign's homepage:
    • CPM (optional; for reporting purposes)
    • Default landing page URL
    • Any settings specific to video or audio campaigns

Step 2: Add Placements

  1. Go to the campaign's Placements step.
  2. Add placements manually, by connecting to a DSP campaign, or by importing them from a CSV/Excel file.

Step 3: Add Decision Cards to the Campaign

Add and connect decision cards to your campaign as needed for your strategy:

  • Product Selection Card
    • This card selects a product from a product feed to display in an ad using a specified selection strategy.
  • Content Selection Card
    • This card selects a content item from a content feed to display in an ad using a specified selection strategy.
  • Location Card
    • This card selects a location from a location feed to display in an ad using a specified location targeting method.
  • Condition Card
    • This card conditions by one or more attributes and selects which card output and creative to use for an impression.
  • Schedule Card
    • This card lets you perform campaign actions like dayparting and other date/time ad-serving specifications.
  • Weighted Card
    • This card determines how often its outputs should be used relative to other outputs in the same pool of impression opportunities.
  • Optimization Card
    • This card optimizes its outputs (and connected creatives) according to a chosen key performance indicator (KPI).
  • Sequence Card
    • This card determines how often to show each output outcome for a specific user.

Tip: You can copy and paste cards, even entire campaign logic configurations, from one campaign to another within the same account using Ctrl + C and Ctrl + V (Windows) or Command + C and Command + V (Mac). Only cards relevant to a specific campaign type can be pasted in the campaign map. 
 

Step 4: Add Creative Cards to the Campaign

Programmatic campaign creatives come from your account's Creative Library. Use creative cards to include them in your campaign. To do so:

  1. Add and connect creative cards to unconnected card outputs.
  2. Add a fallback creative card.

Step 5 (for Video Campaigns): Render Video Creative Variations

You must now render all possible video ad variations derived from the campaign map logic:

  1. Go to the Variations step in the campaign's Header.
  2. Click Render.
    • This initiates the video rendering process, which may take some time.

Step 6: Preview and QA the Campaign

Before saving and activating your campaign, be sure to test your campaign map configuration and its possible outcomes:

  1. Click the Preview mode (eyeball) icon to view your campaign's creatives.
  2. Click the Preview pane's arrow icon (Preview Drawer Icon.png) to open the extended Preview drawer.
    • Using the extended Preview drawer, you can simulate impression variables to see how they would affect the preview. To learn more about campaign previewing, see Campaign Previews.

Step 7: Save the Campaign Version

  1. Click on the current Campaign Version > Save Version.

Step 8: Activate the Campaign

Once your campaign and creatives are finalized, you can activate the campaign:

  1. Click on the current Campaign Version > Activate Version.

Important: Activate your campaign in Flight Control before publishing tags to Amazon, as Amazon will automatically reject any tags published before the campaign is active. 

Step 9: Publish or Download Ad Tags

After activating your campaign version, publish or download ad tags:

  1. Go to the campaign's Placements step.
  2. Select placements to publish or download tags for.
  3. Take one of the following steps depending on your placement type(s):
    • Manual placements
      1. Click Actions > Download Tags.
      2. Send the tags to the relevant publishers/DSPs.
    • DSP-connected placements (The Trade Desk or Display & Video 360)
      1. Click Actions > Publish Tags.
        • This will automatically traffic ad tags to connected DSPs.
        • Note: We highly recommend activating your Flight Control campaign version before publishing tags to the DSP.
        • To pause or end the campaign, the tags must be turned off in the DSP.

Note: You only need to re-traffic tags if essential placement information changes (e.g., placement ID, external IDs, DSP details), creative formats/sizes are added, or ad verification partner details (IAS or DoubleVerify) are modified. Re-trafficking is not required for changes to campaign logic update, the placement name, or placement custom parameters.