CACHE-BUSTING

1. What is cache-busting?
○ Cache: Memory used temporarily to store the most frequently requested
content/files/pages in order to speed its delivery to the user. Cache can be
local (i.e. on a browser) or on a network. In the case of local cache, most
computers have both memory (RAM), and disk (hard drive) cache. Today,
web browsers cause virtually all data viewed to be cached on a user's
computer.
○ Cache Busting: The process by which sites or servers serve content or HTML
in such a manner as to minimize or prevent browsers or proxies from serving
content from their cache. This forces the user or proxy to fetch a fresh copy
for each request. Among other reasons, cache busting is used to provide a
more accurate count of the number of requests from users.
Source: http://www.interactivejargonguide.org/Glossary/Term/Cache+Busti
ng

2. How do we cache-bust?
We cache bust by adding the string %%REALRAND%% (a random number string) to
the part of the tag where it says to insert a cache buster. %%REALRAND%% is
much more effective than a time date stamp (%%GMTTIME%%) because it ensures
a different random number every time the ad is delivered. There is a possibility with
the time date stamp that mulitple users can a view the ad at the same time and get
the same time date stamp which makes it less effective. We have seen discrepancies
drop when we started to implement the random number variable instead of the time
date stamp.

For example:

Before:

<A
HREF="http://ad.doubleclick.net/jump/DellComputers.dell.yoursite/B1434;sz=468
x60;ord=[time stamp]">
<IMG
SRC="http://ad.doubleclick.net/ad/DellComputers.dell.yoursite/B1434;sz=468x60;
ord=[time stamp]?" BORDER=0 WIDTH=468 HEIGHT=60 ALT="Click Here!"></A>

After:

<A
HREF="http://adserver.realmedia.com/RealMedia/ads/click_lx.ads/%%PAGE%%/
%%RAND%%/%%POS%%/%%CAMP%%/%%IMAGE%%/%%USER%%?%%R
EALRAND%%">
<IMG
SRC="http://ad.doubleclick.net/ad/DellComputers.dell.yoursite/B1434;sz=468x60;
ord=%%REALRAND%%?" BORDER=0 WIDTH=468 HEIGHT=60 ALT="Click
Here!"></A>

Click url for OAS:

ad.doubleclick.net/jump/DellComputers.dell.yoursite/B1434;sz=468x60;ord=__QU
ERY__
 __QUERY__ apprends the cache buster to the end of the click string after it is run
through OAS.

3. When do we cache-bust?
A cache buster is usually added to third party ad servers such as DoubleClick and
Mediaplex in order to prevent their tags from caching because the OAS tags already
cache bust for OAS tracking purposes. It helps to ensure that the third party ad
servers' numbers will be closer to our numbers when we compare impression and
click reports.

It may not be appropriate when the tag is not a third party ad server but is just an
html file because they are not tracking anything. It should only be used when the
client who supplied the tag is tracking impressions, clicks, or both.