Gamera Signals

Gamera Signals lets you define performance-targeting rules for your ad inventory. Each signal acts as a filter that qualifies or disqualifies individual ad impressions based on real-time metrics: viewability, engagement, attention, ad density, and more. Qualified impressions are then made available to Google Ad Manager using key-value targeting.

This guide covers every metric available on the Gamera Signals page, how to configure rules, and best practices for maximizing revenue without sacrificing scale.

Page Overview

The Gamera Signals page is located at Direct Sales > Gamera Signals. It displays all signals for your organization in a sortable, filterable table.

Summary Cards

Three summary cards appear at the top of the page:

Filters

You can narrow the table using four filters:

Table Columns

You can expand any row to see a detailed breakdown of performance signals, per-device SOV and density settings, site scope details, available inventory by device, CPM range estimates, and the signal's key-value code for GAM integration.

Creating and Editing a Signal

Click New signal to open the rule editor as a slide-out drawer. The editor has three tabs:

1. Performance signals — Set ranges for CTR, Viewability, and Attention Time, plus caps for Render Sequence and Time on Page.

2. Brand safety — Configure per-device Share of Voice ranges and Ad Density caps.

3. Sites — Choose which domains the signal applies to.

Every signal also requires:

• Rule name — A descriptive name (e.g., "High-viewability mobile premium").

• Status — Active or Inactive. You can toggle this at any time.

• Device targeting — At least one of Mobile, Desktop, or Tablet must be selected.

A Live Preview panel on the right side of the editor shows real-time estimates of available inventory (avails/24h), CPM range, active signal chips, and device/site scope — all updating as you adjust settings.

Performance Signal Metrics

These metrics appear under the Performance signals tab in the rule editor. They define quality thresholds that each ad impression must meet.

Engagement (CTR)

How it works: Only impressions from placements with a historical CTR within the specified range are included.

The slider uses a non-linear scale — the left half covers 0–1% with high granularity (0.001% precision), and the right half covers 1–100% (0.1% precision). This reflects the fact that most placements have a CTR well under 1%.

Why it matters: Normal CTR is 0.1–1%. Extremely high CTR (above 3%) can indicate accidental clicks from poor ad placement, intrusive formats, or potentially invalid traffic. Setting an upper bound helps exclude suspicious placements.

Overlap with Inventory Quality Metrics: The Inventory Quality page flags placements with CTR > 3% as issues. Gamera Signals lets you set a precise range to target placements with healthy engagement levels.

Viewability

How it works: Gamera placements are included only if their historical viewability rate falls within the configured range.

Why it matters: Advertisers increasingly require viewability guarantees. Low viewability indicates poor ad placement or user engagement issues and typically leads to lower CPMs. Setting a high minimum (e.g., 70%+) positions your inventory as premium.

Overlap with Inventory Quality Metrics: The Inventory Quality page flags placements with viewability < 50% as issues. The default Signal threshold of 70% is intentionally more restrictive to create a premium tier.

Attention Time

How it works: Only impressions where measured attention time falls within the specified window are included. Attention time goes beyond simple viewability by factoring in whether the user is actively engaged with the page.

Why it matters: Attention time is a strong predictor of ad effectiveness. Advertisers value placements where users are genuinely engaged rather than passively scrolling past.

Max Render Sequence

How it works: If a placement has already refreshed more times than the configured cap within the current pageview, that impression is excluded from the signal. A value of 1 means only the first render qualifies; a value of 5 means up to the fifth refresh is included.

Why it matters: Early ad renders tend to have higher viewability and engagement. Later renders (high sequence numbers) often occur when a user has scrolled past or left the page idle, resulting in lower-quality impressions with lower CPMs.

Related to Inventory Quality Metrics — Refresh Rate: The Inventory Quality page monitors refresh intervals (flagging placements that refresh faster than every 15 seconds). Render Sequence in Signals provides a complementary control by capping how many refreshes qualify, regardless of their timing.

Max Time on Page

How it works: Impressions served after the user has been on the page longer than the cap are excluded. This helps target impressions during the most engaged portion of a page visit.

Why it matters: User engagement typically declines over time on a page. Impressions served 10+ minutes into a session are often from idle tabs, resulting in poor viewability and click-through rates. Capping time on page ensures your curated inventory represents genuinely engaged users.

Brand Safety Metrics

These metrics appear under the Brand safety tab. They are configured per device — you set independent values for Mobile, Desktop, and Tablet (only devices selected in your device targeting are shown).

Share of Voice (SOV)

How it works: Each device type gets its own SOV range slider. Only impressions from placements meeting the share-of-voice threshold for the user's device type are included.

Why it matters: A higher share of voice means fewer competing ads on the page, giving each ad more visibility. Advertisers running brand campaigns often require minimum SOV guarantees. Setting a higher minimum (e.g., 40%+) positions your inventory for premium brand demand.

Ad Density

How it works: Each device type gets its own density cap slider. Impressions on pages exceeding the cap are excluded from the signal.

Why it matters: High ad density can trigger Google's "Better Ads Standards" penalties, reduce each ad's share of voice, and create a cluttered user experience. Lower density signals to demand partners that their ads will appear in a clean, premium environment.

Overlap with Inventory Quality Metrics: The Inventory Quality page flags ad density issues using device-specific thresholds: > 3 ads/viewport on mobile and > 4 ads/viewport on desktop/tablet. Signals lets you set your own per-device cap (0–15) based on what your demand partners require.

Device Targeting

Every signal must target at least one device type. You select devices using the device targeting bar at the top of the editor:

Device targeting affects:

• Which devices' traffic is evaluated against the signal's criteria.

• Per-device settings for SOV and Ad Density in the Brand Safety tab.

• The estimated avails breakdown in the Live Preview.

Site Scope

The Sites tab controls which of your organization's domains a signal applies to. There are three modes:

Domain Picker

When using "Include only" or "All except," a dual-pane domain picker lets you:

• Search for domains by name.

• Add individual domains from your organization's domain list.

• Add all matching domains at once (when searching).

• Remove individual domains or clear the entire list.

Bulk Upload

You can upload a CSV, TSV, or TXT file to add domains in bulk. After upload, a summary banner shows:

• How many domains were added.

• How many were duplicates (already in the list).

• How many were not found (not in your organization's domain list).

Live Preview and Avails

The Live Preview panel on the right side of the rule editor updates in real time as you adjust settings. It shows:

The avails estimate is computed by querying Gamera's backend with your current signal configuration. It represents real traffic from the last 24 hours.

Important: Tighter signal criteria (higher viewability minimums, lower density caps, etc.) result in fewer but higher-quality avails. The tradeoff between volume and quality is the core decision when configuring a signal.

Integrating with Google Ad Manager

After creating a signal, you receive a Signal ID in the format gamera=gamera_<number>. This is a key-value pair used for targeting in Google Ad Manager (GAM).

Setup Steps

1. Log in to Google Ad Manager — Access the admin interface with your credentials.

2. Navigate to Inventory > Key-values — Create a new key named gamera if it doesn't already exist.

3. Add the Signal ID as a value — Enter gamera_<number> (e.g., gamera_42) as a value for the gamera key.

4. Create or modify line items — Target the key-value pair gamera=gamera_<number> in your line items.

You can copy the Signal ID at any time from:

• The setup modal that appears after creating a new signal.

• The expanded row view on the main signals table.

• The Live Preview panel in the rule editor.

How Targeting Works

When an ad impression qualifies for a signal (i.e., it meets all the signal's metric thresholds), Gamera injects the signal's key-value pair into the ad request. Line items in GAM that target this key-value will then be eligible to serve on that impression.

This means demand partners or direct deals can specifically bid on your curated, high-quality inventory segments.

Best Practices

Start with Defaults, Then Refine

The default values are designed to be a reasonable starting point for premium inventory:

• CTR: 0.1% – 4%

• Viewability: 70% – 100%

• Attention Time: 0 – 600s

• Max Render Sequence: 5

• Max Time on Page: 300s

• SOV: 30% – 100% per device

• Ad Density: ≤5 per device

Begin with these defaults and monitor avails. Then tighten or loosen criteria based on demand partner feedback and performance data.

Balance Quality vs. Volume

Every tighter threshold reduces available impressions. Watch the Live Preview panel:

• If avails drop too low, demand partners may not get enough volume to justify their spend.

• If avails are very high relative to your total traffic, your criteria may not be selective enough to command a premium CPM.

A good target is typically 20–60% of your total traffic qualifying for a premium signal.

Use Descriptive Names

Name signals clearly so your team and demand partners can quickly understand what they target. Good examples:

• "High-viewability mobile premium"

• "Desktop brand-safe — low density"

• "Engaged users — first 5 min"

Create Multiple Signals for Different Demand Segments

Rather than one catch-all signal, create separate signals for different advertiser needs:

• Brand campaigns — High SOV, low density, high viewability.

• Performance campaigns — Target the CTR sweet spot (0.3–1.5%), any density.

• Video/rich media — High attention time, first renders only (low render sequence).

Leverage Per-Device Settings

Mobile, desktop, and tablet have different user behavior patterns. Use per-device SOV and density settings to reflect this:

• Mobile users scroll faster — consider stricter viewability thresholds.

• Desktop users tend to have longer sessions — a higher time-on-page cap may be appropriate.

• Tablet traffic is typically lower volume — make sure your criteria don't reduce avails to near-zero.

Keep Signals Active Only When in Use

Disable signals that aren't currently tied to active GAM line items. This keeps your signals list manageable and avoids unnecessary processing.

Stay Under the Signal Limit

You can create up to 50 signals per organization. Plan your signal strategy to stay within this limit. If you're approaching the cap, consider consolidating signals with similar criteria.

Common Issues and Troubleshooting

"No signals yet" — Empty State

If you see the "No signals yet" prompt, click it to create your first signal. This is expected for new organizations.

Avails Showing "—" or Zero

Low Avails Despite Loose Settings

This usually means your domains have limited traffic. Check the Site Manager tool to confirm the correct domains are associated with your organization. If traffic is very low, consider:

• Using broader site scope ("All sites").

• Targeting all three device types.

• Widening the CTR and viewability ranges.

CPM Range Showing "—"

CPM range estimates require sufficient historical bid data. If your signal is new or targets very low-traffic segments, CPM estimates may not be available yet. This does not affect signal functionality — impressions still qualify and receive the key-value in GAM.

Validation Errors When Saving

The editor validates all fields before saving. Common errors:

Signal Is Active but Not Working in GAM

1. Confirm the signal's status is Active (green toggle).

2. Verify the correct key-value pair (gamera=gamera_<ID>) is set up in GAM under Inventory > Key-values.

3. Confirm your line item is targeting the correct key-value pair.

4. Check that the signal's site scope includes the domain where you're testing.

5. Check that the device type you're testing on is included in the signal's device targeting.

"Read-only" Badge on a Signal

Signals marked "RO" (Read-only) are managed by another organization or by Gamera on your behalf. You can view their configuration but cannot edit or delete them.

"At capacity" Warning

You've reached the maximum of 50 signals. To create a new one, delete or consolidate existing signals you no longer need.

Bulk CSV Upload Issues

• "Not found" domains: These domains are not in your organization's domain list. Verify spelling and confirm the domain is registered with Gamera.

• Duplicates: Already in the selected list — no action needed.

• Accepted formats: CSV, TSV, or plain text files with one domain per line or comma-separated.

Relationship to Inventory Quality Metrics

Several Gamera Signals metrics overlap with the metrics tracked on the Inventory Quality page. The key difference is in their purpose:

• Inventory Quality diagnoses issues across your entire inventory and contribute to your Quality Score (0–100).

• Gamera Signals let you curate subsets of your inventory that meet specific performance standards, making them available to demand partners via GAM targeting.

Recommendation: Use Inventory Quality to identify and fix inventory-wide issues (e.g., placements refreshing too fast or pages with too many ads). Then use Gamera Signals to package your best-performing inventory into curated segments for premium demand.

Glossary