Pontiac’s RTB API uses a hierarchical object structure for campaign setup.

For a standard Seat, the core hierarchy is:

Seat > Advertiser > Campaign > Line

For accounts using a Master Seat structure, the hierarchy is:

Master Seat > Sub-Seat > Advertiser > Campaign > Line

Creatives, Pixels, and Audiences are created separately and are associated with the applicable Advertiser, Campaign, or Line depending on the object type and management settings.

Master Seat

A Master Seat is the top-level account used to manage one or more Sub-Seats.

Master Seats are typically used by organizations that operate multiple advertiser environments, business units, clients, or managed accounts under a single parent account.

Hierarchy:

Master Seat > Sub-Seat

Depending on the endpoint and workflow, API requests may be made from the Master Seat while specifying the applicable Sub-Seat.

Sub-Seat

A Sub-Seat is an individual Seat managed beneath a Master Seat.

Advertisers, Campaigns, Lines, Creatives, Pixels, and other RTB objects are created within the applicable Sub-Seat.

Hierarchy:

Master Seat > Sub-Seat > Advertiser

For accounts that do not use a Master Seat structure, the Seat itself acts as the top-level account.

Advertiser

An Advertiser is created within a Seat or Sub-Seat and represents the brand or organization running the advertising activity.

Advertisers contain the Campaigns and advertiser-level resources associated with that advertiser.

Hierarchy:

Seat > Advertiser

or:

Master Seat > Sub-Seat > Advertiser

Example:

• Seat ID: 1000
• Advertiser ID: 5943

The advertiserId returned when the Advertiser is created is used when creating Campaigns, Lines, Creatives, Pixels, and other advertiser-level objects.

Campaign

A Campaign is created under an Advertiser.

Campaigns define the broader settings that can apply to the Lines created beneath them, including:

• Campaign dates
• Budget and budget type
• Flights
• Pacing
• Dayparting
• Frequency and recency
• Targeting
• Creative management
• Pixel management
• Programmatic Guaranteed settings

Hierarchy:

Advertiser > Campaign

Example:

• Advertiser ID: 5943
• Campaign ID: 14901

A Campaign does not bid directly on inventory. At least one Line must be created under the Campaign in order for it to deliver.

Line

A Line is created under a Campaign and is the core bidding and delivery object.

Lines define how Pontiac bids on eligible inventory, including settings such as:

• Bid type
• Bid price
• Maximum bid
• Line-level targeting
• Inventory type
• Budget allocation
• Other Line-specific delivery settings

Hierarchy:

Campaign > Line

Example:

• Campaign ID: 14901
• Line ID: 75913

Each Line belongs to exactly one Campaign.

Creatives

Creatives are created under an Advertiser and contain the ad content that can be served by Campaigns and Lines.

Example:

• Advertiser ID: 5943
• Creative ID: 30336

Creatives can be associated directly with Lines or managed at the Campaign level.

When Campaign-level Creative management is enabled, Creatives associated with the Campaign are inherited by its Lines.

Pixels

Pixels are created under an Advertiser and are used for measurement, conversion tracking, and audience creation.

Example:

• Advertiser ID: 5943
• Pixel ID: 18887

Pixels can be associated at either the Campaign or Line level.

When Campaign-level Pixel management is enabled, Pixels associated with the Campaign are inherited by its Lines.

Audiences

Audiences are created and managed at the Seat level.

Depending on the audience type, these may include:

• First-party audiences
• Third-party audiences
• Contextual audiences
• ART audiences

Audiences can be created, updated, and managed at the applicable Seat level and then used as targeting criteria across eligible Campaigns and Lines within that Seat.

For accounts using a Master Seat structure, audiences created at the Master Seat level may also be available to associated Sub-Seats. These inherited audiences cannot be edited from the Sub-Seat. When applicable, the interface displays:

This audience cannot be edited because it belongs to the Master Seat.

Audience targeting can be applied at either the Campaign or Line level.

Flights

Flights define budget and date ranges within a Campaign.

When Flights are enabled, a Campaign can contain one or more Campaign Flights. Lines beneath the Campaign can also have corresponding Line Flights.

Example:

• Campaign ID: 14901
• Campaign Flight ID: 8371
• Line ID: 75913
• Line Flight ID: 58824

How the Objects Work Together

For a standard Seat:

Seat
├── Audiences
└── Advertiser
    ├── Creatives
    ├── Pixels
    └── Campaign
        ├── Campaign Flights
        └── Line
            └── Line Flights

For a Master Seat account:

Master Seat
├── Audiences
└── Sub-Seat
    ├── Audiences
    └── Advertiser
        ├── Creatives
        ├── Pixels
        └── Campaign
            ├── Campaign Flights
            └── Line

Audiences created at the Master Seat level are available to associated Sub-Seats for targeting, but they remain owned and managed by the Master Seat. Sub-Seats can use these audiences but cannot edit them.

Sub-Seats can also create and manage their own audiences. Audiences created within a Sub-Seat are owned by that Sub-Seat and can be edited there.

Creatives and Pixels, by contrast, are associated with an Advertiser and can then be applied at either the Campaign or Line level, depending on the applicable management settings.