Roku - Permutive

Installation

Event Tracking

GAM Targeting

Overview

The Permutive Roku Client enables audience tracking and targeting on Roku devices. Built as a SceneGraph Task component, it integrates seamlessly with your Roku channel to collect events, manage identities, and target ads through Google Ad Manager.

BrightScript/SceneGraph: The Roku Client is implemented as a SceneGraph Task component (PermutiveTask.xml) that runs asynchronously alongside your channel.

Installation

1. Add the Component

Copy PermutiveTask.xml from the Permutive repository into your Roku channel’s components directory:

your-channel/
├── components/
│   ├── PermutiveTask.xml  ← Add here
│   └── ...
├── source/
└── manifest

2. Instantiate the Client

Create and configure the Permutive Task node in your root SceneGraph component:

sub init()
    permutive = CreateObject("roSGNode", "PermutiveTask")
    permutive.apiKey = "your-permutive-api-key-here"
    permutive.workspaceId = "your-permutive-workspace-id-here"
    permutive.control = "run"
end sub

3. Store Globally

Store the Permutive Task node globally for access from other components:

m.global.addFields({ permutive: permutive })

Configuration

Field	Type	Required	Description
`apiKey`	String	Yes	Your Permutive workspace API key
`workspaceId`	String	Yes	Your Permutive workspace ID
`debugMode`	Boolean	No	Enable schema validation logging
`control`	String	Yes	Set to `"run"` to start the client

permutive = CreateObject("roSGNode", "PermutiveTask")
permutive.apiKey = "your-api-key"
permutive.workspaceId = "your-workspace-id"
permutive.debugMode = true  ' Enable for development
permutive.control = "run"

Identity Management

Set user identities to enable cross-platform audience matching and enrichment.

Default Identity

Set a simple string identity:

m.global.permutive.identity = "some_default_identity"

Tagged Identities

Set identities with tags and optional priority:

' Set an email hash identity
m.global.permutive.identity = {
    tag: "email_sha256"
    id: "a1b2c3d4e5f6..."
    priority: 1
}

' Set a user account ID
m.global.permutive.identity = {
    tag: "user_id"
    id: "user_12345"
    priority: 2
}

' Set Roku advertising ID
m.global.permutive.identity = {
    tag: "rida"
    id: CreateObject("roDeviceInfo").GetRIDA()
}

Identity Fields

Field	Type	Required	Description
`tag`	String	Yes	Identifier type (must be configured in Dashboard)
`id`	String	Yes	The identifier value
`priority`	Integer	No	Priority for identity resolution (lower = higher priority)

Configure identity tags in your Dashboard identifiers settings before using them.

Event Tracking

Track events to capture user behavior and build audience segments.

View ID

Generate a new view ID for each piece of content the user engages with:

m.global.permutive.view_id = CreateObject("roDeviceInfo").GetRandomUUID()

Always set a new view_id when the user starts watching new content. This links all events for that viewing session.

Tracking Events

Track events with a name and properties:

m.global.permutive.event = {
    name: "Videoview"
    properties: {
        title: "Show Title"
        genre: "Drama"
        season_number: 1
        episode_number: 5
    }
}

Video Events

Track standard video events for consistent analytics:

' When video starts
m.global.permutive.view_id = CreateObject("roDeviceInfo").GetRandomUUID()
m.global.permutive.event = {
    name: "Videoview"
    properties: {
        title: m.video.title
        genre: m.video.genre
        runtime: m.video.duration
    }
}

' When video completes
m.global.permutive.event = {
    name: "VideoCompletion"
    properties: {
        title: m.video.title
        completion: 0.95  ' 95% watched
        engaged_time: 3420  ' seconds
    }
}

' When ad starts
m.global.permutive.event = {
    name: "VideoAdView"
    properties: {
        ad_id: "creative_123"
        ad_position: "midroll"
    }
}

' When ad completes
m.global.permutive.event = {
    name: "VideoAdCompletion"
    properties: {
        ad_id: "creative_123"
    }
}

Special Properties

The Roku Client supports special property constants that are replaced with device-derived data:

Geo Information

Add geographic data based on IP:

m.global.permutive.event = {
    name: "Videoview"
    properties: {
        title: "Video Title"
        geo_info: "$ip_geo_info"
    }
}

ISP Information

Add ISP data based on IP:

m.global.permutive.event = {
    name: "Videoview"
    properties: {
        title: "Video Title"
        isp_info: "$ip_isp_info"
    }
}

Constant	Description
`$ip_geo_info`	Geographic information derived from IP address
`$ip_isp_info`	Internet Service Provider information derived from IP

Debug Mode

Enable debug mode during development to validate event schemas:

permutive.debugMode = true
permutive.control = "run"

Debug mode logs schema validation errors:

Failed to upload some events (HTTP 400). Not retrying.
One or more events failed validation. Errors: <list of schema errors>

Disable in production: Debug mode adds latency due to schema validation. Only use during development.

Retrieving Data

Get Cohorts

Retrieve the user’s matched cohort IDs:

cohorts = m.global.permutive.cohorts
' cohorts is an array of strings: ["cohort_1", "cohort_2", ...]

Get User ID

Retrieve the Permutive user ID:

userId = m.global.permutive.userId
' userId is a string

Google Ad Manager Targeting

Attach Permutive targeting data to GAM ad requests:

Get Key-Values

gamKeyValues = m.global.permutive.gamKeyValues
' gamKeyValues is an associative array: { "permutive": "cohort1,cohort2", "puid": "user_id" }

Serialize for GAM

Convert key-values to the format GAM expects:

function SerializeGamCustParams(custParams as Object) as String
    paramsAsStrings = []
    for each kv in custParams.items()
        paramsAsStrings.Push(kv.key + "=" + kv.value)
    end for
    return paramsAsStrings.Join("&")
end function

Attach to Ad Request

gamKeyValues = m.global.permutive.gamKeyValues

' Create GAM stream request
gamRequest = gamSdk.CreateStreamRequest()

' Serialize and encode custom parameters
custParamsString = SerializeGamCustParams(gamKeyValues)
urlEncodedCustParams = CreateObject("roUrlTransfer").Encode(custParamsString)

' Attach to request
gamRequest.adTagParameters = "cust_params=" + urlEncodedCustParams

See Google’s IMA documentation for more on custom parameters.

Reset User State

Clear all Permutive data from disk and memory:

m.global.permutive.reset = true

Use this when:

User logs out
User requests data deletion
Testing fresh state

Complete Example

' main.brs - Channel initialization

sub Main(args as Dynamic)
    screen = CreateObject("roSGScreen")
    m.port = CreateObject("roMessagePort")
    screen.setMessagePort(m.port)
    scene = screen.CreateScene("MainScene")
    screen.show()

    while(true)
        msg = wait(0, m.port)
        msgType = type(msg)
        if msgType = "roSGScreenEvent"
            if msg.isScreenClosed() then return
        end if
    end while
end sub


' MainScene.brs - Scene initialization

sub init()
    ' Initialize Permutive
    permutive = CreateObject("roSGNode", "PermutiveTask")
    permutive.apiKey = "your-api-key"
    permutive.workspaceId = "your-workspace-id"
    permutive.control = "run"

    ' Store globally
    m.global.addFields({ permutive: permutive })

    ' Set user identity if logged in
    if m.user <> invalid
        m.global.permutive.identity = {
            tag: "user_id"
            id: m.user.id
        }
    end if
end sub


' VideoPlayer.brs - Video playback component

sub onVideoStart()
    ' Generate new view ID for this content
    m.global.permutive.view_id = CreateObject("roDeviceInfo").GetRandomUUID()

    ' Track video view
    m.global.permutive.event = {
        name: "Videoview"
        properties: {
            title: m.currentVideo.title
            genre: m.currentVideo.genre
            runtime: m.currentVideo.duration
            season_number: m.currentVideo.season
            episode_number: m.currentVideo.episode
            geo_info: "$ip_geo_info"
        }
    }
end sub

sub onVideoComplete()
    m.global.permutive.event = {
        name: "VideoCompletion"
        properties: {
            title: m.currentVideo.title
            completion: m.player.position / m.player.duration
            engaged_time: m.engagedSeconds
        }
    }
end sub

sub onAdStart(ad as Object)
    m.global.permutive.event = {
        name: "VideoAdView"
        properties: {
            ad_id: ad.id
            ad_position: ad.position
            ad_duration: ad.duration
        }
    }
end sub

sub loadAds()
    gamKeyValues = m.global.permutive.gamKeyValues
    custParams = SerializeGamCustParams(gamKeyValues)

    adRequest = m.gamSdk.CreateStreamRequest()
    adRequest.adTagParameters = "cust_params=" + CreateObject("roUrlTransfer").Encode(custParams)

    m.gamSdk.requestStream(adRequest)
end sub

Troubleshooting

Events not being tracked

Problem: Events don’t appear in the Permutive dashboard.Solutions:

Verify control = "run" is set after configuration
Check API key and workspace ID are correct
Enable debugMode to see validation errors
Ensure network connectivity on the device
Wait 5-10 minutes for events to process

Schema validation errors

Problem: Debug mode shows schema validation failures.Solutions:

Verify event names match your workspace schema
Check property types match expected schema types
Ensure required properties are included
Contact Technical Services to update schemas

GAM targeting not working

Problem: Ads don’t show Permutive targeting.Solutions:

Verify gamKeyValues is populated before ad request
Check URL encoding of custom parameters
Ensure cohorts are synced to GAM in Dashboard settings
Verify GAM line items target Permutive key-values

Cohorts empty

Problem: cohorts array is empty.Solutions:

Ensure events are being tracked successfully
Wait for cohort processing (can take minutes)
Verify user qualifies for configured cohorts
Check cohorts are enabled for Roku in Dashboard

API Reference

Task Fields

Field	Type	Access	Description
`apiKey`	String	Write	Workspace API key
`workspaceId`	String	Write	Workspace ID
`debugMode`	Boolean	Write	Enable schema validation
`control`	String	Write	Set to “run” to start
`identity`	String/Object	Write	Set user identity
`view_id`	String	Write	Current view session ID
`event`	Object	Write	Track an event
`reset`	Boolean	Write	Clear all state
`cohorts`	String[]	Read	User’s cohort IDs
`userId`	String	Read	Permutive user ID
`gamKeyValues`	Object	Read	GAM targeting key-values

CTV Overview

Platform selection guide

Video Tracking

Video event best practices

Google Ad Manager

GAM integration guide

Identity Management

Cross-platform identity

Get Started

Products

SDKs

Governance

Installation

Event Tracking

GAM Targeting

​Overview

​Installation

​1. Add the Component

​2. Instantiate the Client

​3. Store Globally

​Configuration

​Identity Management

​Default Identity

​Tagged Identities

​Identity Fields

​Event Tracking

​View ID

​Tracking Events

​Video Events

​Special Properties

​Geo Information

​ISP Information

​Debug Mode

​Retrieving Data

​Get Cohorts

​Get User ID

​Google Ad Manager Targeting

​Get Key-Values

​Serialize for GAM

​Attach to Ad Request

​Reset User State

​Complete Example

​Troubleshooting

​API Reference

​Task Fields

​Related Documentation

CTV Overview

Video Tracking

Google Ad Manager

Identity Management

Overview

Installation

1. Add the Component

2. Instantiate the Client

3. Store Globally

Configuration

Identity Management

Default Identity

Tagged Identities

Identity Fields

Event Tracking

View ID

Tracking Events

Video Events

Special Properties

Geo Information

ISP Information

Debug Mode

Retrieving Data

Get Cohorts

Get User ID

Google Ad Manager Targeting

Get Key-Values

Serialize for GAM

Attach to Ad Request

Reset User State

Complete Example

Troubleshooting

API Reference

Task Fields

Related Documentation