AdTech Variables
The Impulse Engine automatically maps real-time, highly granular hardware telemetry into stable, categorical tiers designed specifically for the programmatic advertising ecosystem.
Unlike the Engineering Scores (which grow infinitely alongside Moore's Law), AdTech Variables use a fixed 1-to-4 scale (where 1 is the absolute best). This ensures that your pricing rules, Private Marketplace (PMP) deals, and DSP targeting segments remain perfectly stable year over year, regardless of new hardware releases.
1. sd_inventory_tier (The Commercial Proxy)
The sd_inventory_tier evaluates the commercial value of the device by combining hardware processing power, release cycle, and OS ecosystem (e.g., iOS vs. Android).
Because high-end, expensive hardware strongly correlates with high purchasing power, this variable is your primary tool for Yield Optimization.
Scale Breakdown
sd_inventory_tier | Classification | Inventory Profile | Yield Strategy |
|---|---|---|---|
1 | Ultra-Premium | High-end ecosystems (iOS/Mac) and recent flagships. The devices of high-income earners. | Dynamic Floors: +100% to +200%. PMP: Package as exclusive VIP audiences. |
2 | Premium | Recent mid-range/high-end devices and older iPhones. A massive volume to be revalued. | Dynamic Floors: +30% to +50%. |
3 | Mainstream | The core of the market. A standardized and predictable audience. | Baseline Floors: Apply your standard Run-Of-Network (RON) pricing. |
4 | Mass-Market | Entry-level and aging devices. Promo and bargain hunters. | Fill-Rate Focus: Maintain baseline pricing or lower slightly to ensure maximum fill rate. |
2. sd_device_tier (The Technical/Anti-Waste Proxy)
The sd_device_tier isolates the pure rendering capability of the hardware. It strips away commercial ecosystem biases and focuses strictly on whether the machine has the CPU, GPU, and RAM required to render complex ad formats without freezing the browser.
This variable is your primary tool for protecting your Core Web Vitals (INP) and preventing ad-induced browser crashes.
Scale Breakdown
sd_device_tier | Classification | Device Profile |
|---|---|---|
1 | High-End | Capable of parallel multi-threading and heavy WebGL rendering without dropping frames. |
2 | Mid-Range | Strong rendering power, minor latency on extremely heavy concurrent tasks. |
3 | Basic | Limited RAM and single-core bottlenecks. Susceptible to UI lag under heavy load. |
4 | Entry-level | Severe risk of INP latency and Out-Of-Memory (OOM) crashes if forced to render complex DOMs. |
Data Formatting & Type Safety
When sd-metrics.js evaluates the device locally, it exposes these variables in the window.scaledynamics object as Integers.
Important Note for Ad Server Integration
Most Ad Servers, including Google Ad Manager (GAM) and Prebid.js, require Custom Key-Values to be passed strictly as Strings.
When pushing these variables to your ad calls, always ensure you cast them to strings:
async function initializeApp() {
const inventory_tier = await window.sd.inventory_tier.get();
const invTierString = inventory_tier.toString();
googletag.pubads().setTargeting('sd_inventory_tier', invTierString);
}