DSP Routing (Pathfinder)
Pathfinder tests every DSP’s endpoint for compatibility and responsiveness every 3 hours. The results determine which DSPs receive bid requests at auction time.
How It Works
Every 3 hours, Pathfinder sends test bid requests to each DSP and checks:
| Check | What It Tests |
|---|---|
| Endpoint reachable | Can we connect to the DSP’s bid endpoint? |
| Accepts requests | Does it return a valid OpenRTB response? |
| Response time | How fast does it respond? (target: under 150ms) |
| schain support | Does it accept supply chain objects? |
| GDPR support | Does it handle consent signals correctly? |
Scoring
Each DSP gets a compatibility score from 0 to 100 based on test results.
| Score | Meaning | Auction Behavior |
|---|---|---|
| 80-100 | Fully compatible | Receives all matching bid requests |
| 50-79 | Partially compatible | Receives requests, may be deprioritized |
| 1-49 | Unreliable | Skipped for most auctions to protect latency |
| 0 | Unreachable | No bid requests sent |
Why It Matters
Sending bid requests to non-responsive DSPs wastes time. At sub-5ms auction latency, every millisecond counts. Pathfinder ensures the edge auction only calls DSPs that are likely to respond in time.
Dashboard
Go to Intelligence > Pathfinder in the sidebar. The page shows:
- DSP health table — each DSP with score, last test time, avg response time, and status
- Trend — score history over the last 7 days
- Failing checks — which specific checks a DSP is failing
Via Broker Chat
“Which DSPs are failing Pathfinder checks?”
“What’s Axis Media’s Pathfinder score?”
“Show me DSPs with response time over 100ms”
Troubleshooting
DSP score dropped suddenly? Check if their endpoint is down or if they changed their URL. Verify with the DSP team.
DSP shows 0 score? The endpoint is unreachable. Confirm the URL is correct and that their server accepts traffic from our IP ranges.
DSP slow but working? If response time is above 150ms, the DSP may be deprioritized. Discuss with the DSP about optimizing their bid endpoint latency.