A closer look at the detection: Permission API

AdSecure informs users when an ad campaign requests permission to know the location of a visitor, access their camera, send a push notification request and more.

What are Permission requests?

Permission requests within certain apps, or when looking to perform certain actions on websites can be perfectly understandable, but within the context of an advertisement, they can also annoy and frustrate visitors, leading to poor user experiences and viewer flight when left unchecked.

With the addition of a series of permission requests as a new User Experience detection, AdSecure now informs our users when an ad campaign requests permission to know the location of a visitor, access their camera, or even send a push notification request.

How does it work?

AdSecure’s series of Permission API detections notifies users whenever a permission request is in play, whether that be on a web or mobile site page, or triggered by an ad running on these pages. These detections are classified as user experience issues, as they act as a source of frustration and poor browsing experience for visitors. In total there are five different permission detections available:

• Permission: Notification
  Identifies notification permission requests sent to users, most commonly in the form of a push notification

• Permission: Geo-Location
  Identifies a request to track a user's current location

• Permission: Camera
  Identifies requests to access a user’s web or mobile device camera

• Permission: Microphone
  Identifies requests to access a user’s microphone

• Permission: Clipboard
  Identifies requests to copy to a user’s clipboard

Like other elements of AdSecure, Permission API is powered by modern browser technology, and is available as a user experience detection option for all AdSecure clients. Permission detections will appear on any analyses where they are in play as a violation.

However, as with all AdSecure violations, you can also add these to any of your custom alert rules if you specifically want to be alerted upon detection.

How can it be applied?

You can track Permission API analyses in three ways:

• Apply an alert rule including any Permission API detection to a Quick Analysis, located on the Analysis tab in your user interface. This is great for getting an immediate insight into what requests your users are receiving live at the time of analysis.

• Apply Permission alert rules on ongoing projects you create in the Projects section of the user interface for frequent monitoring of your creatives or site pages for threats and ad quality issues. Permission requests might only be active at certain times of the day, so this is a great way to catch them when they become active.

• Permission alerts can also be applied to any API analysis for automating your ad verification workflow.

Who can it help?

Publishers
Permission requests like these can annoy site visitors, and potentially lead to a loss of user traffic if left unresolved. Providing a consistently safe and positive experience that allows users to continue engaging with your great content is the best way to safeguard your revenue streams.

Ad Platforms Many publishers don’t want permission requests annoying their visitors full stop. For platforms, preserving the trust and strength of their publishing partner relationships is key to long term success and revenue growth. High quality, non-intrusive ads also lead to better conversion rates from end users, so eliminating these types of requests can go a long way toward ensuring that click through happens.

Ad Operations Teams Identifying poor experience issues like unwanted permission requests can make the difference between having users highly engaged with advertising content, or having annoyed users. Ad Operations teams can make fast, informed decisions to keep their ad delivery at both a high quality and a high level of conversion.

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