UID2 token activation
Tokens passed by publishers are decrypted server-side per the UID2 DSP guide, with opt-outs honored.
Build audiences with consent read first
Audience Lab activates first-party lists, seller-defined audiences and UID2 tokens, and reads GPP and TCF consent strings before any data is used in a bid.
What is Audience Lab?
Audience Lab is where audiences are built and activated in Vectravia. It works with the signals a bid request actually carries: consent strings, seller-defined audience segments and, where a publisher passes them, UID2 tokens.
Consent comes first. GPP and TCF strings are read before any audience data is applied to a request, and UID2 opt-outs are honored as the UID2 DSP guide requires, so an opted-out identifier is never used for bidding.
What can you build in Audience Lab?
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Seller-defined audiences
Segments in the OpenRTB Data object are read with their segtax value to know the taxonomy.
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Consent read before data use
GPP and TCF strings are checked before any audience data touches a bid.
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First-party list onboarding
Upload your own lists and see reach and overlap per channel before you spend.
How does an audience reach a bid?
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Read consent
The GPP or TCF string in the request is parsed first. If use is not permitted, no audience data is applied.
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Match the signal
Seller-defined segments, UID2 tokens or your first-party lists are matched to the request where they are present and allowed.
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Check opt-outs
UID2 opt-out status is honored through the webhook or status endpoint the UID2 DSP guide describes.
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Bid or fall back
Matched requests are bid as audience impressions; the rest can fall back to contextual targeting from Context Engine.
How fast are privacy signals changing?
Consent handling is not a one-time setup. These dates show how often the underlying standards move.
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4
US state strings (Maryland, Indiana, Kentucky and Rhode Island) finalized for GPP on December 1, 2025
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2021
the year IAB Tech Lab first proposed Seller-Defined Audiences
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Apache 2.0
the open-source license UID2 is published under
Which standards does Audience Lab use?
| Standard | What it does here |
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| Global Privacy Protocol (GPP) IAB Tech Lab | Transport layer for privacy and consent signals, including IAB Europe TCF, IAB Canada TCF and US state strings. |
| UID2 DSP guide UID2 documentation | How a DSP receives, decrypts and honors opt-outs for UID2 tokens in bid requests. |
| Seller-Defined Audiences IAB Tech Lab | Lets publishers and data providers map audience attributes to standard taxonomy IDs inside OpenRTB. |
| segtax extension IAB Tech Lab | Adds a segtax value to OpenRTB Data objects so a buyer knows which taxonomy a segment belongs to. |
What works alongside Audience Lab?
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Context Engine
Contextual targeting and brand suitability, no user ID needed.
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Path Check
Supply-path checks against ads.txt and sellers.json before every bid.
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Signal Reports
Measured and modeled numbers, labeled apart.
What do teams ask about Audience Lab?
Do I need third-party cookies to use Audience Lab?
No. Audience Lab works with first-party lists, seller-defined audiences and UID2 tokens where publishers pass them. When none of those are present, Context Engine can target by content instead.
How are UID2 opt-outs handled?
UID2 tokens are decrypted server-side as the UID2 DSP guide describes, and opt-out status is checked through its webhook or status endpoint. An opted-out UID2 is not used for bidding.
What consent signals does Audience Lab read?
It reads Global Privacy Protocol (GPP) strings, which can carry IAB Europe TCF, IAB Canada TCF and US state sections, plus standalone TCF strings where they appear.
See Audience Lab on your own campaigns
Book a walkthrough of the console with your channels, your supply and your reporting needs.