PubMatic

PubMatic is a digital advertising technology company that provides a sell-side platform for publishers to maximize their programmatic ad revenue.

Setup

Troubleshooting

Overview

PubMatic is a digital advertising technology company that provides a sell-side platform (SSP) for publishers to maximize their programmatic ad revenue. Our integration with PubMatic SSP allows you to activate Permutive cohorts for targeting on PubMatic’s supply-side platform. This integration is a Destination:

Destination: Permutive cohorts are activated and passed to PubMatic SSP through bid requests, enabling advertisers to target your audiences programmatically.

This integration supports two activation methods:

Real-time bidstream activation: Cohort IDs are attached to bid requests as first-party data via Prebid.js (Web), Prebid Mobile (iOS/Android), and other Prebid integrations.
Server-side identity-based activation: Can be an alternative path where client-side activation isn’t viable. Permutive uploads cohort memberships to PubMatic keyed by identity values (cookie ID, IDFA, AAID, IP address, or hashed email). Cohorts appear as PubMatic segments ready for targeting.

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 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 PubMatic’s ad exchange to increase competition and drive higher CPMs
Cross-environment activation: Activate audiences across Web, in-app (iOS/Android), and CTV inventory through real-time bidstream or server-side identity-based methods

Environment Compatibility

Environment	Activation
Web	Live — Permutive RTD module in Prebid.js
iOS	Available — via Prebid Mobile (customer implementation)
Android	Available — via Prebid Mobile (customer implementation)
CTV	Discuss with your CSM
API Direct	Discuss with your CSM (for SDK-less environments)

Server-side identity-based activation can be an alternative path for this integration, particularly where client-side activation isn’t viable. Permutive can support your team in setting this up — contact your Customer Success Manager to discuss.

Supported Cohort Types

PubMatic SSP activation supports multiple Permutive cohort types. Standard, Data Clean Room, and Curation Cohorts are enabled by default; Custom Cohorts can be enabled on request. Availability also depends on your workspace participating in the relevant Permutive offering.

Cohort type	Availability for PubMatic	Product required
Custom Cohorts	On request	Core Platform
Standard Cohorts	Live	Curation
Curation Cohorts	Live	Curation
Data Clean Room Cohorts	Live	Data Clean Room

Cohort type support beyond WebThe availability shown above reflects Web today. In mobile (iOS/Android) and CTV environments where this integration is available, cohort type support depends on the Permutive Mobile/CTV SDKs:

Custom Cohorts — supported across all environments where this integration is available.
Data Clean Room Cohorts — not currently exposed by the Permutive Mobile/CTV SDKs, but cohort signals can be retrieved with customer integration via an additional Permutive API call from your application code.
Standard and Curation Cohorts — not currently exposed by the Permutive Mobile/CTV SDKs. Support is coming — reach out to your Customer Success Manager if you’re interested.

Cohort type availability also depends on your workspace participating in the relevant Permutive offering. Contact your Customer Success Manager to enable additional cohort types or discuss your use case.

Prerequisites

Required for all activation methods:

PubMatic SSP Account — an active PubMatic SSP account

For Web (Prebid.js):

Permutive Web SDK — deployed on your site
Prebid.js with Permutive RTD module — configured to pass cohort data to PubMatic
PubMatic bidder adapter — the pubmatic bidder adapter configured in your Prebid.js setup

For iOS / Android (Prebid Mobile):

Permutive Mobile SDK — deployed in your iOS / Android app
Prebid Mobile SDK — configured in your app
Prebid Server — that Prebid Mobile communicates with, with the pubmatic bidder configured (Prebid Mobile passes bid requests to Prebid Server, which handles bidder routing)
Customer implementation — to retrieve Permutive cohorts from the SDK and attach them to Prebid Mobile bid requests

For CTV and other environments:

Contact your Permutive Customer Success Manager to discuss the integration approach for your stack.

For server-side identity-based activation:

This connector is not built today. If your use case calls for it, identity collection would need to be configured in Permutive for the identity types you want to use (cookie ID, IDFA, AAID, IP address, hashed email).
Contact your Permutive Customer Success Manager to discuss.

Setup

Primary Setup Steps
Web
iOS
Android
CTV

Configure Cohort Activations

The PubMatic SSP integration works automatically through Prebid.js once cohorts are configured. Standard, Curated, and Data Clean Room cohorts are enabled by default. Custom Cohort activation to PubMatic is available on request.Contact your CSM if you need to enable Custom Cohort activation, or to confirm your default cohort configuration.

See Supported Cohort Types for the full list of cohort types and their availability.

Verify Prebid.js Configuration

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

Verify Setup

After configuring Prebid.js, verify that cohort data is being passed to PubMatic in bid requests.Use browser developer tools to:

Check local storage for the _pssps key (Standard/Curated/DCR cohorts)
Use the Professor Prebid Chrome extension to inspect bid requests and verify that ORTB2 data contains Permutive cohort data in ortb2.user.data and ortb2.user.keywords

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

Integrate with Prebid.js

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

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 (_pssps for Standard/Curated/DCR cohorts)
Cohort data is attached to the ORTB2 object in bid requests for PubMatic
The module updates the following 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 keyword groups containing the cohort IDs
PubMatic 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.

PubMatic supports in-app inventory via Prebid Mobile (Prebid SDK for iOS). Prebid Mobile passes bid requests to a Prebid Server instance, which routes them to PubMatic via the pubmatic bidder. Activation of Permutive cohorts on iOS in-app traffic requires customer implementation to retrieve cohort signals from the Permutive Mobile SDK and attach them to Prebid Mobile bid requests.High-level pattern:

Initialise the Permutive Mobile SDK in your iOS app.
Retrieve the user’s active cohort IDs from the SDK.
Attach the cohort IDs to your Prebid Mobile bid request configuration as first-party user data — typically via ortb2.user.data (with a permutive.com data provider entry) and ortb2.user.keywords. This mirrors the structure used by the Permutive RTD module on web.
Verify that bid requests reaching PubMatic (via your Prebid Server) carry Permutive cohort data.

Contact your Permutive Customer Success Manager — our team will partner with you on the integration.

PubMatic supports in-app inventory via Prebid Mobile (Prebid SDK for Android). Prebid Mobile passes bid requests to a Prebid Server instance, which routes them to PubMatic via the pubmatic bidder. Activation of Permutive cohorts on Android in-app traffic requires customer implementation to retrieve cohort signals from the Permutive Mobile SDK and attach them to Prebid Mobile bid requests.High-level pattern:

Initialise the Permutive Mobile SDK in your Android app.
Retrieve the user’s active cohort IDs from the SDK (e.g. via TriggersProvider).
Attach the cohort IDs to your Prebid Mobile bid request configuration as first-party user data — typically via ortb2.user.data (with a permutive.com data provider entry) and ortb2.user.keywords. This mirrors the structure used by the Permutive RTD module on web.
Verify that bid requests reaching PubMatic (via your Prebid Server) carry Permutive cohort data.

Contact your Permutive Customer Success Manager — our team will partner with you on the integration.

Data Types

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

ORTB2 Signal Locations

Permutive passes cohort data to PubMatic 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.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.

_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 PubMatic 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 _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 bid requests and verify ORTB2 data is being passed to PubMatic

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 _pssps local storage key

If the _pssps local storage key is empty or missing:

Verify with your Customer Success Manager that the relevant cohort types (Standard, Curated, DCR) have been configured for your integration
Check that users actually qualify for 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 PubMatic UI

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

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

GDPR/consent issues blocking cohort signals

Changelog

For detailed changelog information, visit our Changelog.

​PubMatic

Setup

Troubleshooting

​Overview

​Environment Compatibility

​Supported Cohort Types

​Prerequisites

​Setup

​Integrate with Prebid.js

​Configuration

​How it Works

​Consent

​Data Types

​Troubleshooting

​Changelog

PubMatic

Overview

Environment Compatibility

Supported Cohort Types

Prerequisites

Setup

Integrate with Prebid.js

Configuration

How it Works

Consent

Data Types

Troubleshooting

Changelog