To start using Header Bidding on a site, the publisher first needs a wrapper. At its core, adopting the header bid container is the placement of a central script that sends requests to assigned bidders and collects the returned bids. There are several container solutions available, but the market leader is prebid.js with its free and open source code.

To use prebid.js, the publisher must place JavaScript in the header of their site. The script then sends ad requests to the bidders. When the page loads, the script sends the requests to all the added bidders simultaneously and collects the bids for the ad placements. The ad displayed is from the highest priced bidder. The entire process takes mere milliseconds.

In reality, it is not that simple to set up and run such a container if a publisher does not have access to sufficient programming skills and technical expertise. In this case, a website owner can bring in third-party developers to implement their header bidding, but at significant cost to them. Client-side container setup and deployment can take a minimum of 2-3 weeks.

When setting up a wrapper, the publisher must add bidders they want to serve ads from and set specific parameters for each accordingly. The parameters differ from one bidder to another. They are listed with each adapter on the prebid.js site. It’s important to set them up correctly to avoid costly “human error” errors. In addition, a website owner should timely check for any updates or changes to the prebid.js documentation or demand partner parameters.

DFP line items can be added to the wrapper. The creation of hundreds of line items in Doubleclick can be done manually or with the help of automated tools.

Once the wrapper is fully implemented, Header Bidding still doesn’t fill all impressions and there are some unsold impressions that can be monetized through traditional cascading ad delivery.

So it seems that modern site ad management involves adding a header bidding container, ongoing bidder management, statistical data collection, and then going back to bidder optimizations.

Such an onerous stack of tasks can prevent a website owner from implementing header bidding. Not all publishers are ready to take the plunge considering how complicated and expensive it can be. Some don’t feel like they are ready for the game to begin.

This attitude contradicts the trends in the development of the industry. But at the same time, it is a prerequisite for the emergence of tools that would help to facilitate the installation of the header offers container when you are not a professional developer. As a matter of experience, such a tool should automate the creation of header bid wrappers, integrate prebid.js and DFP, track updates and modify prebid.js and bidder settings, collect analytics, and provide reports.