How do you set up a deal ID for a CTV PMP campaign in India?

A deal ID is a unique identifier agreed between a publisher’s SSP and an advertiser’s DSP that creates a private channel for inventory buying — a private marketplace (PMP) or programmatic guaranteed (PG) deal. When the SSP sends a bid request for inventory covered by the deal, it includes the deal ID in the pmp.deals field of the OpenRTB request. The DSP recognises the deal ID and applies the deal-specific CPM floor, targeting parameters, and creative trafficking rules. Without the deal ID correctly configured on both sides, the private deal does not function — the inventory either goes to open auction or results in an unfilled break.

Setup process: (1) Negotiate terms with the publisher — agree on CPM floor (or fixed CPM for PG), impression volume or date range, content category, and any brand safety requirements. (2) Publisher creates the deal in their SSP (PubMatic, Magnite, SpotX) and provides the deal ID string (typically a numeric or alphanumeric identifier). (3) Buyer activates the deal ID in their DSP: in DV360, go to Inventory > My Inventory > Add Deal; in The Trade Desk, go to Inventory > PMP Deals > Add Deal. Enter the deal ID exactly as provided by the publisher — even a single character error means the deal will not activate. (4) Set targeting parameters: link the deal to the relevant campaign line item, set bid price at or above the floor, assign creative. (5) Publisher confirms the deal is active on their SSP and both sides run a test impression check before the campaign start date.

Common deal ID errors in India CTV: (1) Mismatched deal ID — the publisher provides the deal ID from a different SSP seat or environment (production vs test). Verify the exact seat ID and deal ID string with the publisher’s ad ops team. (2) Deal not linked to a campaign — the deal ID is activated in the DSP but not assigned to a line item or campaign. Check that the deal appears in the campaign’s targeting settings, not just in the deal library. (3) Bid below floor — the deal has a floor of ₹300 CPM but the line item bid cap is set to ₹200. The deal will show as active but deliver zero impressions. Always set the bid at or above the agreed floor. (4) Wrong creative format — publisher deal requires MP4 VAST; buyer submits a VPAID tag. Creative format mismatch causes VAST errors. Confirm creative specs with the publisher before trafficking.