Index Exchange

Index Exchange is a global ad exchange that helps publishers connect with premium demand through real-time bidding.

Setup

Troubleshooting

Overview

Index Exchange is a global ad exchange that helps publishers connect with premium demand through real-time bidding. The integration enables real-time cohort activation through Prebid.js, allowing advertisers to target your audiences programmatically via the Index Exchange SSP. This integration is a Destination:

Destination: Permutive cohorts are activated and passed to Index Exchange in real-time through bid requests, enabling advertisers to target your first-party audience segments programmatically.

Use cases include:

Cookie-less audience activation at scale: Activate Permutive cohort signals programmatically via the bidstream without reliance on third-party cookies, enabling addressable reach across all users
Private Marketplace (PMP) deals: Use Custom Cohorts, DCR Cohorts, and Curated Cohorts to create premium, curated inventory packages for direct buyer relationships
Open Marketplace (OMP) monetization: Leverage Standard Cohorts to make your audiences available to demand partners in the open auction, increasing bid density and CPMs
Maximize programmatic yield: Make Permutive audiences available through Index Exchange’s ad exchange to increase competition and drive higher CPMs

Cohort Support:

✅ Custom Cohorts - Publisher-defined audiences created in the Permutive dashboard
✅ Standard Cohorts - Cohort signals conforming to a standardized taxonomy (e.g. IAB)
✅ Curation Cohorts - Curated cross-publisher signals from Permutive’s Curation offering
✅ Data Clean Room Cohorts - Privacy-safe audience activation through Permutive’s Data Clean Room

Environment Compatibility

Environment	Supported	Notes
Web		—
iOS		—
Android		—
CTV		—
API Direct		—

Prerequisites

Index Exchange SSP Account - You must have an active Index Exchange SSP account
Permutive SDK - The Permutive Web SDK must be deployed on your site
Prebid.js with Permutive RTD Module - Prebid.js must be configured with the Permutive Real-Time Data (RTD) module to pass cohort data to Index Exchange
Bidder Adapter - The ix bidder adapter must be configured in your Prebid.js setup (this is the bidder code for Index Exchange).

Setup

Primary Setup Steps
Web

Configure Cohort Activations

The Index Exchange SSP integration works automatically through Prebid.js once cohorts are activated. Navigate to the cohort you wish to activate in the Permutive dashboard.For Custom Cohorts (publisher-specific audiences), enable the Index Exchange SSP activation. When activated, cohort data will be stored in the _pindexs local storage key, which the Permutive RTD module reads and passes to Index Exchange.

Custom Cohorts require explicit activation per cohort. Standard, Curated, and Data Clean Room cohorts are configured by your Customer Success Manager. Contact your CSM to enable these cohort types for your integration.

Verify Prebid.js Configuration

Ensure your Prebid.js configuration includes the Permutive RTD module with Index Exchange support: Verify that the Permutive SDK is loading correctly and that cohort data is being written to local storage.

Verify Setup

After activating cohorts and configuring Prebid.js, verify that cohort data is being passed to Index Exchange in bid requests.Use the Professor Prebid Chrome extension (download here) to inspect bid requests:

Install the Professor Prebid extension
Open the extension while on your page
Navigate to the “Bid Requests” tab
Find Index Exchange (ix) bidder requests
Verify that the ORTB2 object contains Permutive cohort data in ortb2.user.data and ortb2.user.keywords

Alternatively, use browser developer tools to:

Check local storage for the _pindexs key (Custom Cohorts) or _pssps key (Standard/Curated/DCR cohorts)
Inspect network requests to Index Exchange endpoints
Verify that the ORTB2 object in bid requests contains Permutive cohort data

It may take a few minutes for cohort membership to populate after initial page load.

Integrate with Prebid.js

The Index Exchange SSP integration works through the Permutive Real-Time Data (RTD) module in Prebid.js. The module reads cohort data from local storage (set by the Permutive SDK) and attaches it to bid requests as first-party data following OpenRTB 2.x conventions.

Configuration

In your Prebid.js configuration, include the Permutive RTD module:

pbjs.setConfig({
  realTimeData: {
    dataProviders: [
      {
        name: "permutive",
        waitForIt: true,
        params: {
          maxSegs: 500,
        },
      },
    ],
  },
});

How it Works

The Index Exchange SSP integration operates through a client-side mechanism:1. Local Storage Cohort ExposureThe Permutive Web SDK exposes cohort signals via local storage:

Custom Cohorts: Stored in the _pindexs local storage key
Standard, Curated, and DCR Cohorts: Stored in the _pssps local storage key

2. Real-Time Bid EnrichmentThe Permutive RTD module acts as a bridge between the Permutive Web SDK and Prebid.js:

The Permutive RTD module reads cohort IDs from local storage (_pindexs for Custom Cohorts, _pssps for Standard/Curated/DCR cohorts)
Cohort data is attached to the ORTB2 object in bid requests for Index Exchange
For Custom Cohorts, the module updates two locations:
- ortb2.user.data – adds a data provider entry for permutive.com with the list of cohort IDs in the segment field
- ortb2.user.keywords – adds a keyword group called permutive containing the list of cohort IDs
Index Exchange receives cohort targeting data in the bid request and makes it available to demand partners (DSPs) for real-time targeting

While Permutive is listed as a TCF vendor (ID: 361), Permutive does not typically obtain vendor consent from the TCF, but instead relies on publisher purpose consents. Publishers wishing to use TCF vendor consent instead can add 361 to their CMP and set params.enforceVendorConsent to true:

pbjs.setConfig({
  realTimeData: {
    dataProviders: [{
      name: 'permutive',
      params: {
        enforceVendorConsent: true  // Require TCF vendor consent for Permutive (ID: 361)
      }
    }]
  }
})

For more details on Prebid.js configuration, see the Prebid.js documentation.

Data Types

The Index Exchange SSP integration is a destination-only integration focused on cohort activation. Permutive does not collect event data from Index Exchange SSP. When cohorts are activated to Index Exchange, the following data is transmitted via the Prebid.js bidstream:

ORTB2 Signal Locations

Permutive passes cohort data to Index Exchange SSP via the ORTB2 object in Prebid.js bid requests. Different cohort types are written to specific ORTB2 locations:

ORTB2 Location	Cohort Types
`ortb2.user.data` (name: `permutive.com`)	Standard Cohorts, DCR Cohorts, Curated Cohorts
`ortb2.user.data` (name: `permutive`)	Custom Cohorts
`ortb2.user.keywords` (`permutive`)	Custom Cohorts
`ortb2.user.keywords` (`p_standard`)	Standard Cohorts, DCR Cohorts, Curated Cohorts
`ortb2.user.keywords` (`p_standard_aud`)	Curated Cohorts

Local Storage Keys

The Permutive Web SDK exposes cohort data via local storage, which the Permutive RTD module reads to populate bid requests.

_pindexs

array

Local storage key containing Custom Cohort IDs for Index Exchange.

_pssps

object

Local storage key containing Standard Cohorts, Curated Cohorts, and Data Clean Room Cohorts.

Troubleshooting

Cohort data not appearing in bid requests

If Permutive cohorts aren’t being passed to Index Exchange in your bid requests:

Verify that the Permutive RTD module is properly configured in your Prebid.js setup
Confirm that the Permutive SDK is loading correctly on your pages
Use browser developer tools to inspect local storage and verify that the _pindexs key (for Custom Cohorts) or _pssps key (for Standard/Curated/DCR cohorts) contains cohort data
Check your Prebid.js console logs for any errors related to the Permutive RTD module
Use the Professor Prebid Chrome extension to inspect ORTB2 data being sent to Index Exchange bid requests
Inspect network requests to Index Exchange endpoints to verify ORTB2 data is present

If you see cohort data in local storage but not in bid requests, verify that your Prebid.js configuration includes waitForIt: true for the Permutive RTD module.

Empty _pindexs or _pssps local storage keys

If local storage keys are empty or missing:

Verify that Custom Cohorts have been activated in the Permutive dashboard with Index Exchange SSP enabled
Check that users actually qualify for the activated cohorts based on cohort definitions
Ensure the Permutive SDK is loading before Prebid.js attempts to read cohort data
Verify that third-party cookies and local storage are not blocked by browser settings or extensions
Check the browser console for any Permutive SDK errors during page load

Cohorts visible in local storage but not in Index Exchange UI

If cohorts are being passed in bid requests but you don’t see them available for targeting in the Index Exchange UI:

Verify with your Index Exchange account team that your SSP seat is configured to receive and process Permutive cohort data
Check that DSPs connected to your Index Exchange seat have access to user data signals from the bid request
Ensure that your Index Exchange line items or deals are configured to accept and use targeting data from the bid stream
Confirm that the ORTB2 data structure matches Index Exchange’s expectations for user data and keywords

GDPR/consent issues blocking cohort signals

Professor Prebid extension not showing Index Exchange bids

If you’re not seeing Index Exchange bid requests in the Professor Prebid Chrome extension:

Verify that the ix bidder adapter is properly configured in your Prebid.js setup
Check that Index Exchange is enabled and actively bidding on your inventory
Ensure you’re viewing the correct page where Index Exchange bidder is configured
Try refreshing the page with the extension open to capture new bid requests
Check your Prebid.js console logs to confirm Index Exchange bidder is being called

Changelog

For detailed changelog information, visit our Changelog.

Integrations

Identity

Contextual

Advertising

Marketing

Data Collaboration

Video

Social Media

Survey

Index Exchange

Index Exchange

Setup

Troubleshooting

Overview

Environment Compatibility

Prerequisites

Setup

Integrate with Prebid.js

Configuration

How it Works

Data Types

Troubleshooting

Changelog

Integrations

Identity

Contextual

Advertising

Marketing

Data Collaboration

Video

Social Media

Survey

Documentation Index

​Index Exchange

Setup

Troubleshooting

​Overview

​Environment Compatibility

​Prerequisites

​Setup

​Integrate with Prebid.js

​Configuration

​How it Works

​Consent

​Data Types

​Troubleshooting

​Changelog

Index Exchange

Overview

Environment Compatibility

Prerequisites

Setup

Integrate with Prebid.js

Configuration

How it Works

Consent

Data Types

Troubleshooting

Changelog