From JSON Complexity to Self-Service Configuration

Our Client’s Backstory

Our client operates an ad mediation SDK platform that helps publishers manage in-app advertising across iOS and Android. The platform connects OpenRTB, Prebid, and publishers' mobile apps, making our client's AdOps team and engineering group responsible for keeping every app and ad slot configuration accurate and up to date.

As the publisher base and app catalog grew, the client needed a faster, safer way to manage configurations. Klika was engaged to help redesign this experience.

The Challenges

Before this initiative, every app and slot configuration change depended on manual JSON editing by a small technical team.

• Engineering-gated configuration: Publishers could not configure their own apps, slots, or Prebid settings without direct support from our client's technical team.

• AdOps team sidelined: The existing JSON-based interface required deep knowledge of OpenRTB and Prebid structures, and the AdOps team could not assist publishers or own onboarding.

• High error risk: Manual JSON editing carried a high risk of syntax and structural errors, which could break live configurations and disrupt monetization.

• Slower time-to-revenue: Configuration bottlenecks delayed changes and new app onboarding.

• Diverted engineering capacity: Routine configuration work pulled engineering and product time away from platform development.

• No publisher visibility: Publishers lacked any direct visibility into their own app and slot configurations, making troubleshooting and planning difficult.

The Result

As a self-service configuration experience, this initiative was scoped around a clear set of target outcomes:

Self-service enablement

Up to 50% of publishers expected to configure their own apps without engineering support.

AdOps independence

AdOps team targeted to handle 90% of publisher configuration requests without escalation, including owning onboarding end to end.

Faster configuration

App configuration time targeted at one hour or less of UI setup time, down from a manual, engineering-dependent process.

Zero JSON errors

Form validation designed so that invalid JSON can never be submitted, eliminating a previously common source of broken configurations.

Near real-time deployment

Cache endpoint designed to reflect configuration changes within 60 seconds of a save.

The Result

As a self-service configuration experience, this initiative was scoped around a clear set of target outcomes:

Self-service enablement

Up to 50% of publishers expected to configure their own apps without engineering support.

AdOps independence

AdOps team targeted to handle 90% of publisher configuration requests without escalation, including owning onboarding end to end.

Faster configuration

App configuration time targeted at one hour or less of UI setup time, down from a manual, engineering-dependent process.

Zero JSON errors

Form validation designed so that invalid JSON can never be submitted, eliminating a previously common source of broken configurations.

Near real-time deployment

Cache endpoint designed to reflect configuration changes within 60 seconds of a save.

The Result

As a self-service configuration experience, this initiative was scoped around a clear set of target outcomes:

Self-service enablement

Up to 50% of publishers expected to configure their own apps without engineering support.

AdOps independence

AdOps team targeted to handle 90% of publisher configuration requests without escalation, including owning onboarding end to end.

Faster configuration

App configuration time targeted at one hour or less of UI setup time, down from a manual, engineering-dependent process.

Zero JSON errors

Form validation designed so that invalid JSON can never be submitted, eliminating a previously common source of broken configurations.

Near real-time deployment

Cache endpoint designed to reflect configuration changes within 60 seconds of a save.

The Result

As a self-service configuration experience, this initiative was scoped around a clear set of target outcomes:

Self-service enablement

Up to 50% of publishers expected to configure their own apps without engineering support.

AdOps independence

AdOps team targeted to handle 90% of publisher configuration requests without escalation, including owning onboarding end to end.

Faster configuration

App configuration time targeted at one hour or less of UI setup time, down from a manual, engineering-dependent process.

Zero JSON errors

Form validation designed so that invalid JSON can never be submitted, eliminating a previously common source of broken configurations.

Near real-time deployment

Cache endpoint designed to reflect configuration changes within 60 seconds of a save.

The Result

As a self-service configuration experience, this initiative was scoped around a clear set of target outcomes:

Self-service enablement

Up to 50% of publishers expected to configure their own apps without engineering support.

AdOps independence

AdOps team targeted to handle 90% of publisher configuration requests without escalation, including owning onboarding end to end.

Faster configuration

App configuration time targeted at one hour or less of UI setup time, down from a manual, engineering-dependent process.

Zero JSON errors

Form validation designed so that invalid JSON can never be submitted, eliminating a previously common source of broken configurations.

Near real-time deployment

Cache endpoint designed to reflect configuration changes within 60 seconds of a save.

As this initiative was in active design and discovery when this was written, the figures above reflect the project's defined success metrics rather than measured, post-launch results.