Configure and track spending and ROI

Configure internal and third-party demand sources, set the budget layers and content mix, and track revenue, margin, and ROI for brands, agencies, and partners.

Monetization only scales when spending is controlled and performance is measurable. You decide where spending comes from and where budget flows, then report the return to the brands, agencies, and partners that invest in your network.

This applies to Retail Media Networks (RMN), Commerce Media Networks (CMN), enterprise brands, and agencies operating within Genuin. For how revenue reaches your network, see Monetize: what it does and where to start.

Configure spending sources

Spending enters your network from two sources: internal brand profiles, directly through Genuin infrastructure, and third-party ad servers or programmatic partners. The difference matters for compliance and margin control.

Internal sponsored posts

Sponsored posts from internal brand profiles are served through Genuin infrastructure. They're fully context-aligned, offer higher transparency, and don't require ads.txt or sellers.json.

Use them for category sponsorships, highlight placements, subscription-based access, and direct brand partnerships. Learn more about creating a paid partnership.

A partnered post or takeover shows on a placement or embed only when it's assigned to an active preset in Settings > Ad Configuration. In that preset, Partnered Post (under In-Feed) has to be ON for partnered posts, and Partnered Takeover for takeovers.

Third-party ad servers and programmatic partners

External demand has its own requirements and options:

• It requires an ads.txt update and a sellers.json configuration.
• It supports DealID activation.
• It supports the 300×250 and 300×600 formats.
• It enables audio on desktop and mobile web.
• It integrates with partners such as PubMatic, Magnite, and Index Exchange.

Use it for In-Stream (pre-roll, mid-roll, and post-roll), In-Feed vertical video ads, session takeovers, and PG/PMP audience extension. Learn how to set up programmatic ads and how Partner Ad Server Integration works.

Ad servers in Demand Settings

Third-party ad servers are set up in the Demand Settings drawer under Settings > Ad Configuration. Three types are supported:

• All Header Bidding servers share one traffic rate, and each GAM and Pangle server has its own. Traffic rate is required and can't exceed 100%.
• Header Bidding is the default ad server at first. A new default applies only to presets you create afterward.
• You can't delete an ad server that a preset uses, or the default ad server.

Define a budget allocation strategy

Layer revenue from the most premium source down: premium sponsorship, then programmatic In-Stream, In-Feed vertical ads, Extended O&O, and finally PG/PMP audience extension.

This structure protects premium inventory while it maximizes fill.

Within a preset, the In-Feed section sets the order of Partnered Post, Video Ads, and House (Fallback Content). Drag the rows to set priority. House is always ON and fills the slot when no other ad is available.

When several paid partnerships are live on one placement or embed, a takeover shows first if Partnered Takeover is ON in the preset. Within the same type, the higher CPM shows first.

Set the frequency and content mix

Avoid oversaturating your feed. We recommend this mix because it preserves user engagement and increases completion rates.

To set how often ads appear in a feed, see Configure vertical video ad placements and frequency.

In a preset, the In-Feed Start Slot and Repeat Frequency each range from 1 to 10 and default to 2. They count content cards and In-Stream cards, not In-Feed ad cards. In-Stream Start Content Video and Repeat Frequency also range from 1 to 10 with a default of 2, and count content cards only.

Four system presets give you ready-made mixes. Their ad settings are read-only, but you can assign placements and embeds to them:

Track ROI in reporting

Go to Monetize > Programmatic to track performance across:

• Supply: where ads appear
• Demand: who is paying
• Placement type
• Category
• Format
• Date range
• Revenue totals versus ratios

Learn more about Track programmatic ad performance.

Track ROI by stakeholder type

ROI expectations differ depending on who's investing.

Set up attribution

ROI requires tracking engagement beyond impressions. Add structured link parameters to your link-outs where they apply. For example:

https://brand.com/offer?source=genuin&utm_campaign=category_sponsorship

The parameters enable campaign-level attribution, placement-level performance, and category-based reporting. The attribution flow runs from scroll to engage, click, and convert. To manage the link-outs themselves, see Manage and block video linkouts.

Measure incremental lift

To demonstrate ROI clearly, compare baseline performance with activated performance. For example:

Position logged-in inventory

When you deploy in logged-in environments, users are verified, content is contextual, and engagement is intent-based. This lets you position your inventory as OTT-quality video, OLV premium supply, and a multimedia or rich media environment.

Higher trust leads to a higher CPM, and a higher CPM to a higher ROI.

Check compliance

Learn how to set up ads.txt and sellers.json.

Keep spending balanced

• Protect premium placements first.
• Use programmatic as fill, not replacement.
• Extend inventory only after onsite optimization.
• Monitor category performance weekly.
• Rebalance budget toward the categories with the highest completion and CPM.
• Maintain contextual integrity, because relevance drives ROI.

With these in place, spending becomes predictable, ROI becomes measurable, and monetization becomes scalable.

See also

• Network Reporting
• Show ROI and attribution for subscriptions
• Track the outcomes of subscription and media investments
• Set up ads.txt and sellers.json