This guide covers configuring your manifest manipulator to request ad or slate segments using the ad [pod segment](https://developers.google.com/ad-manager/dynamic-ad-insertion/api/pod-serving/reference/live#method_pod_segment) method. > [!IMPORTANT] > **Important:** We recommend upgrading your manifest manipulator to support pre-roll ads and returning to the underlying content without slate. For details, see [Insert ads with ad break timing data](https://developers.google.com/ad-manager/dynamic-ad-insertion/api/pod-serving/live/manipulator). Select a streaming protocol: ## Prerequisites Before you continue, you must set up a livestream event for the **Pod serving redirect** Dynamic Ad Insertion (DAI) type and encoding profiles. To set up a livestream event, choose one of the following methods: - **Ad Manager UI:** [Set up a livestream for DAI](https://support.google.com/admanager/answer/7294289). - **Ad Manager API:** Use a [client library](https://developers.google.com/ad-manager/api/clients) to call [`LiveStreamEventService.createLiveStreamEvents`](https://developers.google.com/ad-manager/api/reference/latest/LiveStreamEventService#createlivestreamevents) method. Set the `LiveStreamEvent.dynamicAdInsertionType` parameter to [`POD_SERVING_REDIRECT`](https://developers.google.com/ad-manager/api/reference/latest/LiveStreamEventService.DynamicAdInsertionType). - **Authenticate requests:** Each segment request made using segment redirect pod serving must include an HMAC-signed token for authentication. Calculate this token once per ad break and share the token across all stream sessions. To calculate the HMAC token, see [Authenticate ad pod requests](https://developers.google.com/ad-manager/dynamic-ad-insertion/api/pod-serving/live/pod-request-overview). After you set up the livestream event, retrieve the event's encoding profiles from Ad Manager UI or API by calling [`DaiEncodingProfileService.getDaiEncodingProfilesByStatement`](https://developers.google.com/ad-manager/api/reference/latest/DaiEncodingProfileService#getdaiencodingprofilesbystatement) method. ## Retrieve the content stream When a user selects a livestream event, the client app makes a stream request to Google Ad Manager. In the stream response, the app extracts the Google DAI session ID and metadata to include in the stream manifest request. The following example passes a Google DAI session ID to a manifest manipulator: https://MANIFEST_MANIPULATOR_URL/manifest.m3u8?DAI_stream_ID=SESSION_ID&network_code=NETWORK_CODE&DAI_custom_asset_key=CUSTOM_ASSET_KEY When processing the video content playback request, store the Google DAI session ID and CUSTOM_ASSET_KEY from the request to prepare for ad stitching. ## Identify ad break segments and insert discontinuities As you process each variant manifest, identify the `EXT-X-CUE-IN` and `EXT-X-CUE-OUT` tags in your stream, indicating the start and end of an ad break. Replace the `EXT-X-CUE-IN` and `EXT-X-CUE-OUT` tags with the `EXT-X-DISCONTINUITY` elements for the client video player to switch between content and ads. The following example manifest replaces the `EXT-X-CUE-IN` and `EXT-X-CUE-OUT` tags: #EXTM3U #EXT-X-VERSION:6 #EXT-X-TARGETDURATION:6 #EXT-X-MEDIA-SEQUENCE:0 #EXTINF:5.000, contentorigin.com/1.ts #EXTINF:5.000, contentorigin.com/2.ts #EXT-X-CUE-OUT:17.450 #EXTINF:5.000, contentorigin.com/3.ts #EXTINF:5.000, contentorigin.com/4.ts #EXTINF:5.000, contentorigin.com/5.ts #EXTINF:2.450, contentorigin.com/6.ts #EXT-X-CUE-IN #EXTINF:5.000, contentorigin.com/7.ts #EXTINF:5.000, contentorigin.com/8.ts The following example shows a replaced manifest: #EXTM3U #EXT-X-VERSION:6 #EXT-X-TARGETDURATION:6 #EXT-X-MEDIA-SEQUENCE:0 #EXTINF:5.000, contentorigin.com/1.ts #EXTINF:5.000, contentorigin.com/2.ts #EXTINF:5.000, #EXT-X-DISCONTINUITY {... Insert ad segments here ...} #EXT-X-DISCONTINUITY #EXTINF:5.000, contentorigin.com/7.ts #EXTINF:5.000, contentorigin.com/8.ts Google DAI ad segments are not encrypted. If your content is encrypted, remove encryption by inserting `EXT-X-KEY:METHOD=NONE` element prior to the first ad segment of each ad break. At the end of the ad break, add encryption back by inserting an appropriate `EXT-X-KEY`. Keep track of the start time, duration, and index of the upcoming ad break. ## Build ad segment URLs Replace each content segment between the `EXT-X-DISCONTINUITY` tags with a URL pointing to the ad pod segment method. The following example assembles an ad pod segment. Note that ad segments use a zero-based index: https://dai.google.com/linear/pods/v1/seg/network/NETWORK_CODE/custom_asset/CUSTOM_ASSET_KEY/ad_break_id/AD_BREAK_ID/profile/ENCODING_PROFILE/0.ts?sd=AD_SEGMENT_DURATION&pd=AD_BREAK_DURATION&stream_id=SESSION_ID&auth-token=HMAC The following example inserts the ad pod segments into the manifest: #EXTM3U #EXT-X-VERSION:6 #EXT-X-TARGETDURATION:6 #EXT-X-MEDIA-SEQUENCE:0 #EXTINF:5.00, contentorigin.com/1.ts #EXTINF:5.00, contentorigin.com/2.ts #EXT-X-DISCONTINUITY #EXTINF:5.00, https://dai.google.com/linear/pods/v1/seg/network/ NETWORK_CODE/custom_asset/CUSTOM_ASSET_KEY/ad_break_id/AD_BREAK_ID/profile/ENCODING_PROFILE/0.ts?sd=5000\&so=0\&pd=15000\&stream_id=SESSION_ID #EXTINF:5.00, https://dai.google.com/linear/pods/v1/seg/network/ NETWORK_CODE/custom_asset/CUSTOM_ASSET_KEY/ad_break_id/AD_BREAK_ID/profile/ENCODING_PROFILE/1.ts?sd=5000\&so=5000\&pd=15000\&stream_id=SESSION_ID #EXTINF:5.00, https://dai.google.com/linear/pods/v1/seg/network/ NETWORK_CODE/custom_asset/CUSTOM_ASSET_KEY/ad_break_id/AD_BREAK_ID/profile/ENCODING_PROFILE/2.ts?sd=5000\&so=10000\&pd=15000\&stream_id=SESSION_ID #EXT-X-DISCONTINUITY #EXTINF:5.00, contentorigin.com/6.mp4 #EXTINF:5.00, contentorigin.com/7.mp4 #EXTINF:5.00, contentorigin.com/8.mp4 ## Optional: Schedule an ad break To enhance your fill rate, send an Early Ad Break Notification (EABN) with the ad pod duration, custom targeting parameters, and SCTE-35 signal data. For more details, see [Send early ad break notifications](https://developers.google.com/ad-manager/api/beta/ad-breaks).