Inventory Pools

Pools are the access control layer between supply sources (Publishers) and DSPs. Every supply source is assigned to one or more pools; only DSPs subscribed to a pool can bid on that supply source’s inventory.

How pools work

Publisher → Pool → DSPs

When an auction runs for your inventory:

1. Pathfinder looks up which pools your supply source belongs to
2. It finds all DSPs subscribed to those pools
3. Only those DSPs receive a bid request

This means you can offer your inventory exclusively to premium DSPs, or create separate pools for different inventory tiers.

Default Pool

All supply sources are added to the Default Pool automatically. The Default Pool includes all active, approved DSPs on the platform.

If you don’t need inventory segmentation, you don’t need to do anything — the Default Pool handles routing for you.

Custom pools

Custom pools let you:

• Offer premium inventory to a curated DSP list
• Create CTV-only or web-only demand groups
• Implement deal ID-based private marketplaces

To create a custom pool:

1. Go to Supply → Inventory Pools → New Pool
2. Name the pool and set a description
3. Assign supply sources to the pool
4. Share the pool ID with DSPs you want to invite

DSPs subscribe to pools via their dashboard or the API.

Sandbox pool

There is a dedicated Sandbox Pool used during testing. Supply sources in sandbox mode are automatically added to the Sandbox Pool and isolated from production DSPs.

Floor prices

Each supply source has a floor price (minimum bid). DSPs bidding below the floor are excluded from the auction.

Set your floor in Supply → your supply source → Settings → Floor Price.

Recommended floors by inventory type

Pool assignment via API

# Get your publisher's current pool assignment
GET /api/publishers/{publisher_id}
 
# Response includes pool_ids array
{
  "id": "84a75615-...",
  "pool_ids": ["pool-uuid-default", "pool-uuid-premium"]
}

Contact your account manager or email [email protected] to request custom pool creation.