A pixel is usually exported from an ad server (such as DCM) in HTML wrapping. We do not accept this wrapping, instead we accept the pixel URL itself. So if your pixel arrives as:
<img src="https://ad.doubleclick.net/ddm/trackimp/N123.456789COMPANY/B12345678.123456789;dc_trk_aid=123456789;dc_trk_cid=987654321;ord=[timestamp]?" width="1" height="1" style="display:none;" alt="">You would implement:
https://ad.doubleclick.net/ddm/trackimp/N123.456789COMPANY/B12345678.123456789;dc_trk_aid=123456789;dc_trk_cid=987654321;ord=[timestamp]?Within the pixel you’ll notice [timestamp]. This will usually be included in the pixel URL when exported (if it is not you will need to consult your ad tech provider). This is a placeholder for a random number macro, to ensure your pixel is not cached by browsers and so it always appears as unique. In SAM you will replace [timestamp] with [TIMESTAMP].
If your pixel includes GDPR macros (these are Google specific macros for Google platforms) then these should be removed before deploying the pixel in SAM to avoid error messages.
Verifying a pixel is active
Paste the pixel URL into your browser and hit return. If you see a screen like in the above video where the tab shows the name including ‘1x1’ then the pixel is functioning. If nothing happens when you hit return this means the pixel is likely inactive in the ad server it was exported from and will not track impressions until is activated.
If you’re not satisfied by the above method and wish to make sure, you can push a preview of your line item to the Skyscanner site. From here, find your ad and right click then select ‘inspect’. Within the developer tools select ‘Network’ and type in something relative to your pixel (doubleclick for example). Here you will see the requests and the ‘Status Code’ which verifies if the pixel worked correctly: