Pre-Screening of Segments for Platform Validation
LiveRamp uses pre-screening to validate Data Marketplace segments against platform-specific policies before they can be activated to certain destinations. This helps reduce rejections, shorten time to go live, and provide a more predictable experience for data sellers and buyers.
Note
Platform compliance pre-screening currently only applies to segments enabled for activation to The Trade Desk (TTD). Additional platforms will be supported in the future.
Criteria for Pre-Screening
LiveRamp does not pre-screen every segment. Instead, pre-screening is applied only when all of the following are true:
The segment is enabled for activation to a platform that requires validation (currently only TTD).
LiveRamp’s internal compliance review identifies the segment as potentially sensitive or high-risk based on that platform’s data policies (e.g., TTD’s sensitive categories policy).
The segment has completed LiveRamp’s Data Marketplace Segment Review and Approval process and is otherwise eligible for activation.
The Pre-Screening Process
LiveRamp’s pre-screening process is a required compliance step for Data Marketplace segments intended for distribution to platforms that require validation (currently only TTD). The following phases describe the process in detail:
When you submit a segment for activation to a platform that requires validation (such as TTD), LiveRamp first runs internal checks to determine whether the segment appears to fall into sensitive or at-risk categories defined in that platform’s policies.
During this step:
Only segments flagged as sensitive or at-risk in the LiveRamp internal pre-screen are sent to the platform’s compliance pre-screen (currently only TTD).
Segments that are not flagged as high-risk skip the platform compliance pre-screen and can be distributed to the platform.
Note
If a segment passes LiveRamp’s internal pre-screen but is later rejected by the platform during activation, the seller must create a new segment to comply with the platform’s policy (currently only applies to TTD).
While a segment is under platform compliance pre-screening, it is temporarily blocked from activation to that platform but remains available for activation to other destinations. Pre-screen review times can vary, but are typically 2–24 hours.
During this step:
The platform reviews the segment against the platform’s data policy, including sensitive category restrictions (e.g. TTD’s sensitive categories policy).
The platform returns a status that LiveRamp maps to pre-screen outcomes:
Pending: Segment is still under platform review.
Approved: Segment is cleared for distribution to the platform for activation.
Rejected: Segment is considered non-compliant and cannot be activated on the platform as currently named or described.
Note
The platform does not notify data sellers directly. LiveRamp provides all status updates and guidance.
Even after a segment has passed internal and platform pre-screening, a platform may still reject the segment later during activation (e.g., based on additional internal checks or updated interpretations of policy).
In these cases:
The segment is blocked from further activation on the platform but can remain live for other platforms.
LiveRamp surfaces these rejections in the daily pre-screen and activation status email (segments listed in the Compliance Scan Rejections CSV) so that sellers can take corrective action.
With activation rejections, sellers must create a new segment that complies with the platform’s policies (e.g., TTD’s sensitive categories policy).
Daily Pre-Screen and Activation Status Emails
When one or more of a seller’s segments are affected by platform pre-screening or activation review, LiveRamp sends a daily summary email to the seller. Depending on the day’s activity, the email can include one or both of the following attachments:
Note
A daily summary email is only sent to sellers if there has been activity for their segments on that day.
A CSV attachment (e.g., for TTD:
TTD_Pre-Screen_Summary_MMDDYYYY.csv) listing the day’s platform compliance pre-screen results for relevant segments (statuses are: Pending, Approved, or Rejected). For rejected segments, sellers can resubmit the segments after revising the segment’s name, description, and/or terms that might imply sensitive categories defined by the platform (e.g., TTD’s sensitive categories policy).Columns in the CSV:
Segment ID
Segment Name
Segment Description
Pre-Screen Status (Pending, Approved, or Rejected)
Use this CSV file to:
Identify segments with a status of “Rejected”
Prioritize revising rejected segments to reduce the risk of future rejections.
A CSV attachment (e.g., for TTD:
TTD_ComplianceScan_Rejections_MMDDYYYY.csv) listing segments rejected during the day’s platform activation.Note
Segments rejected from platform activation are blocked from further attempts at activation. For each rejected segment, sellers will need to create a new segment, ensuring its name, description, and terms comply with the platform’s policies (e.g., TTD’s sensitive categories policy) before attempting to submit it.
Columns in the CSV:
Segment ID
Segment Name
Segment Description
Use this file to:
Identity which segments have been blocked from further platform activation.
Plan the creation of new, compliant segments when you still want to reach similar audiences on the platform.
Responding to Pre-Screen and Activation Outcomes
Sellers can use the daily pre-screen and activation email to check the status of their segments and decide how to handle the following pre-screen and activation review outcomes:
Pre-Screen Email status: “Pending”
No immediate action is required since the platform is still reviewing the segment.
If review times become a concern, consider simplifying or clarifying the segment name and description to make the purpose and audience more obvious and less likely to be interpreted as sensitive. For more information, see “Best Practices for Segment Names and Descriptions” below.
Pre-Screen Email status: “Rejected”
Review the segment name and description. Avoid:
Terms that imply prohibited or highly sensitive categories.
Overly generic or ambiguous terms that could be interpreted as sensitive.
Update the segment in the metadata file (see “Update a Data Marketplace Segment Metadata File”).
Monitor subsequent daily emails to confirm when the segment’s Pre-Screen Status changes to “Approved”.
Pre-Screen Email status: Segment listed in Compliance Scan Rejections CSV
The existing segment is blocked for the platform and should not be reused for future activations on the platform.
For segments rejected by the platform at activation that you want to revise for platform compliance:
Create a new segment based on a revised name and description that comply with the platform’s policies.
Use the new segment ID for future platform activations. The old segment can continue to be used with other platforms if allowed.
Best Practices for Segment Names and Descriptions
To reduce the likelihood of pre-screening failures and platform rejections:
Follow Data Marketplace naming guidelines. Use descriptive, self-explanatory names that clearly communicate the audience without implying prohibited categories.
Provide concise descriptions. Keep descriptions within recommended length limits (e.g., 245 characters or fewer for standard segments) and avoid special characters and line breaks.
Use probabilistic language, not definitive claims. Prefer “likely to” or “propensity to” instead of absolute statements like “is” or “will”.
Avoid derogatory or embarrassing framing. Don’t describe audiences in demeaning terms, even if the segment logic itself is permissible.
Align with platform policies. Review the platform’s sensitive category and data policy guidelines (e.g., TTD’s sensitive categories policy) before naming or updating segments intended for activation to the platform.
Following these guidelines improves the odds that your segments will pass both LiveRamp and platform compliance pre-screen reviews and minimizes the need for repeated resubmissions. For more information, see “Naming Data Marketplace Segments”.