by Luca Passani, CTO @ScientiaMobile

In the first draft of this blog post, I explained how real-time auctions typically take place in your browser each time you, as a web user, visit one of the many high-traffic websites that rely on ads to monetize their content.

Figure: JavaScript-powered auctions occur in your browser each time you visit a website with header bidding (Prebid.js).
I ended up scratching the whole paragraph explaining Prebid.js. After all, if you’re reading this and you don’t know what Prebid.js is, then turning into an adopter of WurflRTD is as unlikely as seeing a unicorn juggling flaming pineapples on a unicycle—sort of rare!

Figure: How our resident artist envisions a rare event.
Put another way, if you are not part of the programmatic advertising ecosystem—like the fun crowd we met in DMEXCO in Cologne, Germany, at the end of September—you probably don’t want to be here, as we won’t be able to refund the ten minutes you’ll spend reading this 🙂

Figure: Ed, Krishna and yours truly at DMEXCO on September 18, 2024.
On the other hand, if header bidding is your bread and butter, please keep going. You’re gonna love this, I promise.
Introducing WurflRTD for Prebid.js: Supercharge Your Header Bidding with Real-Time Device Detection
On the first day of DMEXCO, we announced our WurflRTD (WURFL Real-Time Data) provider for Prebid.js, an innovative component designed to help publishers, SSPs, and DSPs maximize their ad revenue while enhancing users’ ad experiences. With WurflRTD, you can now leverage device intelligence to improve targeting, optimize bidding, and enhance campaign performance—all with just a touch of Prebid.js configuration.
What is WurflRTD for Prebid.js?
WurflRTD is a real-time device detection provider that integrates seamlessly with Prebid.js, the leading header bidding solution. It enables publishers to quickly identify the specific devices accessing their site, such as smartphones, tablets, desktops, or other connected devices. In addition to the device form factor, WurflRTD will deliver a list of device properties that SSPs can leverage to achieve fine-grained targeting and bid time decisions. That includes, for example, distinguishing specific iPhone and iPad models (a notoriously hard nut to crack, as you may already know), and identifying which smartphones were released in the last 24 months and cost $600 or more. As an added bonus, WurflRTD will perform the fancy HTTP dance that delivers user-agent client hints (UA-CH), which is the new way to obtain device information in the age of “privacy according to Google.”
With the growing complexity of devices and browsers, WurflRTD helps publishers gain more granular insight into the context in which their ads are being viewed. This information is then utilized to enhance the bidding process, enabling advertisers and demand partners to deliver the most relevant and high-performing ads to users.
Why WurflRTD Matters for Publishers
As a publisher, your priority is maximizing ad revenue without compromising user experience. WurflRTD is designed with that goal in mind, allowing you to deliver tailored ad experiences and increase the value of your inventory.
Here’s how WurflRTD can benefit you:
- Real-Time Device Detection: Know exactly what type of device, model, and screen size your visitors are using to better understand your audience and optimize ad content for them. Device age and price are also properties that can be leveraged, along with the full list of WURFL Capabilities.
- Improved Ad Targeting: Device data enhances targeting accuracy, ensuring advertisers deliver relevant ads to users and increasing the likelihood of engagement.
- Increased Yield from Header Bidding: By incorporating device intelligence into your header bidding process, demand-side partners (DSPs) can make informed decisions in real-time, increasing competition for your inventory and ultimately driving up CPMs.
- Privacy-First Approach: WurflRTD operates within the client-side, leveraging device data without tracking personal information. This aligns nicely with global privacy regulations (GDPR, CCPA, etc.).
A Win-Win for SSPs, DSPs and Publishers
Publishers will add WurflRTD to their websites’ PreBid.js configuration (a few lines of JS code) to reap its benefits, but the cost of the solution is borne by SSPs (Supply-Side Platforms). This makes it easy for publishers to adopt WurflRTD without any financial burden, while SSPs and demand partners can benefit from enhanced device data to improve their bidding strategies. WurflRTD lets participating SSPs pick which device properties are valuable for their solution, and they’ll be the ones who receive them. This arrangement also creates a more efficient and transparent ad ecosystem where everyone stands to gain.
How WurflRTD Enhances the Header Bidding Process
In traditional header bidding setups, there’s often limited knowledge about the specific device requesting an ad. Without this crucial context, SSPs and DSPs are bidding with incomplete information, leading to suboptimal campaigns and lower CPMs for publishers.
By integrating WurflRTD into your Prebid.js setup, each ad request is enriched with real-time device data. SSPs and DSPs can then use this data to make better-informed bids, resulting in:
- Higher Bids for Premium Devices: Ads served to high-end devices (like the latest smartphones or tablets) can be more valuable to advertisers, allowing them to bid higher and improving your revenue.
- Optimized User Experience: Advertisers can tailor ads to fit the capabilities of the user’s device.
- Yield Optimization Across Devices: Whether your audience is browsing on desktop, mobile, or connected TV, WurflRTD provides the insights needed to ensure optimal ad placements across all devices.
Getting Started: How to Integrate WurflRTD for Prebid.js
Integrating WurflRTD into your Prebid.js setup is simple and takes just a few steps. Here’s what you need to know:
- Install the WurflRTD Provider: Download and integrate the WurflRTD module into your existing Prebid.js configuration.
- Configure Your Settings: Customize the provider’s settings to align with your specific goals, whether it’s optimizing for device type, OS, or other device characteristics.

3. Reap the Benefits: Once integrated, your header bidding requests will be enriched with real-time device data, allowing your SSPs to bid more effectively and drive up your revenue.
For detailed instructions on how to get started, check out the WurflRTD Integration Guide.
Whether you’re a publisher looking to maximize your ad revenue or an SSP aiming to provide the most competitive bids, WurflRTD is your go-to solution for better header bidding and smarter ad targeting. If you want to leverage the power of real-time device detection, contact us today to learn more about WurflRTD and how it can transform your ad monetization strategy.
Let’s maximize your revenue together!