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 configurable content item that is populated with different elements determined based on a context of the request, including, for each request:
 determining a first inventory level of a given item at a first time when a first request is received; 
 inserting a first set of information into the same configurable content item based on the first inventory level of the given item at the first time when the first request is received; 
 providing, responsive to the first request, the same configurable content item with the inserted first set of information; 
 determining a second inventory level of the given item at a second time when a second request is received; 
 inserting a second set of information into the same configurable content item based on the second inventory level of the given item at the second time when the second request is received, wherein the second set of information differs from the first set of information; and 
 providing, responsive to the second request, the same configurable content item with the inserted second set of information rather than the first set of information. 
 
   
     
     
         3 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 2 , further comprising:
 determining whether a given user computing device is a mobile device or a desktop device; and   selecting the first set of information based at least in part on whether the given user computing device is the mobile device or the desktop device.   
     
     
         4 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 3 , further comprising determining a geographic location corresponding to the given user computing device, wherein selecting the first set of information is further based at least in part on the geographic location of the given user computing device. 
     
     
         5 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 4 , further comprising:
 adding an extender that enlarges the same configurable content item; and   inserting a content element into the extender.   
     
     
         6 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 5 , wherein the content element inserted into the extender is selected based on the context of the request. 
     
     
         7 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 6 , wherein one or more of the first information, the second information, or the content element is selected based on historical performance of the same configurable content item when the one or more of the first information, the second information, or the content element were included in the same configurable content item. 
     
     
         8 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 7 , wherein determining whether the user computing device is a mobile device or a desktop device comprises determining an aspect ratio of a display of the user computing device. 
     
     
         9 . A non-transitory computer readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by one or more computing devices, cause the one or more computing devices to perform operations comprising:
 receiving different requests for content from different user computing devices over time; and   responding to given requests among the different requests with a same configurable content item that is populated with different elements determined based on a context of the request, including, for each request:
 determining a first inventory level of a given item at a first time when a first request is received; 
 inserting a first set of information into the same configurable content item based on the first inventory level of the given item at the first time when the first request is received; 
 providing, responsive to the first request, the same configurable content item with the inserted first set of information; 
 determining a second inventory level of the given item at a second time when a second request is received; 
 inserting a second set of information into the same configurable content item based on the second inventory level of the given item at the second time when the second request is received, wherein the second set of information differs from the first set of information; and 
 providing, responsive to the second request, the same configurable content item with the inserted second set of information rather than the first set of information. 
   
     
     
         10 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of  claim 9 , wherein the instructions cause the one or more computing devices to perform operations further comprising:
 determining whether a given user computing device is a mobile device or a desktop device; and   selecting the first set of information based at least in part on whether the given user computing device is the mobile device or the desktop device.   
     
     
         11 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of  claim 10 , wherein the instructions cause the one or more computing devices to perform operations further comprising determining a geographic location corresponding to the given user computing device, wherein selecting the first set of information is further based at least in part on the geographic location of the given user computing device. 
     
     
         12 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of  claim 11 , wherein the instructions cause the one or more computing devices to perform operations further comprising:
 adding an extender that enlarges the same configurable content item; and   inserting a content element into the extender.   
     
     
         13 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of  claim 12 , wherein the content element inserted into the extender is selected based on the context of the request. 
     
     
         14 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of  claim 13 , wherein one or more of the first information, the second information, or the content element is selected based on historical performance of the same configurable content item when the one or more of the first information, the second information, or the content element were included in the same configurable content item. 
     
     
         15 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of  claim 14 , wherein determining whether the user computing device is a mobile device or a desktop device comprises determining an aspect ratio of a display of the user computing device. 
     
     
         16 . A system, comprising:
 a storage device; and   a processor communicatively coupled to the storage device, wherein the processor executes application code instructions that cause the system to perform operations including:
 receiving different requests for content from different user computing devices over time; and 
 responding to given requests among the different requests with a same configurable content item that is populated with different elements determined based on a context of the request, including, for each request:
 determining a first inventory level of a given item at a first time when a first request is received; 
 inserting a first set of information into the same configurable content item based on the first inventory level of the given item at the first time when the first request is received; 
 providing, responsive to the first request, the same configurable content item with the inserted first set of information; 
 determining a second inventory level of the given item at a second time when a second request is received; 
 inserting a second set of information into the same configurable content item based on the second inventory level of the given item at the second time when the second request is received, wherein the second set of information differs from the first set of information; and 
 providing, responsive to the second request, the same configurable content item with the inserted second set of information rather than the first set of information. 
 
   
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 16 , wherein the instructions cause the system to perform operations further comprising:
 determining whether a given user computing device is a mobile device or a desktop device; and   selecting the first set of information based at least in part on whether the given user computing device is the mobile device or the desktop device.   
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 17 , wherein the instructions cause the system to perform operations further comprising determining a geographic location corresponding to the given user computing device, wherein selecting the first set of information is further based at least in part on the geographic location of the given user computing device. 
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 18 , wherein the instructions cause the system to perform operations further comprising:
 adding an extender that enlarges the same configurable content item; and   inserting a content element into the extender.   
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 19 , wherein the content element inserted into the extender is selected based on the context of the request. 
     
     
         21 . The system of  claim 20 , wherein one or more of the first information, the second information, or the content element is selected based on historical performance of the same configurable content item when the one or more of the first information, the second information, or the content element were included in the same configurable content item.