Exclusions determine when selecting one line item removes others from the same episode download. When multiple line items target the same inventory, three line item settings drive this: Competitive Separation, Frequency, and Exclusivity for Sequential Line Items. When a line item is selected, the ad server may exclude other line items targeting the same audience based on these settings.
Competitive Separation prevents line items from conflicting competitive categories (for example, two automotive brands) from sharing the same download. Frequency caps how many times a line item is served to the same listener over a set period; once a line item reaches its frequency cap for a listener, it is excluded from further downloads to that listener. Exclusivity applies to sequential line items, described below.
For example, suppose Line Item A is a high-priority line item with an Automotive brand, and it is selected before Line Item B, a standard-priority line item that is competitively separating against the Automotive industry within a download. The ad server excludes Line Item B from that download, because Line Item A was already selected and carries a brand that conflicts with Line Item B's competitive separation setting.
Exclusivity works through sequential line items. An exclusive sequential line item will not share an episode download with any other line item. A non-exclusive sequential line item may; if it is inserted into a download, it is prioritized against other non-sequential line items competing for the same position in the episode's following AIPs.
For how to configure Competitive Separation and Frequency in detail, see the line item settings reference and our Advanced Line Item Settings article.
See also: How are Ads Selected for an Episode? · How does ART19 choose between multiple line items? · Advanced Line Item Settings