SDK bidder testing and integration

As an SDK Bidder, you begin the integration process by contacting the AppLovin Partnerships team. They will confirm that you are ready to start onboarding. When they do so, provide them with the following:

• A bidder endpoint compatible with oRTB spec version 2.3 or 2.5. Review this spec at the AppLovin oRTB specification page.
• Access to the network bidder’s SDK and integration documentation. You can find network adapter development guidance at the Building a custom adapter documentation page.
• A list of ad formats supported by the network partner. MAX supports banner, interstitial, MREC, rewarded, and native ads.
• Documentation on how to integrate network partners’ revenue reporting APIs. MAX publishers use this to check for potential discrepancies.
• An email address for a dedicated MAX bidder account. This bidder account dashboard has reports including publisher stats and SDK error logs.
• Test mode instructions or test placements for both iOS & Android, across all ad formats, with consistent global fill.

The AppLovin Partnerships team then guides you through the following process:

1. Bidder integration: MAX builds the network SDK adapters and shares those adapters with you. MAX integrates the oRTB endpoint in parallel.
2. End-to-end testing: The MAX integration team runs manual end-to-end tests with the adapters you provide. This ensures that the network endpoint integration can return bid responses, that ads render in your SDK, and that reporting works as expected.
3. Partner review: You review the adapters and the MAX Sample app. You get access to the bidder dashboard. End-to-end tests ensure that the integration works as you expect.
4. Alpha launch: MAX enables your network bidder as a demand source in MAX test apps with live traffic. Then you can compare stats and resolve any remaining issues.
5. Beta launch: MAX enables your network bidder on more apps, based on the initial results. As more results come in, MAX can expand you to more MAX publishers who want to be part of the early release process. At this stage, only approved publishers can see and enable the network bidder in the MAX dashboard. MAX provides documentation and onboarding guidance.
6. Global launch: MAX distributes your bidder to all publishers and ad units. Any existing or new publisher on MAX can enable your network bidder connection on MAX by following the public documentation.

Barring any major issues, expect this process to take about two months from approval to global launch. This depends on your network’s performance and launch strategy.