Adform ensures that you get all the support you need, when you need it. We want to be your ideal online advertising partner, where we recognise the need for instant and highly professional support.
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General specifications
In order for ad-serving systems to track clicks when displaying Flash banners, the Flash banners must be programmed to use clickTAG variables instead of pre-defined URLs. The clickTAG variables are passed to the Flash file by the HTML page that shows the Flash banner. Thereby, the ad-serving systems can track the number of clicks and change the URL realtime, without having to modify the Flash banner.
Filesize is limited to 60 KB
Flash banners must be compiled with minimum Flash 8 version
Fallback *.gif banners must always be supplied for all formats
Please also follow our recommendations for Flash banners and Media (publisher) restrictions for Loops, FPS, etc.
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Recommendations for Flash banners
Complexive flash banners may be the reason of high CPU usage. Some publishers are paying attention not only to file size but also to CPU usage. We are recommending to check some common High CPU usage factors:
1. Frame Rate is over 18 frames per second; reducing the number to 18 does not degrade visual performance.
2. Multiple animated sequences across many layers animating at the same time.
3. Animated sequences set to be translucent and animating on top of an imported graphic (ex: jpeg, png, etc.).
4. Action Script-generated events set to randomly generate (ex: fog and rain).
5. Imported graphics scaled up over a long period of time.
6. Masking and animated masking techniques can also require a large amount of CPU resources.
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Flash banners restrictions
Due to possible security issues Adform does not accept obfuscated Flash banners. Also, there are some AS functions that are not allowed and the banners with such functions will not be accepted. Please use the Adform Creative Test Module: http://test.adform.com to check if the banners meet the requirements. Alternatively, you can contact Adform Traffic department for testing and suggestions on compatibility.
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clickTAG variables
Methods for implementing the clickTAG variables in Flash banners depend on the ActionScript version used in the banners. The methods do the same job and are only different in the coding. Adform supports both ActionScript 2 and ActionScript 3 coded banners. If there is more than one taget URL, please see the naming convention below:
var clickTAG; // variable no. 1
var clickTAG2; // variable no. 2
var clickTAG3; // variable no. 3
var clickTAG4; // variable no. 4
var clickTAG5; // variable no. 5
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Implementation of clickTAG variable
Implementation of the clickTAG variable depends on the version of ActionScript you are using. Also, due to constantly increasing online security measures in internet browsers, pop-up blocking is becoming a common problem in online advertising.
ActionScript 2.0 code:
on (release) {
getURL(_root.clickTAG, "_blank");
}
ActionScript 3.0 code:
// 1. Download Adform ActionScript 3 Compiled Components. (http://adform.com/Adform/Components/Adform.zip)
// 2. Copy them to your Adobe flash installation components directory.
// 3. Drag AdfURLNavigator and AdfFlashVarsUtil components to the stage.
// 4. Paste this code to the same Flash API timeline frame where you created the button
// 5. Replace the name "button" with how you actually called the button:
button.addEventListener(MouseEvent.CLICK, ADFclicked);
function ADFclicked(event:MouseEvent) {
AdfURLNavigator.navigateToUrl( AdfFlashVarsUtil.getParameter("clickTAG"));
}
Note: always make sure you attach the ActionScript code that opens a new browser window to an instance of a button, not a movie clip. Also, the event, which triggers the opening of a new window, must be "release", not "press" because opening a new window on "press" event will definitely trigger the pop-up blockers.
If you need to implement some aditional functions on the same button instance, make sure that the opening of the new browser window is the first action that happens after user clicks the banner/button (any delay between click and call to the function that opens a new window increases the possibility of triggering the pop-up blocker):
ActionScript 2.0 code:
on (release) {
getURL(_root.clickTAG, "_blank"); // dont't place any functions before this line
YOUR_FUNCTION();
}
ActionScript 3.0 code:
button.addEventListener(MouseEvent.CLICK, ADFclicked);
function ADFclicked(event:MouseEvent) {
AdfURLNavigator.navigateToUrl( AdfFlashVarsUtil.getParameter("clickTAG")); // dont't place any functions before this line
YOUR_FUNCTION();
}
For testing clickTAG implementation, please use the Adform Creative Test Module: http://test.adform.com
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Transfering Variables in the Querystring
Transferring variables in the querystring is often desired when the user inputs some data interactively in the Flash banner, e.g. his/her e-mail or telephone number etc. This can be achieved by appending a ";cppar=1&" parameter to the clickTAG. This method to transfer these variables in the querystring is best described by an example:
ActionScript 2.0 code:
var EmailFlashVariable = "aa@aa.com";
on (release) {
getURL(_root.clickTAG+";cppar=1&EmailURLVariable="+ EmailFlashVariable, "_blank");
}
ActionScript 3.0 code:
var EmailFlashVariable = "aa@aa.com";
button.addEventListener(MouseEvent.CLICK, ADFclicked);
function ADFclicked(event:MouseEvent) {
AdfURLNavigator.navigateToUrl( AdfFlashVarsUtil.getParameter("clickTAG") + ";cppar=1&EmailURLVariable=" + EmailFlashVariable);
}
If the clickTAG is e.g. set to http://www.site.com the user gets redirected to http://www.site.com?EmailURLVariable= aa@aa.com when the Flash banner is clicked.
This method can be used for multiple querystring values:
ActionScript 2.0 code:
var a = 1;
var b = 2;
var c = "Hello";
on (release) {
getURL(_root.clickTAG+";cppar=1&a="+a+"&b="+b+"&c="+c, "_blank");
}
ActionScript 3.0 code:
var a = 1;
var b = 2;
var c = "Hello";
button.addEventListener(MouseEvent.CLICK, ADFclicked);
function ADFclicked(event:MouseEvent) {
AdfURLNavigator.navigateToUrl( AdfFlashVarsUtil.getParameter("clickTAG") + ";cppar=1&a=" + a + "&b=" + b + "&c=" + c;);
}
The corresponding target URL then becomes http://www.site.com?a=1&b=2&c=hello.
For testing clickTAG implementation and passed parameters please use the Adform Creative Test Module: http://test.adform.com