AdTech & Marketing Glossary

Comparing two versions of an ad, landing page, or campaign element to determine which performs better. Results guide cre…

Technology embedded in smart TVs that identifies what content is being watched. Used to build audience segments and meas…

Browser extensions or software that prevent ads from displaying by blocking communications to ad servers. Estimated to a…

Digital marketplace automating buying and selling of ad inventory between publishers and advertisers in real-time. Conne…

Deliberate practice of inflating impressions, clicks, or conversions using bots, malware, or deceptive methods to waste …

Malicious technique where unauthorized ads are inserted into a publisher's page via malware or browser extensions, bypas…

Company that aggregates ad inventory from multiple publishers and sells it to advertisers at bundled rates. Predates pro…

Team or function responsible for setting up, managing, and troubleshooting digital ad campaigns. From trafficking creati…

Series of ads served back-to-back in a single slot within CTV or video content. Equivalent to a commercial break. Manage…

Process where an ad unit reloads and serves a new impression after a set time or user action on the same page. Increases…

Technology that stores, manages, and delivers ads to websites and apps. Acts as the central control layer. Making decisi…

Code snippet placed on a publisher's page that calls an ad server when a user loads the page. Contains information about…

Process of setting up and managing ad campaigns in an ad server. Uploading creatives, configuring targeting, setting pri…

A specific, defined space on a publisher's website or app available for advertising. Defined by dimensions, format (disp…

Third-party service that confirms ads are served in the right context, to real users, in a viewable position. Covers bra…

Self-regulatory program managed by the DAA (Digital Advertising Alliance) that adds the AdChoices icon to interest-based…

TV advertising technology enabling different ads to be served to different households watching the same program, based o…

IAB Tech Lab update to ads.txt that uses cryptographic signatures to authenticate bid requests, preventing domain spoofi…

IAB Tech Lab initiative where publishers list authorized sellers of their inventory in a public text file. Buyers check …

Umbrella term for all television delivered beyond traditional broadcast. Includes CTV, OTT, addressable TV, FAST, and pr…

Centralized programmatic buying team within a large ad agency group. Manages DSPs, data, and technology on behalf of mul…

Machine learning models that predict the value of each impression and set optimal bids in real time. Replaces manual rul…

Section of a webpage visible immediately on load without scrolling. ATF placements command premium CPMs due to higher vi…

Apple iOS 14.5+ framework requiring explicit user opt-in before apps can track across other companies' apps and websites…

Advanced analytics measuring how long and how well users engage with ads. Eyes-on-screen time, scroll depth, interaction…

Publisher technique that tracks its consented audience across third-party sites to show ads elsewhere. Allows advertiser…

Streaming video model where content is free or subsidized by advertising. Growing rapidly as Netflix, Disney+, and Amazo…

Phenomenon where users consciously or subconsciously ignore display ads due to their predictable placement and visual sa…

Targeting approach using browsing history, purchase behavior, and online interactions to serve ads most likely to resona…

Message sent by an SSP or ad exchange to DSPs when an impression becomes available. Contains information about the user,…

DSP's reply to a bid request containing the bid price, advertiser ID, and creative information. If it wins the auction, …

Optimization technique in first-price auctions that reduces the bid just enough to still win while minimizing overpaymen…

Data extracted from programmatic bid requests at scale. Including URL, ad format, device type, geo, and contextual signa…

List of websites, apps, or domains where an advertiser refuses to run ads. Opposite of a whitelist/allowlist. Maintained…

Automated traffic generated by scripts, botnets, or crawlers that simulates human behavior to generate fraudulent ad imp…

Research methodology measuring the direct impact of ad exposure on brand awareness, recall, favorability, and purchase i…

Practices ensuring ads don't appear next to content that conflicts with a brand's values. Hate speech, misinformation, g…

Server-to-server integration that sends conversion events directly from an advertiser's server to a platform (Meta, TikT…

Software that creates a unified, persistent customer profile from multiple sources (CRM, web, app, offline) and makes it…

Secure, privacy-preserving environment where two parties can analyze combined datasets without exposing raw individual-l…

Ad fraud where large volumes of fake clicks are generated to fraudulently claim last-click attribution credit. Particula…

Tool that collects, stores, and communicates user consent choices to advertising partners via the TCF. Required under GD…

Targeting ads based on the content of the page being viewed (keywords, topics, sentiment), rather than user behavioral d…

AI-enhanced contextual targeting that understands not just keywords but the full sentiment, topic, and emotional tone of…

Desired action completed by a user after seeing or clicking an ad. Purchase, sign-up, download, page view. Advertisers d…

Process where two ad tech platforms share and align their user IDs so they refer to the same person. Enabling consistent…

Broad term for targeting or measurement approaches that don't rely on third-party browser cookies. Contextual, authentic…

Average cost to acquire one converting customer or action. Total spend ÷ conversions. The most outcome-focused buying me…

Amount paid each time a user clicks on an ad. Total spend ÷ clicks. Common in search and social; used alongside CPM for …

Amount paid only when a video ad is viewed to completion (100%). Ensures advertisers only pay for fully-watched impressi…

Total ad spend divided by number of app installs generated. Primary KPI for mobile user acquisition campaigns. Tracked v…

Cost per thousand ad impressions. The standard pricing model for display, video, and CTV. Allows apples-to-apples compar…

System managing interactions with customers and prospects. CRM data (email, purchase history, lifecycle stage) is valuab…

Television content streamed over the internet through smart TVs, streaming sticks, or game consoles. The fastest-growing…

Percentage of impressions that result in a click. Clicks ÷ Impressions × 100. Benchmarks: display ~0.05%, rich media ~0.…

Percentage of clicks (or impressions) that result in a conversion. Clicks that converted ÷ total clicks. Key indicator o…

Self-regulatory organization managing the AdChoices program. Sets standards for interest-based advertising transparency …

Technology that inserts targeted ads into audio or video streams at the time of delivery. Replacing static ads with pers…

Company that collects user data from diverse sources and sells it to advertisers, DMPs, or DSPs for audience targeting. …

Privacy-safe environment enabling two parties to analyze combined first-party datasets without either party exposing raw…

Process of augmenting a first-party dataset with additional attributes from external sources (demographics, purchase int…

Process of uploading offline CRM or first-party data into digital platforms by matching to online identifiers (cookies, …

Scheduling ads to run only at specific hours or days of the week. E.g., running food ads at lunchtime. Maximizes relevan…

Technology that assembles personalized ad creative in real time by combining different elements (headline, image, CTA, o…

Unique identifier assigned to a private programmatic deal between a publisher and buyer. Embedded in the bid request so …

Linking a user's identifiers across devices using confirmed, known data. E.g., the same logged-in email on phone, tablet…

Identifying a device or browser based on its unique combination of characteristics (screen size, OS, fonts, plugins) wit…

Nielsen-defined US geographic TV market regions (e.g., New York DMA, Chicago DMA). Used in media planning for local TV, …

Centralized platform that collects, organizes, and activates first-, second-, and third-party audience data for targetin…

Digital advertising displayed in public spaces. Billboards, transit screens, airport displays, retail screens. Increasin…

Real-time signal that automatically activates or changes a DOOH creative. Weather conditions, sports scores, pollen coun…

Publisher-side counterpart to SPO. Optimizing which DSPs and demand sources provide the best yield and fill rates for ea…

Technology platform used by advertisers and agencies to buy digital ad inventory programmatically across multiple exchan…

Google's enterprise DSP, part of Google Marketing Platform. Enables programmatic buying across display, video, audio, CT…

Ad pricing model where the cost per impression is determined in real time based on the user profile, contextual signals,…

Normalized revenue metric calculated as total revenue ÷ (total impressions / 1,000). Allows publishers to compare yield …

Google's server-side header bidding alternative, allowing third-party SSPs to compete in Google Ad Manager auctions. Red…

Free linear streaming TV channels supported entirely by advertising, delivered over the internet. Linear programming sch…

Percentage of ad requests that result in an ad actually being served. Total impressions served ÷ total ad requests × 100…

Auction model where the winner pays exactly what they bid. Now the industry standard across most programmatic exchanges.…

Minimum CPM a publisher will accept for an impression. Hard floor = bid rejected if below. Soft floor = lower bids allow…

Limit on how many times the same user sees a specific ad within a defined period. Prevents ad fatigue and over-exposure.…

Google's ad server and SSP for publishers. Used to manage direct and programmatic ad sales, run header bidding wrappers,…

EU regulation governing data collection and processing. Mandates explicit consent for tracking, right to erasure, and da…

Serving ads based on a user's physical location. Country, region, city, DMA, or radius. Determined via IP address, GPS (…

IAB Tech Lab standard for communicating privacy and consent signals across multiple regulatory regimes (GDPR, CCPA, etc.…

Total media spend billed to a client before deducting any agency commission, tech fees, or trading costs. Agencies repor…

Advanced programmatic technique where publishers offer inventory to multiple demand sources simultaneously before callin…

Industry trade organization that develops technical standards (VAST, VPAID, OpenRTB, ads.txt), conducts research, and ad…

Ad verification company providing viewability measurement, brand safety scoring, and fraud detection. Used by advertiser…

Independent identity solution providing a shared, privacy-compliant universal ID to publishers and the programmatic ecos…

Apple's unique device identifier for iOS devices, used for mobile ad targeting and attribution. Availability drastically…

Database that links multiple identifiers (cookies, MAIDs, emails, CRM IDs) to a single person or household, enabling cro…

Single instance of an ad being loaded and displayed on a page or app. The fundamental unit of digital advertising. Note:…

Ads served within mobile applications, accessed via mobile ad networks and exchanges using MAIDs for targeting. Formats …

Non-intrusive ads integrated into video game environments. Virtual billboards in racing games, branded items, or rewarde…

Measurement using holdout groups to determine the true causal lift delivered by a campaign. Separating real ad impact fr…

Formal contract between an advertiser and publisher outlining campaign details. Ad formats, placements, CPMs, volume, fl…

Full-screen ad that appears between content pages or app transitions, covering the entire interface. High visibility but…

Safari's privacy feature that blocks third-party cookies and limits first-party cookie lifetimes. One of the key browser…

Ad impressions or clicks not generated by real users with genuine interest. Divided into GIVT (General IVT: known crawle…

Quantifiable metric used to evaluate campaign success. Must be defined before launch. Common ad KPIs: CPM, CTR, CPC, CPA…

Time delay in the ad serving chain. From bid request to ad render. High latency hurts page experience and increases bid …

Individual entry in an ad server representing a specific buy. Format, targeting, priority, flight dates, CPM, and creati…

Traditional broadcast TV where content airs at scheduled times on specific channels. Declining in total reach but still …

Raw, impression-level data from a DSP or ad server capturing every bid, win, and served impression. More granular than a…

Audience of new users who share similar characteristics to an existing high-value seed audience (customers, converters).…

Projected total revenue a customer generates over their entire relationship with a brand. Key input for setting CPA targ…

Device-level identifier on mobile: IDFA on iOS, GAID on Android. Used for mobile targeting, frequency capping, and attri…

Use of online ads to spread malware or compromise user systems. Malicious code is embedded in ad creatives or ad tags an…

Technology stack used by marketing teams to manage campaigns, automate workflows, and track customer journeys. Distinct …

Video ad served during a break in the middle of content. The digital equivalent of a TV commercial break. High completio…

Third-party platform that tracks app installs and in-app events across multiple ad networks, providing unified attributi…

Statistical econometric analysis measuring the impact of various marketing inputs (TV, digital, OOH, promotions) on sale…

US non-profit that accredits measurement services and sets standards for what counts as a valid viewable impression, tra…

Attribution model that distributes conversion credit across multiple touchpoints in the customer journey. Not just last …

Running campaigns across multiple channels simultaneously. Search, social, display, video, CTV. Each channel tracked sep…

Paid ad format designed to match the look, feel, and function of the surrounding content. Appears as recommended article…

For agencies: margin retained after media buying costs. For publishers: revenue after SSP/exchange fees. Distinct from g…

Integrated advertising approach where messaging is coordinated and personalized across all channels based on a unified c…

IAB Tech Lab standard SDK enabling third-party measurement vendors to access viewability and ad verification data from m…

The internet beyond walled gardens. Independent publishers, news sites, blogs. Accessed via DSPs and SSPs using RTB. Und…

IAB Tech Lab open standard defining the communication protocol between SSPs and DSPs in real-time bidding. Specifies the…

Video content delivered directly over the internet, bypassing traditional cable/broadcast distribution. Encompasses all …

Video ad format that plays outside of a video player. Typically between paragraphs of an article (in-read) or in a sideb…

When an ad network can't fill an impression, it 'passes back' the request to the next demand source in the waterfall. He…

Automated direct deal where an advertiser and publisher agree on a fixed CPM, guaranteed impression volume, and targetin…

Any data that can identify a specific individual. Name, email, phone, home address, SSN. Regulated under GDPR, CCPA, and…

1×1 invisible image or JavaScript tag placed on a webpage that fires when a user loads the page, triggering a call to an…

Interactive ad format where users can play a mini-game or try an app feature before installing. Dominant in mobile gamin…

Invitation-only RTB auction where premium publishers offer curated inventory to select buyers at negotiated floor prices…

Video advertisement served after the main video content ends. Lower viewability and completion rates than pre-roll but l…

First-party ID created by a publisher from logged-in or consented users. Passed to the supply chain to enable targeting …

Open-source, community-managed header bidding solution. Allows publishers to run simultaneous auctions across multiple d…

Layering audience, viewability, brand safety, or fraud-avoidance signals onto bid requests before the auction. So DSPs o…

Video advertisement served before the main video content begins. Highest completion and viewability rates in video. Skip…

Non-guaranteed deal where a publisher offers a specific buyer priority access to inventory at a fixed CPM before the ope…

Visibility into how much of each advertising dollar reaches the publisher vs. is consumed by intermediary fees (SSP, DSP…

Identifying users across devices using statistical inference from behavioral signals (IP, OS, browsing patterns) rather …

Automated buying and insertion of audio ads into streaming music, podcasts, and digital radio. Targeted using the same D…

Process of layering custom first-party data, contextual signals, or quality filters onto programmatic inventory. Packagi…

Automated execution of a direct deal between a publisher and advertiser. Combines the targeting precision and workflow e…

Automated buying and real-time delivery of podcast ads using targeting signals (location, demographics, behavioral). Ena…

LiveRamp's persistent, people-based identifier built from hashed and authenticated first-party data (email). Enables add…

Total number of unique users exposed to a campaign or ad. Distinct from impressions (which count duplicate views). Reach…

Unsold publisher ad inventory that couldn't be sold via direct deals. Sold at discounted rates through open exchanges. N…

Advertising channel where retailers monetize their digital properties and first-party shopper data. Enabling brands to r…

Showing ads to users who previously visited your website, viewed a product, or engaged with your brand, but didn't conve…

Video ad format where users opt-in to watch a video in exchange for an in-app reward (extra lives, virtual currency). Hi…

Interactive ad formats that go beyond static banners. Expanding ads, video panels, click-to-call, swipe interactions, an…

Infrastructure retailers build to sell advertising. Combining owned digital media (website, app, email, in-store screens…

Revenue generated for every dollar spent on advertising. Revenue ÷ ad spend. The primary efficiency metric for performan…

Net profit generated from advertising divided by total investment, expressed as a percentage. Broader than ROAS. Account…

Publisher metric estimating revenue earned per 1,000 page views or ad impressions. Used to compare monetization performa…

Automated auction process where ad impressions are bought and sold individually in milliseconds as a page loads. Each im…

Direct server-to-server connection between two adtech platforms. Bypassing the browser. Used in header bidding to reduce…

Historical auction model where the winner pays $0.01 above the second-highest bid. Created incentive to bid true value. …

Companion standard to ads.txt. Ad exchanges and SSPs publicly list all sellers authorized to sell through their systems.…

Advanced ad fraud using malware, sophisticated bots, and injection attacks that mimic real human browsing behavior. Hard…

Video ad format that allows users to skip after a defined period (typically 5 seconds on YouTube). Advertisers often onl…

A brand's advertising impressions as a percentage of total impressions in a category or platform. Strong predictor of ma…

Buyer practice of auditing and reducing the number of supply paths (SSPs, exchanges) used to reach inventory. Cutting re…

Technology that stitches ads into video streams at the server level before delivery to the user device. Making them indi…

Technology platform used by publishers to manage, sell, and optimize their ad inventory across multiple buyers simultane…

Ad unit that remains fixed in the user's viewport as they scroll. Typically anchored to the bottom or side of the screen…

Subscription-based streaming model where users pay a recurring fee for ad-free content access. Netflix and Disney+ origi…

Platform (Google Tag Manager, Tealium) that centralizes deployment of marketing and analytics tags on a website, without…

Percentage of media spend retained by an intermediary (DSP, SSP, exchange) as their fee. SSP take rate typically 10–20%,…

IAB Europe standard that defines how publishers communicate user consent choices to adtech vendors across the programmat…

Browser cookies set by domains other than the site being visited. Long used for cross-site tracking, retargeting, and fr…

Data collected directly by a publisher or brand from their own consented users. Registration, purchase history, app beha…

First-party data from a trusted partner shared directly. E.g., a retailer sharing loyalty data with a CPG brand. More tr…

Data collected by companies without a direct relationship with the user. Aggregated from multiple sources and sold via d…

Open-source identity framework by The Trade Desk based on hashed, encrypted email addresses. A major cookieless identity…

Persistent user identifier designed to replace third-party cookies for cross-site targeting and measurement. Various ind…

Process and cost of acquiring new users for an app, platform, or service through paid advertising. Measured via CPI, CPA…

IAB standard XML protocol defining how video ad servers communicate with video players. Specifies how ads are delivered,…

CPM charged only for impressions that meet MRC viewability standards (50% pixels in-view for 1+ second for display; 2+ s…

MRC standard: display ad viewable when 50%+ of pixels are in-view for 1+ second. Video: 50%+ pixels in-view for 2+ secon…

IAB standard enabling multiple ads to be served across pre-roll, mid-roll, and post-roll positions within a single video…

Streaming service that distributes live TV channels over the internet. The digital equivalent of a cable bundle. Growing…

IAB standard enabling interactive, measurable video ad units. Largely deprecated in favor of SIMID/OM SDK due to securit…

Crediting a conversion to an ad that was seen but not clicked. Typically within a lookback window of 1–7 days. Important…

Percentage of video ads watched to completion (100%). Also called Video Completion Rate (VCR). Industry benchmarks: 70%+…

Closed platform where the provider controls all inventory, data, and measurement (Google, Meta, Amazon). Advertisers get…

Legacy publisher monetization method where ad networks are queried sequentially in priority order until a fill is achiev…

List of publisher domains or apps specifically approved for an advertiser's campaigns. More restrictive than category bl…

Percentage of auctions entered where the bid was high enough to win the impression. Balancing win rate vs. CPM efficienc…

Publisher-side process of maximizing ad revenue from available inventory. Through price floor management, demand partner…

Data that consumers intentionally and proactively share with a brand. Preferences, purchase intentions, survey responses…

Google's resettable device identifier for Android devices. Used for targeting, attribution, and frequency management in …

Total cost of acquiring one new customer, including all marketing and sales spend. LTV:CAC ratio is the north-star metri…