DCR Static iOS SDK

Engineering Portal / Digital / DCR & DTVR / DCR Static iOS SDK

Prerequisites

To start using the App SDK, the following items are required:

	Item	Description	Source
☑	App ID (appid)	Unique ID assigned to the player/site and configured by product.	Contact Nielsen
☑	sfcode	Environment that the SDK must point to	Contact Nielsen
☑	Nielsen SDK	Includes SDK libraries and sample implementation; See iOS SDK Release Notes	Download

If you do not have any of these pre-requisites or if you have any questions, please contact our SDK sales support team. Refer to Digital Measurement Onboarding guide for more information on how to get a Nielsen App SDK and appid.

Import Library

Refer to Importing Frameworks for information on importing libraries.

• The latest version of App SDK allows instantiating multiple instances of App SDK object and can be used simultaneously without any issues.

Initialize SDK

Initialize App SDK as soon as the application is launched. Refer to Initalization for details on initializing an AppSDK object and the parameters required.

Configure API calls

play

For static <App Measurement> content, play API is not required.

loadMetadata

Use loadMetadata to pass ‘content’ and ‘ad’ Digital Measurement Metadata. The CMS data must be passed as a JSON object.

    loadMetadata(String jsonMetadata)

Refer to loadMetadata for the list of parameters to be passed in the JSON object.

Note: The loadMetadata call must have ("type": "static").

playheadPosition (Content)

For static <App Measurement> content, no playhead has to be supplied to the SDK.

stop

For static <App Measurement> content, stop API is not required.

API Call sequence

Call loadMetadata with JSON metadata as below.

Swift

 
let staticMetadata = [
        "type": "static",
        "assetid": "C77664",
        "section": "siteSection",
        "segA": "segmentA",
        "segB": "CustomSegmentValueB", //optional
        "segC": "CustomSegmentValueC", //optional
];

Objective C

 
NSDictionary * staticMetadata = @ {
    @ "type": @ "static",
        @ "assetid": @ "C77664",
        @ "section": @ "siteSection",
        @ "segA": @ "Segment A",
        @ "segB": @ "CustomSegmentValueB", //optional
        @ "segC": @ "CustomSegmentValueC", //optional
}

Configure Metadata

Map the Nielsen keys to variables so that the content metadata is dynamically updated.

The Nielsen reserved keys are:

Key	Description	Data Type	Value	Required?
type	asset type	fixed	'static'	Yes
assetid	Unique ID for each article	dynamic	custom (no Special Characters)	No
section	section of each site (e.g. section value should be first level in page URL: website.com/section). Limit to 25 unique values	dynamic	custom	Yes
segA	custom segment for reporting: Limit to 25 unique values across custom segments (segA + segB + segC)	dynamic	custom	No
segB	custom segment for reporting: Limit to 25 unique values across custom segments (segA + segB + segC)	dynamic	custom	No
segC	custom segment for reporting: Limit to 25 unique values across custom segments (segA + segB + segC)	dynamic	custom	No

The values passed through the Nielsen keys will determine the breakouts that are seen in reporting. The custom segments (A, B & C) will roll into the sub-brand. To not use custom segments A, B and C, do not pass any value in these keys.

Aggregation Limits There are limits on the number of unique values that can be aggregated on in reporting. The specific limitations by key are:

Key	Aggregation Limit
section	maximum of 25 unique values (section <= 25)
segA	Maximum number of unique values allowed across segA, segB, and segC is 25 (segA + segB + segC<= 25)
segB	Maximum number of unique values allowed across segA, segB, and segC is 25 (segA + segB + segC<= 25)
segC	Maximum number of unique values allowed across segA, segB, and segC is 25 (segA + segB + segC<= 25)

Privacy and Opt-Out

There are currently 3 flavors of the Nielsen SDK. Please check the "Implementation" section for a comparison of the three flavors. Implementing opt-out for the three flavors are different:

1. Global iOS SDK Opt-out - managed by AppTracking or Limit Ad Tracking setting on device.
2. Global iOS SDK No Ad Framework Opt-out - Direct call to SDK. Can be used without the Ad Framework.
3. Global iOS SDK No ID Opt-out - Direct call to SDK. Should be used for Kids Category.

Global iOS SDK Opt-out

OS-level Opt-out method available on Nielsen iOS

The Nielsen SDK automatically leverages the iOS's Limit Ad Tracking or AppTracking setting.

• If the User's device is running < iOS 13.x, the Nielsen SDK will check the status of Limit Ad Tracking.
• iOS14 modifies the way Apple manages the collection of a User's Opt-In status through AppTracking. Starting with Version 8.x+, the Nielsen App SDK will check the iOS version during initialization. If the device is running iOS12 or iOS13, the Limit Ad Tracking setting is requested. If iOS14.x +, then AppTracking is utilized.

Webview Element

It is a requirement to display a WebView element whose loadUrl is set to the value obtained from optOutURL. If using the Global iOS SDK, this optOutURL informs the user how to deactivate/activate “App Tracking/Limit Ad Tracking”.

If you are implementing on AppleTV here are your Opt Out verbiage options : https://engineeringportal.nielsen.com/docs/DCR_Video_%26_Static_CTV_Device_SDK_Privacy

Sample Code for Global Build

Swift

import UIKit
import WebKit
import NielsenAppApi

class OptOutVC: UIViewController, NielsenAppApiDelegate, WKNavigationDelegate {
    var nielsenApi : NielsenAppApi!
    var webView: WKWebView!
   
    override func loadView() {
        webView = WKWebView()
        webView.navigationDelegate = self
        view = webView
    }

    override func viewDidLoad() {
        super.viewDidLoad()

    if let appApi = self.nielsenApi {
            //Getting the optPut URL from SDK
            if let url = URL(string: appApi.optOutURL) {
                webView.load(URLRequest(url: url))
                webView.allowsBackForwardNavigationGestures = true
            }}}

        func closeOptOutView() {
            self.dismiss(animated: true, completion: nil)
        }}

Objective-C

#import "OptOutVC.h"
#import "NielsenInit.h"
#import <NielsenAppApi/NielsenAppApi.h>

@interface OptOutVC ()

@property (weak, nonatomic) IBOutlet UIWebView *webView;
@end

@implementation OptOutVC

- (void)viewDidLoad {
    [super viewDidLoad];

- (void)viewDidLoad {
    [super viewDidLoad];
    //Getting the optPut URL from eventTracker
    [self.webView loadRequest:[NSURLRequest requestWithURL:[NSURL
 URLWithString:self.nielsenApi.optOutURL]]];
}}

Global iOS SDK No Ad Framework Opt-out

The User Choice method can be used without the Ad Framework, or in situations where the publisher does not wish to use the App Tracking Transparency Framework. As this flavor of the Nielsen SDK does not use the Ad Framework, so it is necessary to display an Optout Page to the user and capture their selection.

Similar to the Global iOS SDK Flavor, it is a requirement to display a WebView element whose loadUrl is set to the value obtained from optOutURL. This is a special URL that indicates Opt-in, or Opt-out and close the WebView. The steps are as follows:

• Get the Nielsen opt-out URL via optOutURL
• Display a WebView element whose loadUrl is set to the value obtained from optOutURL
• Detect if the WebView URL changes to a special URL that indicates Opt-in, or Opt-out and close the WebView
  • Opt-out if the WebView URL = nielsenappsdk://1
  • Opt-in if the WebView URL = nielsenappsdk://0
• Pass the detected URL to the userOptOut function
  • Example:

    NielsenAppApi?.userOptOut("nielsenappsdk://1"); // User opt-out
    

Sample code for No Ad Framework Build

Swift

import UIKit
import WebKit
import NielsenAppApi

class OptOutVC: UIViewController, NielsenAppApiDelegate, WKNavigationDelegate {
    var nielsenApi : NielsenAppApi!
    var webView: WKWebView!
   
    override func loadView() {
        webView = WKWebView()
        webView.navigationDelegate = self
        view = webView
    }

    override func viewDidLoad() {
        super.viewDidLoad()

        if let appApi = self.nielsenApi {
            //Getting the optPut URL from SDK
            if let url = URL(string: appApi.optOutURL) {
                webView.load(URLRequest(url: url))
                webView.allowsBackForwardNavigationGestures = true
            }}}

        func closeOptOutView() {
            self.dismiss(animated: true, completion: nil)
        }

        func webView(_ webView: WKWebView, decidePolicyFor navigationAction: WKNavigationAction, decisionHandler: 
@escaping (WKNavigationActionPolicy) -> Void) {
            print(navigationAction.request.url?.absoluteString as Any) //For debugging to check what is being passed from webpage.
            if navigationAction.request.url?.absoluteString == "nielsen://close" {
                closeOptOutView()
                decisionHandler(.cancel)
            } else {
                if let url = navigationAction.request.url?.absoluteString, url.hasPrefix("nielsen") {
                    nielsenApi?.userOptOut(url). //either nielsenappsdk://1 or nielsenappsdk://0
                    decisionHandler(.cancel)
                } else {
                    if navigationAction.navigationType == .linkActivated {
                        if let url = navigationAction.request.url?.absoluteString, url.hasSuffix("#") {
                            decisionHandler(.allow)
                        } else {
                            decisionHandler(.cancel)
                            webView.load(navigationAction.request)
                        }
                    } else {
                        decisionHandler(.allow)
                    }}}}

}

Objective-C

#import "OptOutVC.h"
#import "NielsenInit.h"
#import <NielsenAppApi/NielsenAppApi.h>

@interface OptOutVC ()

@property (weak, nonatomic) IBOutlet UIWebView *webView;
@end

@implementation OptOutVC

- (void)viewDidLoad {
    [super viewDidLoad];

- (void)viewDidLoad {
    [super viewDidLoad];
    //Getting the optPut URL from eventTracker
    [self.webView loadRequest:[NSURLRequest requestWithURL:[NSURL
 URLWithString:self.nielsenApi.optOutURL]]];
}
     
- (void)webView:(WKWebView *)webView decidePolicyForNavigationAction:(WKNavigationAction *)navigationAction
 decisionHandler:(void (^)(WKNavigationActionPolicy))decisionHandler
{
    if ([navigationAction.request.URL.absoluteString isEqualToString:kNielsenWebClose])
    {   [self performSelector:@selector(closeOptOutView) withObject:nil afterDelay:0];
        decisionHandler(WKNavigationActionPolicyCancel); 
     } else {
        if ([navigationAction.request.URL.absoluteString hasPrefix:@"nielsen"])
        {[self.nielsenAppApi userOptOut:navigationAction.request.URL.absoluteString];
            decisionHandler(WKNavigationActionPolicyCancel); 
        } else {
            if (navigationAction.navigationType == WKNavigationTypeLinkActivated) 
            { if ([navigationAction.request.URL.absoluteString hasSuffix:@"#"]) 
                      {decisionHandler(WKNavigationActionPolicyAllow);
                } else {
                    decisionHandler(WKNavigationActionPolicyCancel);
                    [webView loadRequest:[NSURLRequest requestWithURL:navigationAction.request.URL]];
                }} else {
                 decisionHandler(WKNavigationActionPolicyAllow);
            }}}
}

Global iOS SDK No ID Opt-out

If you are building an app that will be listed in the Kids Category:

1. Ensure that you are using the NoID version of the Nielsen SDK Framework.
2. Immediately following the initialization of the Nielsen SDK ensure you call the userOptOut API with Opt out selection:

NielsenAppApi?.userOptOut("nielsenappsdk://1"); // User opt-out

Retrieve current Opt-Out preference

Whether the user is opted out via OS-level Opt-out or via User Choice Opt-out, the current Opt-Out status as detected by the SDK is available via the optOutStatus property in the Nielsen SDK API

@property (readonly) BOOL optOutStatus

Pre-Certification Checklists

After the application is ready to be sent for Nielsen Certification, please go through the Pre-Certification Checklist and ensure the app behaves as expected, before submitting to Nielsen.

Testing an Implementation - App

See Digital Measurement Testing.