Campaign Trafficking Checklist Template

Before You Start

Don't touch the ad server until you've confirmed all of this. Trafficking without a complete IO and approved creatives is how campaigns launch broken.

• IO signed and received — confirm budget, flight dates, placements, rates

• Creatives received and meet spec (file size, dimensions, format, landing URLs)

• Third-party tags received (impression pixels, click trackers, viewability, brand safety)

• Targeting requirements clear (geo, device, audience, frequency cap, dayparting)

• Reporting requirements clear (cadence, recipients, metrics)

Ad Server Setup

• Create order / advertiser — naming convention: [Advertiser]_[Campaign]_[Quarter]

• Create line items — one per placement, matching IO exactly (impressions, dates, rate, priority)

• Upload creatives — verify rendering in preview (all sizes, all formats)

• Attach third-party tracking — impression pixels, click trackers, verification tags

• Set targeting — geo, device, audience, frequency cap, dayparting per IO specs

• Set pacing — even delivery unless IO specifies front-loaded or ASAP

• Set companion rules — if multiple sizes serve together, configure correctly

QA

Test everything before you flip it live. Every item below has caused a campaign to launch broken at some point.

• Preview each creative in every size — renders correctly, no clipping, animation works

• Click each creative — landing page loads, URL is correct, no redirect errors

• Check targeting — use test geo/device/segment to verify ads serve to the right audience

• Verify third-party pixels fire — use browser dev tools Network tab or a tag inspector

• Confirm impression counting — your ad server and the third-party tracker should agree within 5%

• Test on mobile — creatives render, click-through works, no overlap with site content

Go Live

• Activate line items

• Verify delivery starts within 30 minutes — check ad server delivery report

• Send launch confirmation to buyer with campaign name, live date, and first-look screenshot

First 48 Hours

Watch it like a hawk for two days. Most trafficking mistakes surface in the first 48 hours.

Notes

Campaign-specific notes, special instructions from the buyer, or issues found during setup.

• Note