The Growing Importance of Authentication
The battle for digital identity is at a turning point. Publishers risk losing control over their audiences if they continue to depend on third-party cookies or surrender authentication to Google and Facebook. These walled gardens dictate the terms, limiting publishers' ability to harness valuable first-party data and monetize it effectively.
OpenPass, developed by The Trade Desk, puts publishers back in control. By enabling seamless authentication through email-based logins, OpenPass allows publishers to collect first-party data directly—enhancing audience addressability, improving ad performance, and ensuring compliance with evolving privacy regulations. More than just a login solution, OpenPass is a strategic move toward future-proofing revenue in an era where privacy-first digital experiences are non-negotiable.
Why Now?
With the decline of third-party cookies and increasing consumer demand for privacy-first digital experiences, publishers must act quickly to future-proof their operations. OpenPass provides an elegant, scalable solution for identity management that balances user experience, privacy, and monetization.
What Is OpenPass?
OpenPass is The Trade Desk’s single sign-on (SSO) solution designed to streamline authentication across participating publisher sites. By enabling easy, password-free access for users, OpenPass enhances engagement while giving publishers greater control over their first-party data strategies.
Key features:
- Seamless Authentication: Users log in via email and verify with a simple six-digit PIN—no passwords required.
- Cross-Site Access: Once authenticated, users enjoy uninterrupted browsing across multiple publisher properties.
- UID2 Integration: OpenPass is fully compatible with Unified ID 2.0 (UID2), supporting privacy-first ad targeting and audience monetization.
- Publisher-First Approach: Unlike closed ecosystems, OpenPass ensures publishers retain ownership of their first-party data.
Why Publishers Should Embrace OpenPass
Benefits for Publishers
One of OpenPass’s strongest advantages is that it returns data ownership back to publishers. Rather than relying on third-party platforms that gate access to critical user insights, OpenPass allows publishers to build direct relationships with their audiences and keep valuable authentication data within their ecosystem. This means better control over personalization, ad targeting, and long-term audience engagement.
Increased revenue is another key benefit. Authenticated users are more addressable, leading to higher ad performance and premium inventory value. Advertisers are increasingly prioritizing authenticated impressions, making OpenPass an essential tool for future-proofing ad monetization strategies. Implementation is fast—many publishers can go live within 48 hours, making it one of the easiest ways to adapt to the shifting digital landscape.
With a privacy-first internet on the horizon, OpenPass ensures publishers stay compliant with evolving regulations while maintaining audience insights and engagement that might otherwise be lost.
Benefits for Visitors
For users, OpenPass streamlines the browsing experience with frictionless, password-free authentication. Instead of remembering multiple logins across different sites, users enter their email once, receive a secure six-digit PIN, and gain seamless access across participating publishers.
More importantly, OpenPass emphasizes privacy and transparency. Users retain control over their data and can choose which publishers they engage with, fostering greater trust. The result is an improved user experience that also benefits publishers—better engagement, better data, and more monetization opportunities.
How OpenPass Works
For users, OpenPass simplifies authentication into three easy steps:
- Enter an email on a participating publisher’s site.
- Verify identity with a secure six-digit PIN sent via email.
- Enjoy seamless access across all participating sites without additional logins.
This eliminates the hassle of remembering multiple passwords and reduces friction in the user experience.
For publishers, OpenPass is designed for rapid and effortless integration with existing site infrastructure. The setup process is straightforward, often taking as little as 48 hours to go live. By adopting OpenPass, publishers simplify user authentication while also gaining valuable first-party data that supports personalization and monetization. Admiral enhances adoption by optimizing the presentation and timing of authentication prompts, ensuring higher engagement and authentication rates.
How Admiral Accelerates OpenPass Adoption
Admiral’s Visitor Relationship Management (VRM) technology is the driving force behind successful OpenPass adoption. While The Trade Desk provides the foundational infrastructure, Admiral ensures that authentication isn't just a background process but a highly visible and compelling experience for users.
By leveraging sophisticated engagement tools, Admiral boosts authentication rates for publishers, surfacing OpenPass at the right moments and in the right ways to encourage sign-ups. With Journey Shaping, Admiral helps publishers guide visitors seamlessly through the authentication process, ensuring that they understand the benefits and complete the flow without friction.
This front-end expertise is what makes Admiral and OpenPass a powerful combination—while OpenPass ensures publishers reclaim control of their first-party data, Admiral ensures that users authenticate, maximizing the value of every visitor interaction. Together, they create a holistic identity strategy that strengthens publisher revenue, audience relationships, and long-term sustainability in a privacy-first web.
Common Questions About OpenPass
How does one seamlessly implement OpenPass?
OpenPass is built for rapid and seamless integration. Most publishers can go live within 48 hours, making it one of the easiest authentication solutions to deploy. The process is designed to work with existing infrastructure, requiring minimal development resources while delivering immediate impact.
What kind of ROI can publishers expect?
Authenticated audiences are more valuable to advertisers, leading to higher CPMs, increased retention, and stronger long-term audience relationships. By owning authentication, publishers gain direct control over their user data, opening doors to better monetization strategies and personalized user experiences that drive engagement and revenue.
Will users adopt OpenPass?
Yes. OpenPass is designed for effortless user adoption with a password-free experience. Users simply enter their email, verify with a six-digit PIN, and gain seamless access across participating sites. Admiral plays a crucial role in driving adoption through proven engagement strategies, ensuring publishers maximize authentication rates and leverage the full power of OpenPass.
By integrating OpenPass with Admiral’s expertise in visitor relationship management, publishers create a stronger, more sustainable identity strategy that enhances revenue and strengthens audience relationships in a privacy-first web.
Ready to Future-Proof Your Identity Strategy?
OpenPass empowers publishers to take control of their first-party data and thrive in a privacy-first digital economy. Partner with Admiral today to seamlessly integrate OpenPass and drive revenue growth.
