> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.podigee.com/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://docs.podigee.com/documentation/grow-and-monetize/monetization/understand-commercial-metrics-and-evidence.md). # Understand commercial metrics and evidence Read qualified delivery, fill, reach, frequency, completion, revenue, and cost with the correct evidence level. The Podigee Audio Video Ad Server uses several metric types for planning, delivery, and money work. Each metric has a unit, a source, a time period, and an evidence level. Read those parts together. Do not treat a planned value as delivered or a delivered value as settled. ## The evidence levels Use this order when you explain a number: 1. **Planned:** a Campaign or Flight target that an operator entered. 2. **Forecast:** a modelled estimate based on available supply, demand, rate, and cost data. 3. **Reserved:** capacity committed to a Campaign or deal. 4. **Observed:** a request, playback, or provider event recorded by a delivery or analytics source. 5. **Qualified:** observed evidence that passed the active measurement, media, privacy, and validity rules. 6. **Settled:** a qualified value included in an approved invoice, payout, or settlement record. The same Campaign can show values at several levels. A forecast can change without changing a previous qualified delivery record. A correction can change a settlement value without rewriting the original event. ## Metric definitions | Metric | Meaning | Do not assume | | ------------------ | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | Qualified delivery | Ad units that passed the active qualification rule. The unit can be an audio impression or a qualified video start, depending on the Flight. | It is not the number of listeners or content downloads. | | Fill rate | Filled ad decisions divided by the decision population for the selected period and scope. | It is not a guarantee that every listener receives an ad. | | Reach | An aggregate audience or delivery count defined by the report. | It is not unique people unless the source and privacy-safe identity rule support that claim. | | Frequency | The number of qualified exposures in the configured frequency window and scope. | It is not a count of unique listeners when identity is unavailable or restricted. | | Video start | A qualified start event defined by the Flight or report metric. | It is not a completed view. | | Completion | A qualified playback completion event defined by the active measurement rule. | It is not interchangeable with a video start or an impression. | | Qualified revenue | The monetary value attached to qualified delivery evidence. | It is not an invoice total or publisher payout until the finance workflow approves it. | | Delivery cost | An operator or infrastructure cost estimate or recorded cost for delivery and processing. | It is not media spend, buyer revenue, or profit. | Audio impressions and video starts can use different units. Keep them in separate Flight rows and separate report columns unless a governed metric definition explicitly gives them a common unit. ![The current One Podigee Evidence and Money view shows qualified delivery, fill rate, qualified revenue, no-fill decisions, a daily chart, and separate media and money values.](https://2032417310-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FbqUKO6lljHGzkEAzliPI%2Fuploads%2Fgit-blob-ab157f76d1c3f5f7be3a2d369de4c2995b42dd3b%2Fdoc-monetization-072-reports-overview.png?alt=media) *Use the metric label, unit, period, and evidence state together.* ## Check source and freshness Every useful metric answer includes: * **Source:** Podcast Analytics, a Podigee delivery decision, a qualified event, a connected platform, a buyer report, or a finance record. * **Scope:** workspace, show, episode, Campaign, Flight, Inventory package, market, media type, or destination. * **Period:** the start and end time used by the report. * **Time zone:** the time zone used to group days and evaluate the period. * **Data as of:** when the source last included evidence. * **Definition version:** the metric and qualification definition active for that result. Open **Evidence & Money** for portfolio delivery and revenue signals. Open a Campaign for Flight performance. Open the report detail page for the metric definition, dimensions, filters, period, and output. Use the Podcast context for audience analytics. If the data-as-of time is old, mark the result as pending. Do not compare a fresh Campaign result with an older provider export and call the difference a delivery problem. ## Attribution and deduplication Attribution explains which Campaign, Flight, Creative, Inventory package, provider, and destination receive credit for a qualified result. The attribution must follow the recorded decision and active measurement rule. Do not assign credit from a later replay or from a guessed Campaign name. Deduplication prevents technical events from becoming multiple commercial results. The following are not new delivery by themselves: * a cache hit for already prepared media; * repeated HLS playlist or range requests; * a decision replay; * a provider acknowledgement; or * a retry of the same event with the same stable request and presentation references. For RSS audio, the audience request, dynamic decision, stitched response, analytics observation, and qualified ad event remain connected but distinct. For HLS, playlist, segment, interstitial, and player-observation events are also distinct. Use the qualified event and its stable references for commercial counting. ## Privacy and invalid traffic Use aggregate, privacy-safe values for reach and frequency. A report may hide or group values when the scope is too small or the active privacy rule does not allow a detailed result. Do not infer a person, device, exact location, or identity from an aggregate metric. Invalid-traffic rules can remove an observed event from qualified delivery. This is a measurement outcome, not a missing record. Keep the original evidence and use the reason or reconciliation workflow when the removal affects a buyer or publisher result. ## Compare a Campaign result 1. Open **Monetization > Campaigns** and select the Campaign. 2. Review the Flight metric, goal, rate, media type, schedule, and target scope. 3. Read **Delivery, pace, and revenue** for delivered units, remaining goal, and qualified revenue. 4. Check the latest delivery evidence time. 5. Open **Evidence & Money** or a scoped report for the same period. 6. Compare the result only with a source that uses the same unit, period, time zone, and definition. For a video Flight, confirm whether the goal is a video start or completion. For an audio Flight, confirm whether the goal is a qualified impression or another approved unit. Do not rename a metric to make two values look comparable. ## Example A Campaign plans 100,000 audio impressions at EUR 20 CPM. The forecast estimates 92,000 qualified impressions. The Campaign reserves 80,000. After delivery, 76,000 impressions qualify. The report shows EUR 1,520 in qualified revenue before settlement. These values mean: * 100,000 is the planned goal; * 92,000 is the forecast; * 80,000 is reserved capacity; * 76,000 is qualified delivery; and * EUR 1,520 is qualified revenue, not yet a final invoice or payout. If the rate, currency, fee, or measurement definition changes in a later approved version, the new result applies from its effective date. Earlier evidence keeps its original definition. ## If a metric looks wrong | Situation | What to check | | -------------------------------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | A number has no unit | Open the Flight or report definition. Do not compare it until the unit is clear. | | Revenue is shown for a forecast | Read the explanatory text. Forecast revenue is modelled and is not invoice or settlement evidence. | | Reach looks like a listener count | Check the source, privacy rule, and reach definition. Use audience analytics for listener metrics. | | Fill rate changes after the period | Check late decisions, qualification, invalid traffic, and the data-as-of time. | | Audio and video are added together | Separate the media rows or use a governed common-unit report. | | A provider and Podigee show different values | Compare source, period, timezone, attribution, deduplication, and qualification rules before opening reconciliation. | | Cost is treated as profit | Separate delivery cost, media spend, fees, revenue, and publisher share. | Open a governed report or reconciliation case when the difference remains. Keep the exact metric definition and source references with the question. ## Expected result You can state what each commercial metric means, which source produced it, when it was current, and which evidence level it represents. Operators can discuss delivery, audience, revenue, and cost in the same workspace without mixing units, currencies, privacy states, or settlement outcomes. --- # Agent Instructions This documentation is published with GitBook. GitBook is the documentation platform designed so that both humans and AI agents can read, navigate, and reason over technical content effectively. Learn more at gitbook.com. ## Querying This Documentation If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question. Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter, and the optional `goal` query parameter: ``` GET https://docs.podigee.com/documentation/grow-and-monetize/monetization/understand-commercial-metrics-and-evidence.md?ask=&goal= ``` `ask` is the immediate question: it should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language. `goal` is optional and describes the broader end goal you are ultimately trying to accomplish on behalf of the user. GitBook uses it to tailor the answer towards what is most useful for that goal. The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation. Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.