In May 2022, Prebid.org unveiled a new header bidding tool with a unique name: Professor Prebid. This Chrome extension aims to streamline management of the ad stack for publishers. Here’s what you need to know.
The Headlines
- On May 10th 2022, open source programmatic pioneers Prebid.org announced the release of a new Google Chrome extension, Professor Prebid. It’s available to install for free now via the Chrome Web Store and Github.
- The tool was built to simplify both debugging and troubleshooting header bidding setups for publishers using the open source Prebid.js solution as part of their bid management.
- Professor Prebid’s key features include visualization of the auction timeline, insight into crucial bid metrics (value, currency, response time, etc.), availability of ad units, and more.
What is Professor Prebid?
Professor Prebid is a header bidding troubleshooting and debugging Chrome extension built by the team at Prebid.org.
Initially released on May 10th 2022, the extension’s whimsical name may distract from the fact that it’s actually a very powerful tool. As a free Chrome extension, Professor Prebid is accessible as a toolbar button which brings up an overlay containing a smorgasbord of tools and readouts to satisfy the adtech nerd in all of us.
If you’re a publisher running Prebid.js to manage your header bidding, Professor Prebid offers a suite of different features which can help you diagnose issues with your setup, optimize page latency, visualize auctions in real-time, and even use CPM overrides to test out potential bidding scenarios.
What can Professor Prebid do for publishers?
With 70% of US publishers running header bidding, it’s only natural that they are looking for ways to maximize yields and optimize header bidding health.
Whether you’re part of an ad ops team troubleshooting specific issues on your site, or you’re simply curious about how header bidding does its thing, Professor Prebid pulls back the curtain and gives you a number of handy tools.
Here’s how Professor Prebid helps you take control of your header bidding:
- Display all active ad units on the page, including supported creative dimensions and a list of all bidders taking part in the auction.
- Apply a real-time overlay to all ad units which displays the winning bidder, winning CPM amount, and more.
- Visualize the timeline of each individual auction including response time for each bidder and details about any timeouts.
- View any active alternative IDs on the page.
- Double-check active configurations for core Prebid modules including price granularity, Consent Management Platform, Prebid Server, and more.
- Leverage advanced debugging tools, including the ability to override CPM values to test out specific bidding outcomes.
How to start using Professor Prebid today
The easiest way to start using Professor Prebid right now is to install the Google Chrome extension directly from the Chrome Web Store. Once installed, you’ll see a new button appear in your Extensions menu (usually accessible from your Chrome toolbar) which you can click to open Professor Prebid on any page which runs Prebid.js.
Or, if you’re more technically inclined, you can also explore the full open source repo for Professor Prebid on Github where you can also dig into any open issues, get more detail on the people behind the extension, and more.
If you’re not yet leveraging Prebid.js as part of your ad stack, or you’d like some expert advice on how to maximize yield with header bidding, just get in touch with The MediaGrid team today.
