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Reporting Transparency Requirements

Overview

In accordance with IAB/MRC Retail Media Measurement Guidelines, Topsort provides comprehensive transparency in all reporting to ensure advertisers have full visibility into campaign performance and measurement methodologies.

Required Disclosures

Attribution Methodology

All reports must clearly disclose:

  1. Attribution Model Used

    • Last-click, last-impression, or multi-touch
    • Model-specific rules and priorities
    • Any customization applied by marketplace

  2. Attribution Windows

    • Click-through window duration (e.g., 7, 14, 30 days)
    • View-through window duration if applicable
    • Window start and end timestamps

  3. Viewability Standards Applied

    • Display: 50% pixels, 1+ second
    • Video: 50% pixels, 2+ seconds
    • Large format: 30% pixels, 1+ second

Data Quality Indicators

SIVT Filtration Status

Reports include percentage of traffic filtered as Sophisticated Invalid Traffic (SIVT) with breakdown by category when available.

Each report provides:

  • Total impressions before filtration
  • Valid impressions after SIVT removal
  • SIVT rate as percentage
  • Categories of invalid traffic detected

Measurement Limitations

Report Components

Standard Metrics Section

Every campaign report includes:

CAMPAIGN PERFORMANCE SUMMARY
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
Measurement Period: [Start Date] - [End Date]
Attribution Model: [Model Type]
Attribution Window: [X days click] / [Y days view]
Viewability Standard: IAB/MRC Compliant
SIVT Filtration: Enabled (X.X% filtered)

Detailed Transparency Notes

Reports contain expandable sections for:

  1. Methodology Documentation

    • How impressions are counted
    • Viewability measurement approach
    • Conversion tracking methods
    • De-duplication rules

  2. Data Sources

    • First-party vs third-party data
    • Deterministic vs probabilistic matching
    • Panel data extrapolation (if used)
    • Modeling assumptions

  3. Incrementality Indicators

    • Whether incrementality testing was performed
    • Test methodology (RCT, synthetic control, etc.)
    • Confidence intervals if available
    • Baseline vs incremental conversions

API Response Format

When retrieving reports via API, transparency metadata is included:

{
  "campaign_metrics": {
    "impressions": 150000,
    "clicks": 7500,
    "conversions": 450,
    "revenue": 45000.00
  },
  "transparency": {
    "measurement_standards": {
      "viewability": "IAB/MRC",
      "sivt_filtration": true,
      "sivt_rate": 0.023
    },
    "attribution": {
      "model": "last_click",
      "click_window_days": 14,
      "view_window_days": 1,
      "cross_device": false
    },
    "data_quality": {
      "identity_resolution": "deterministic",
      "coverage_rate": 0.92,
      "confidence_level": 0.95
    },
    "disclaimers": [
      "Cross-device conversions not included",
      "In-store purchases linked via loyalty ID only"
    ]
  }
}

Reporting Dashboard Requirements

Visual Indicators

Dashboards must display:

  • 🟢 Green indicators for IAB/MRC compliant metrics
  • 🟡 Yellow indicators for estimated or modeled data
  • 🔴 Red indicators for non-compliant or incomplete data

Hover Information

Interactive elements provide:

  • Metric definitions on hover
  • Calculation methodology
  • Data collection timeframes
  • Quality indicators

Audit Trail Requirements

Data Retention

Topsort maintains for audit purposes:

  • Raw impression logs (90 days)
  • Aggregated campaign data (24 months)
  • SIVT detection logs (180 days)
  • Attribution calculation details (12 months)

Access Controls

Advertisers can request:

  • Detailed methodology documentation
  • Campaign-specific calculation logs
  • SIVT filtration details
  • Data lineage reports

Compliance Certifications

Reports indicate compliance with:

  • MRC Accreditation for viewable impressions
  • IAB Tech Lab measurement standards
  • TAG Certified Against Fraud program
  • Privacy regulations (GDPR, CCPA as applicable)

Customization Options

Marketplace-Specific Additions

While maintaining core requirements, marketplaces can add:

  • Custom KPIs with clear definitions
  • Additional attribution models with documentation
  • Proprietary metrics with methodology disclosure
  • Industry-specific measurements with standards reference

Report Scheduling

Automated reports can be configured with:

  • Daily, weekly, or monthly delivery
  • Custom date ranges
  • Specific transparency level (summary vs detailed)
  • Format preferences (PDF, CSV, JSON)

Best Practices

For Marketplaces

  1. Standardize Terminology

    • Use IAB/MRC definitions consistently
    • Avoid proprietary terms without explanation
    • Provide glossary in reports

  2. Version Control

    • Document methodology changes
    • Maintain change logs
    • Notify users of updates

  3. User Education

    • Provide metric interpretation guides
    • Offer transparency documentation
    • Host regular training sessions

For Advertisers

  1. Review Transparency Sections

    • Understand attribution methodology
    • Check SIVT rates regularly
    • Note any limitations or disclaimers

  2. Compare Across Campaigns

    • Ensure consistent measurement
    • Identify anomalies in data quality
    • Track methodology changes

  3. Request Additional Detail

    • Use audit trail access rights
    • Ask for methodology clarification
    • Request custom transparency reports

Frequently Asked Questions

  1. What if a metric doesn’t meet IAB/MRC standards?
    • Non-compliant metrics are clearly labeled with explanation of variance from standards.
  2. How often are transparency requirements updated?
    • Requirements align with IAB/MRC guideline updates, typically annually with notice provided.
  3. Can transparency disclosures be hidden?
    • No, core transparency elements are mandatory and cannot be removed from reports.
  4. Are historical reports updated with new standards?
    • Historical data maintains original methodology with notes about standard changes.