ID5

ID5 is a privacy-first universal identity platform that helps publishers maximize programmatic revenue through persistent cross-site user recognition.

Setup

Troubleshooting

Overview

ID5 provides a universal identifier that enables publishers to identify users across different websites and platforms without relying on third-party cookies or deterministic identifiers like hashed emails. The ID5 integration with Permutive allows publishers to deploy ID5’s identity solution through the Permutive SDK without additional implementation work. This integration is a Destination integration:

Destination: Permutive retrieves ID5’s ephemeral identity envelopes and passes them to the programmatic bidstream via Prebid or Amazon Publisher Services (APS), enabling demand-side platforms (DSPs) to recognize users and improve match rates.

Key features of the ID5 integration:

Probabilistic Matching: Identifies users across domains without requiring hashed emails
No-Code Integration: Enable via Permutive dashboard without additional implementation
Privacy-First: Ephemeral envelopes for bidstream use only, with automatic TCF consent handling

Use cases include:

Yield Optimization: Enrich programmatic bids with ID5 identifiers to increase CPMs and fill rates
Maximize addressability in a cookie-restricted environment

ID5 identifiers are not ingested into Permutive’s identity graph. They are ephemeral signals generated at bid time and passed directly to the bidstream. These IDs cannot be used for Permutive cohort building, identity resolution, or data collaboration features.

Amazon Publisher Services (APS) SupportIn addition to Prebid, this integration also supports Amazon Publisher Services (APS) for bidstream activation. APS support is currently available on request. If you’re interested in using APS, please contact your Customer Success Manager to discuss setup and requirements.

Environment Compatibility

Environment	Supported	Notes
Web		Full support via Permutive SDK and Prebid module
iOS		Not supported - ID5 focuses on web-based identity
Android		Not supported - ID5 focuses on web-based identity
CTV		Not supported
API Direct		Not supported

Prerequisites

Before enabling the ID5 integration, ensure you have the following. These prerequisites are for Prebid integration; for APS integration, contact your Customer Success Manager.

ID5 Partner Account: You must sign up for an ID5 account to obtain your Partner ID. While ID5 is free for publishers to use (advertisers pay to decrypt the IDs), you need to register and accept their terms of service.
- Sign up at id5.io or contact ID5 directly
- Obtain your unique Partner ID from your ID5 account dashboard
Consent Management: ID5 must be added to your Consent Management Platform (CMP) as an approved vendor in your TCF vendor list. Without proper consent configuration, ID5 will not generate identifiers.
- Add ID5 as a vendor in your TCF implementation
- Ensure required TCF purposes are configured (consult ID5 documentation for specific requirements)
Prebid Integration: The ID5 integration requires the Permutive Identity Manager Prebid module to be enabled. This is a specialized Prebid module separate from the standard Permutive RTD module.
- The Permutive Identity Manager ID System module must be compiled into your Prebid build
- See our Prebid integration guide for complete setup instructions including the Identity Manager module configuration
Permutive SDK: The Permutive Web SDK must be deployed and operational on your website

Setup

Primary Setup Steps
Web

Visit id5.io and complete the publisher registration process
Accept ID5’s terms of service
Navigate to your account dashboard and copy your Partner ID (you’ll need this in the next step)

ID5 is free for publishers to use. Advertisers pay to decrypt the identity envelopes in the bidstream.

Configure Consent Management

Add ID5 to your Consent Management Platform:

Log in to your CMP dashboard
Add ID5 to your TCF vendor list
Ensure the required TCF purposes are enabled for ID5
Test that consent is properly collected and ID5 appears in your consent string

If ID5 is not properly configured in your CMP, the integration will not generate identifiers, even if enabled in Permutive.

Enable Prebid Identity Manager Module

Ensure the Permutive Identity Manager ID System module is included in your Prebid build:

Check your current Prebid configuration or contact your Prebid implementation team
If the module is not already included, rebuild Prebid with the permutiveIdentityManagerIdSystem module
Deploy the updated Prebid build to your website

The Permutive Identity Manager module is separate from the standard Permutive RTD module. Both can coexist in your Prebid setup. For detailed Prebid configuration instructions including the Identity Manager module setup, see our Prebid integration guide.

Enable ID5 in Permutive Dashboard

Activate the ID5 integration in Permutive:

Navigate to Identity → Catalog in your Permutive dashboard
Locate ID5 in the identity provider catalog
Click Connect to begin the configuration process
Enter your ID5 Partner ID when prompted
Save the configuration

The Permutive SDK will automatically begin retrieving ID5 identifiers on your next SDK build.

Verify Setup

Confirm that ID5 identifiers are being generated and passed to Prebid:

Open your website in a browser with developer tools enabled
Navigate to the Console tab
Look for Permutive SDK log messages indicating ID5 initialization
Check the Network tab for API calls to ID5’s endpoints
Inspect Prebid bid requests to verify that eids array contains ID5 identifiers

Expected behavior:

ID5 API calls should complete successfully (HTTP 200)
Prebid bid requests should include ID5 in the user.eids array with source id5-sync.com

Show Example Prebid bid request with ID5

{
  "user": {
    "eids": [
      {
        "source": "id5-sync.com",
        "uids": [
          {
            "id": "ID5*encrypted-id-envelope",
            "atype": 1
          }
        ]
      }
    ]
  }
}

Web Implementation Details

The ID5 integration operates entirely through the Permutive SDK and requires no additional code implementation from publishers. Once enabled in the dashboard:

SDK Initialization: The Permutive SDK automatically detects the ID5 configuration during initialization
Consent Check: The SDK verifies user consent via the TCF consent string
ID Retrieval: If consent is granted, the SDK makes a client-side API call to ID5’s servers to retrieve an ephemeral identity envelope
Prebid Activation: The ID5 identifier is passed to the Permutive Identity Manager Prebid module
Bidstream Injection: The Prebid module includes the ID5 identifier in the user.eids array of all bid requests

Technical Flow

Data Types

The ID5 integration does not collect event data into Permutive. Instead, it provides ephemeral identity signals that are passed directly to the programmatic bidstream via Prebid.

Identity Signals Transmitted

ID5 Universal ID

An encrypted identity envelope generated by ID5 and passed to demand-side platforms through Prebid’s Extended ID (EID) format.

string

Always set to id5-sync.com to identify the ID5 provider in the bidstream

string

The encrypted ID5 identity envelope. This is an ephemeral identifier that varies across requests and cannot be used for long-term tracking

integer

Authentication type indicator. Typically set to 1 for ID5 identifiers

ID5 identifiers are not stored in Permutive’s identity graph or made available for cohort building. They exist solely for bidstream activation.

Troubleshooting

ID5 identifiers not appearing in bid requests

If ID5 identifiers are not showing up in your Prebid bid requests:Check consent configuration:

Verify ID5 is listed in your TCF vendor list
Ensure required TCF purposes are granted
Check the browser console for consent-related errors
Test in a fresh browser session or incognito mode to rule out cached consent states

Verify Prebid module:

Confirm the Permutive Identity Manager ID System module is compiled into your Prebid build
Check that no Prebid configuration is blocking ID5 from the eids array
Review Prebid console logs for initialization errors

Confirm dashboard configuration:

Navigate to Identity → Catalog in Permutive dashboard
Verify ID5 shows as “Connected” or “Enabled”
Ensure your Partner ID is correctly entered
Check that an SDK build has occurred since enabling ID5

Network connectivity:

Check browser developer tools Network tab for failed API calls to ID5 endpoints
Verify no ad blockers or content security policies are blocking ID5 requests
Test from different networks to rule out firewall or proxy issues

ID5 account setup and Partner ID location

If you’re having trouble obtaining your ID5 Partner ID:

Ensure you’ve completed the full registration process at id5.io
Check your email for a confirmation or welcome message from ID5 with account details
Log in to your ID5 dashboard (the Partner ID is typically displayed prominently)
Contact ID5 support directly if you cannot locate your Partner ID

Common issue: Some publishers confuse the Partner ID with other ID5 identifiers. The Partner ID is a configuration value you provide to Permutive, not an identifier generated for users.

Low ID5 match rates or coverage

If you’re seeing lower than expected ID5 coverage:User consent factors:

ID5 only generates identifiers for users who grant consent
In regions with strict privacy regulations (EU, California), consent rates may be lower
Review your consent management strategy and consent request UI

Technical factors:

ID5 uses probabilistic matching, which may have inherent limitations in certain scenarios
Users with strict browser privacy settings may block ID5’s signals
Safari’s Intelligent Tracking Prevention (ITP) may limit ID5’s effectiveness

Measurement:

Use the Identity Insights dashboard in Permutive to view ID5 coverage metrics
Compare ID5 coverage to other identity solutions to establish a baseline
Monitor coverage trends over time to identify sudden changes that may indicate technical issues

ID5 coverage naturally varies by geography, browser type, and user privacy preferences. Typical coverage rates depend on your specific audience characteristics.

ID5 integration conflicts with existing ID5 implementation

If you already have ID5 deployed directly on your site:The Permutive ID5 integration can coexist with direct ID5 implementations, but there may be redundant API calls. Consider:

Keep existing implementation: If your direct ID5 integration is working well, you may not need the Permutive integration
Migrate to Permutive: Remove your direct ID5 implementation and manage everything through Permutive for simplified operations
Coordinate with ID5: Contact ID5 support to ensure both implementations are configured optimally

Performance consideration: Running duplicate ID5 implementations may result in unnecessary API calls. Consolidating to a single implementation is recommended.

No visible impact on programmatic revenue

If you’ve enabled ID5 but haven’t seen changes in CPMs or fill rates:Measurement timeframe:

Allow at least 2-4 weeks for measurable impact
Programmatic revenue fluctuates naturally; compare periods before and after ID5 enablement

Demand-side adoption:

Not all DSPs and advertisers decrypt and utilize ID5 identifiers
The value of ID5 depends on your specific demand partners
Contact your SSP or programmatic partners to confirm they support ID5

Analysis approach:

Review Prebid analytics to see bid density changes in auctions with ID5 present
Compare win rates for bid requests with vs. without ID5 identifiers
Consult with your ad operations team or programmatic partner for detailed analysis

ID5’s value proposition varies by publisher based on audience composition, demand partners, and existing identity solutions. Some publishers see significant uplift, while others see minimal impact.

Changelog

For detailed changelog information, visit our Changelog.

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ID5

ID5

Setup

Troubleshooting

Overview

Environment Compatibility

Prerequisites

Setup

Web Implementation Details

Technical Flow

Data Types

Identity Signals Transmitted

Troubleshooting

Changelog

​ID5

Setup

Troubleshooting

​Overview

​Environment Compatibility

​Prerequisites

​Setup

​Web Implementation Details

​Technical Flow

​Data Types

​Identity Signals Transmitted

​Troubleshooting

​Changelog

ID5

Overview

Environment Compatibility

Prerequisites

Setup

Web Implementation Details

Technical Flow

Data Types

Identity Signals Transmitted

Troubleshooting

Changelog