A deal ID is a unique alphanumeric code representing a negotiated agreement between a buyer and a publisher for access to specific inventory. Deal IDs are the mechanism by which India CTV's preferred deals, PMPs, and programmatic guaranteed buys actually execute in the OpenRTB auction. Understanding how deal IDs work, how they are set up, and where they commonly break is operational knowledge every India CTV buyer needs.
What a deal ID does
Without a deal ID, a DSP competes in a publisher's open auction on equal footing with all other buyers. A deal ID creates a privileged bidding channel: when a bid request arrives at the DSP from the SSP, the request includes the deal ID in the OpenRTB bid request's pmp.deals object. The DSP recognises the deal ID, pulls the negotiated terms (price floor, inventory access), and bids accordingly. The publisher's ad server checks incoming bids against deal ID commitments before deciding the winner — typically prioritising deal ID bids over open auction bids at equivalent price levels.
Deal ID types in India CTV
Private Marketplace (PMP) deal ID: The most common deal type in India CTV. The publisher creates a deal ID in their ad server (Google Ad Manager) or SSP (PubMatic, Magnite) representing access to a curated inventory package. The buyer activates this deal ID in their DSP and bids when matching inventory comes through. India CTV PMP floor prices: typically ₹250–600 CPM.
Preferred deal ID: A fixed-price deal where the buyer commits to a CPM and gets first look at matching inventory. The buyer is not obligated to buy every impression. Used by advertisers who want price certainty without a volume commitment.
Programmatic Guaranteed (PG) deal ID: A deal ID representing a firm impression and spend commitment. The publisher guarantees delivery; the buyer commits to the budget. PG deal IDs are less common in India CTV — most publishers prefer direct IO for guaranteed campaigns — but are available for technically sophisticated buyers.
Deal ID setup process in India
1. Negotiation: Buyer negotiates with the publisher's programmatic team — agreeing on inventory package, floor price, and campaign dates.
2. Deal creation: Publisher creates the deal ID in their ad server or SSP. The deal ID is typically a 20–36 character alphanumeric string generated by the SSP platform.
3. Activation: Publisher shares the deal ID. Buyer enters it in the DSP deal management interface (DV360: Marketplace → My Inventory; TTD: My Inventory → Deals).
4. Testing: Before campaign launch, both parties confirm that bid requests are flowing by checking DSP "deals" reporting — confirming the deal ID is receiving requests, not just sitting inactive.
Common deal ID failures in India CTV
Deal ID not activated in DSP: The deal ID was shared by the publisher but not entered in the DSP. The buyer's DSP never bids on the deal. Fix: verify the deal ID is entered and active in the DSP deal management interface.
Deal ID in wrong DSP seat: India DSP access is often via reseller seats. A deal ID created for DV360 seat 12345 will not work if the buyer is accessing DV360 through seat 12346. The publisher must create the deal ID against the exact DSP seat ID being used.
Targeting parameters too narrow: The deal ID passes bid requests, but the buyer's line item targeting is too restrictive. Most bid requests match the deal but are excluded by the line item. Solution: widen line item targeting or confirm the deal's inventory matches the targeting parameters.
Floor price underbid: The deal has a ₹400 CPM floor; the buyer's bid strategy generates ₹300 bids. The deal ID passes requests but bids are rejected. Solution: set a line-item CPM bid floor at or above the deal floor.