Dynamic content item creation

Abstract

Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for providing a customized content item. A method includes: receiving a content request; identifying one or more user device attributes and/or a context of the request; identifying a content item having distribution parameters matching the context and/or user device attributes and including one or more variables that are resolved based on the context or the one or more user device attributes; selecting, as modifying data, a subset of feed data to which the one or more variables for the content item will be resolved, including: identifying the feed data, evaluating the feed data to locate the subset; and selecting the modifying data; and modifying the content item, at least in part, by including, in place of the one or more variables, the selected modifying data; and providing the modified content item in response to the request.

1 . (canceled) 
     
     
         2 . A computer-implemented method to modify content items for distribution, comprising:
 by one or more computing devices:
 receiving different requests for content from different user computing devices over time; and 
 responding to given requests among the different requests with a same content item that is populated with different elements determined based on a context of the request, including, for each request:
 determining a geographic location of the user computing device; 
 determining whether the user computing device is a mobile device or a desktop device; 
 determining that the same content item is designated for distribution to user computing devices in the geographic location of the user computing device; 
 identifying at least one content placeholder in the same content item, the content placeholder corresponding to a portion of the content item configured to receive an element that is identified after the request is received; 
 selecting, from among multiple different rules that specify different content available to populate placeholders in the same content item based on the context of the request, a particular rule having a higher level of match to the context of the request than a second rule among the multiple different rules; 
 obtaining, from among multiple different feed elements, a particular feed element specified by the particular rule; 
 inserting the particular element obtained from among the multiple feed elements into the same content item at the portion of the same content item configured to receive the element that is identified after the request is received; and 
 providing, in response to the request, the same content item with the inserted particular element to the user computing device. 
 
   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein feed data that contains the multiple different feed elements is stored in a data structure that includes plural entries, and wherein each entry includes one or more criteria for evaluation as against the context of the request or one or more user device attributes, and wherein obtaining a particular feed element comprises selecting an entry based on a matching of the one or more criteria to the context of the request. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein an entry in the data structure includes a criterion that is specified by an external condition. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , further comprising retrieving information for the external condition and comparing the information to the context of the request, and upon determining a match between the information for the external condition, selecting information from the entry for insertion into the content item. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein inserting the particular element comprises inserting a countdown element, and wherein the method comprises determining a base start time and a current count down time based at least in part on the base start time and presenting a representation of the current count down time in the content item. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the representation is a rolling counter that counts from the current count down time while the content item is displayed. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the context includes (i) a definition that specifies users that have been to a specific part of a particular website, (ii) a match type of a keyword associated with the request, a network associated with the request or a combination of (i) and (ii). 
     
     
         9 . A system comprising:
 one or more processors; and   one or more memory elements including instructions that when executed cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising:
 by one or more computing devices:
 receiving different requests for content from different user computing devices over time; and 
 responding to given requests among the different requests with a same content item that is populated with different elements determined based on a context of the request, including, for each request:
 determining a geographic location of the user computing device; 
 determining whether the user computing device is a mobile device or a desktop device; 
 determining that the same content item is designated for distribution to user computing devices in the geographic location of the user computing device; 
 identifying at least one content placeholder in the same content item, the content placeholder corresponding to a portion of the content item configured to receive an element that is identified after the request is received; 
 selecting, from among multiple different rules that specify different content available to populate placeholders in the same content item based on the context of the request, a particular rule having a higher level of match to the context of the request than a second rule among the multiple different rules; 
 obtaining, from among multiple different feed elements, a particular feed element specified by the particular rule; 
 inserting the particular element obtained from among the multiple feed elements into the same content item at the portion of the same content item configured to receive the element that is identified after the request is received; and 
 providing, in response to the request, the same content item with the inserted particular element to the user computing device. 
 
 
   
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 9 , wherein feed data that contains the multiple different feed elements is stored in a data structure that includes plural entries, and wherein each entry includes one or more criteria for evaluation as against the context of the request or one or more user device attributes, and wherein obtaining a particular feed element comprises selecting an entry based on a matching of the one or more criteria to the context of the request. 
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein an entry in the data structure includes a criterion that is specified by an external condition. 
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the instructions cause the one or more processors to perform operations further comprising retrieving information for the external condition and comparing the information to the context of the request, and upon determining a match between the information for the external condition, selecting information from the entry for insertion into the content item. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 12 , wherein inserting the particular element comprises inserting a countdown element, and wherein the instructions cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising determining a base start time and a current count down time based at least in part on the base start time and presenting a representation of the current count down time in the content item. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 13 , wherein the representation is a rolling counter that counts from the current count down time while the content item is displayed. 
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 9 , wherein the context includes (i) a definition that specifies users that have been to a specific part of a particular website, (ii) a match type of a keyword associated with the request, a network associated with the request or a combination of (i) and (ii). 
     
     
         16 . A non-transitory computer readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising:
 by one or more computing devices:
 receiving different requests for content from different user computing devices over time; and 
 responding to given requests among the different requests with a same content item that is populated with different elements determined based on a context of the request, including, for each request:
 determining a geographic location of the user computing device; 
 determining whether the user computing device is a mobile device or a desktop device; 
 determining that the same content item is designated for distribution to user computing devices in the geographic location of the user computing device; 
 identifying at least one content placeholder in the same content item, the content placeholder corresponding to a portion of the content item configured to receive an element that is identified after the request is received; 
 selecting, from among multiple different rules that specify different content available to populate placeholders in the same content item based on the context of the request, a particular rule having a higher level of match to the context of the request than a second rule among the multiple different rules; 
 obtaining, from among multiple different feed elements, a particular feed element specified by the particular rule; 
 inserting the particular element obtained from among the multiple feed elements into the same content item at the portion of the same content item configured to receive the element that is identified after the request is received; and 
 providing, in response to the request, the same content item with the inserted particular element to the user computing device. 
 
   
     
     
         17 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of  claim 16 , wherein feed data that contains the multiple different feed elements is stored in a data structure that includes plural entries, and wherein each entry includes one or more criteria for evaluation as against the context of the request or one or more user device attributes, and wherein obtaining a particular feed element comprises selecting an entry based on a matching of the one or more criteria to the context of the request. 
     
     
         18 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of  claim 17 , wherein an entry in the data structure includes a criterion that is specified by an external condition. 
     
     
         19 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of  claim 18 , wherein the instructions cause the one or more processors to perform operations further comprising retrieving information for the external condition and comparing the information to the context of the request, and upon determining a match between the information for the external condition, selecting information from the entry for insertion into the content item. 
     
     
         20 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of  claim 19 , wherein inserting the particular element comprises inserting a countdown element, and wherein the instructions cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising determining a base start time and a current count down time based at least in part on the base start time and presenting a representation of the current count down time in the content item. 
     
     
         21 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of  claim 20 , wherein the representation is a rolling counter that counts from the current count down time while the content item is displayed.