SmartX
SmartX is smartclip’s ad-serving and programmatic video platform for broadcasters and publishers.
Setup
Troubleshooting
Overview
SmartX is smartclip’s ad-serving and programmatic video platform, used by broadcasters and publishers to monetize video inventory across web, mobile, and connected TV. The SmartX integration enables real-time activation of Permutive cohorts for campaign targeting within SmartX. Key-Value Activation: Real-time, client-side cohort activation. Cohort IDs are stored in local storage (Web), retrieved via SDK APIs (iOS/Android, including tvOS and Android TV), or returned under thesmartx_keyvalue activation key by the Realtime API and the Direct API (environments without an SDK), then appended to SmartX ad requests as key-value pairs. Permutive provides the cohort data, and your implementation passes it to SmartX.
Supported Cohort Types
Environment Compatibility
Prerequisites
- SmartX Account - You must have an active SmartX (smartclip) ad server account.
- Permutive SDK or API Key - The Permutive SDK must be deployed on the web and app properties where SmartX ad requests are made. For environments without an SDK, use the Realtime API client (public API key) or the Direct API (public API key client-side, private API key server-side).
- SmartX Coordination - confirm with SmartX which key-value parameter carries Permutive cohort IDs on ad requests (most likely
permutive), and whether SmartX must whitelist it for targeting, reporting, and forecasting.
Setup
- Primary Setup Steps
- Web
- iOS
- Android
- Realtime API
- API Direct
Enable Integration in Permutive Dashboard
- Click Settings in the navigation menu
- Select Integrations
- Find SmartX in the integrations catalog
- Click to enable the integration
Coordinate with SmartX
permutive), and any whitelisting SmartX requires before the values can be used for targeting.Activate Cohorts
- Navigate to the cohort you want to activate
- Go to cohort settings or the cohort activations page
- Enable the SmartX activation for that cohort
Implement Cohort Activation Code
Data Types
The SmartX integration is a Destination-only integration for cohort activation. It does not collect event data from SmartX.Cohort Activation Data (Key-Value)
Cohort Activation Data (Key-Value)
- On Web, cohort IDs are stored as an array in local storage under the
_psmartxkey. - On iOS and Android, cohort IDs are retrieved via the SDK activation APIs using the
smartx_keyvaluekey. - Via the Realtime API and the Direct API, cohort IDs are returned under the
smartx_keyvaluekey in the response’sactivationsobject. - Each ID corresponds to a cohort the user is a member of.
- Custom, lookalike, and contextual cohorts are delivered through the same key.
Troubleshooting
Unable to enable SmartX integration in Permutive Dashboard
Unable to enable SmartX integration in Permutive Dashboard
- Verify with your Permutive Customer Success Manager that the integration is available for your workspace.
Cohort IDs not available in local storage
Cohort IDs not available in local storage
_psmartx key):- Cohort Activation: Verify the cohort has the SmartX activation toggle set to On in the Permutive Dashboard.
- SDK Deployment: Ensure the Permutive SDK is properly deployed and loading on your web pages.
- User Membership: Confirm the current user is actually a member of the activated cohort (check in browser console using
permutive.segments()). - Browser Console: Open browser developer tools → Application → Local Storage and check
window.localStorage._psmartxto see if the key exists.
Cohorts not appearing in SDK APIs (iOS/Android)
Cohorts not appearing in SDK APIs (iOS/Android)
- Cohort Activation: Verify the cohort has the SmartX activation toggle set to On in the Permutive Dashboard.
- SDK Deployment: Ensure the Permutive SDK is properly deployed and initialized in your app.
- Activation Type: Verify you’re using the correct activation type key (
smartx_keyvalue). - User Membership: Confirm the current user is a member of the activated cohort.
activations property. For Android, ensure the TriggersProvider callback is properly set up with activation type smartx_keyvalue.Cohorts not being passed to SmartX ad requests
Cohorts not being passed to SmartX ad requests
- Implementation: Verify you’ve implemented the code to retrieve cohort IDs (see the Setup tabs for your environment).
- Timing: Ensure the Permutive SDK loads before you attempt to retrieve cohort IDs.
- Ad Request Configuration: Check that your ad request code is correctly appending the cohort values to SmartX ad calls.
- Network Inspection: Use browser developer tools to inspect network requests to SmartX and verify cohort IDs are included.
Contextual cohorts not being delivered
Contextual cohorts not being delivered
- Contextual Script: Contextual cohorts require contextual script configuration on your properties. Coordinate with your Permutive Customer Success Manager to confirm it is set up correctly.
- Cohort Activation: Verify the contextual cohort has the SmartX activation toggle set to On.
Realtime API or Direct API returning empty SmartX activations
Realtime API or Direct API returning empty SmartX activations
smartx_keyvalue entry is empty or absent from the activations object:- Integration Enabled: Verify the SmartX integration is enabled in the Permutive Dashboard.
- Cohort Activation: Check that cohorts have the SmartX activation toggle set to On.
- User Membership: Ensure the user in the request is a member of an activated cohort (the
cohortslist in the response shows membership regardless of activation). - Query Parameter (Direct API): Confirm the
activations=truequery parameter is included in the request URL. - Propagation Time: Newly activated cohorts can take some time to appear in API responses after the toggle is switched on — if memberships show in
cohortsbut not undersmartx_keyvalue, retry after a short wait. - API Key: Verify the key type matches the integration path (public for client-side, private for server-side Direct API calls) and that your workspace is authorized for the Direct API.
Classification cohorts cannot be delivered
Classification cohorts cannot be delivered
Changelog
September 2026
- Initial release of the SmartX integration for real-time key-value cohort activation (custom, lookalike, and contextual cohorts) on Web, iOS, Android, and CTV, with SDK-less access via the Realtime API and the Direct API