Glossary

Advertising Technology (AdTech)

A comprehensive term that covers software and tools designed to optimize how agencies and brands target, deliver, and analyze their programmatic advertising. AdTech encompasses tools for optimizing ad targeting, delivery, and analysis. Platforms like DSPs, SSPs, and ad exchanges streamline digital advertising, with Google emphasizing its role in efficient ad delivery and measurement.

Above the Fold (ATF)

This website section is visible without scrolling. Ads placed here capture immediate user attention.

Accompanying Content

Supplemental media elements, such as banners, overlays, or call-to-action buttons, are displayed alongside the primary ad unit to reinforce the advertising message and increase engagement rates. Video content starts in the body of the page and/or is not the primary focus. It must be muted.

Accelerated Mobile Pages (AMP)

An open-source HTML framework developed by the AMP Open Source Project, created by Google to enhance mobile web browsing by enabling webpages to load faster.

Similar initiatives aimed at improving mobile content delivery include:

• Facebook Instant Articles: A feature allowing publishers to create fast-loading articles directly within the Facebook app
• Apple News Format: Apple’s proprietary format enabling publishers to craft rich, responsive articles for the Apple News app
• Telegram Instant View: A feature by Telegram that allows users to view web articles instantly within the app

Ad Exchange

A platform that facilitates the buying and selling of advertising inventory across multiple ad networks using real-time bidding.

Ad Network

An intermediary that connects advertisers with publishers, aggregating traffic from various sources to sell to advertisers.

Advertising Operations (AdOps)

Setting up, managing, and optimizing ad campaigns to ensure efficiency and performance.

Ad Request

A call sent to ad exchanges or servers to retrieve an ad for display.

Advertising Revenue

Income generated by publishers for displaying advertisements on their platforms.

Ad Server

A system responsible for serving ads, making real-time decisions on what ads to show, and collecting performance data like clicks and impressions.

Ad Space

The area on a website allocated for advertisements.

Ad Unit

Any individual slot where ads are displayed. Combined, these units make up a website’s ad inventory.

Ad Vendors

Third-party ad technology providers deliver and track advertisements independently of the websites where the ads appear. They offer services such as ad serving, targeting, analytics, and verification to enhance the effectiveness of digital advertising campaigns.

Adapter

A code block integrated into the Prebid (client-side or server-side) solution, enabling access to the Bidmatic Ad Server and facilitating bid requests and responses between demand partners and the publisher’s ad inventory.

Advertiser

The individual or company paying to promote products or services through ads.

Advertising Inventory

Total number of ad impressions a publisher can sell, typically measured monthly. Sold programmatically, it represents audience reach and is optimized for targeting and ROI.

Affiliate Marketing

A model where products or services are promoted across affiliate networks in exchange for compensation based on performance, such as sales or sign-ups.

Agencies

Companies that help brands plan, create, and manage advertising campaigns.

Anchor

A fixed-position ad unit that remains visible within the viewport even as the user scrolls, typically placed at the top or bottom of the page for persistent exposure.

API

A set of protocols that allow different software components to communicate, streamlining integration and functionality.

Banner

A rectangular graphic advertisement displayed on a website or app, typically at the top, bottom, or in line with content. Banners can be static images, animated GIFs, or interactive ads built with HTML5 or JavaScript.

Modern banners boost engagement with rich media features such as video or audio. As Google defines them, banner ads occupy part of the screen and can refresh automatically, making them versatile tools for advertisers targeting web and mobile audiences.

Below the Fold (BTF)

Ads positioned outside the initial view of the webpage, requiring users to scroll down to see them.

Bid

The price an advertiser offers for an ad placement.

Bidder

Technology that responds to ad requests by analyzing and placing bids based on algorithms.

Blocklist

A list of websites flagged for inappropriate content, fraud, or spam, which advertisers avoid.

BuyerUID

A user identifier the advertiser provides to link users across multiple advertising systems, improving audience matching and frequency capping.

Campaign

A structured series of targeted advertisements delivered through digital channels, often automated via programmatic platforms. These campaigns are designed to achieve specific objectives, such as increasing conversions or brand awareness, by leveraging real-time bidding, audience segmentation, and performance tracking across devices and formats.

Channel

The medium or partner used to deliver ads, such as a website or app.

Client-Side Header Bidding

A method where the browser sends ad requests directly to demand partners, allowing them to bid in real time.

Consent Management Platform (CMP)

A system to manage user consent for data collection and processing, ensuring compliance with privacy regulations.

Cookie

Small data stored on a user’s browser to track behavior and improve ad targeting.

Cookie Sync

A user ID synchronization technique based on browser cookies, enabling advertisers and SSPs to align user identity across domains for more accurate ad delivery and attribution.

CPM (Cost Per Mille)

A standard advertising metric that represents the cost of 1,000 ad impressions. It is commonly used to measure the pricing of display and programmatic ads.

eCPM (Effective CPM)

A calculated metric that measures the effective revenue generated per 1,000 impressions, regardless of the pricing model used (e.g., CPC, CPA). It helps assess overall ad performance and revenue efficiency.

vCPM (Viewable CPM)

A variant of CPM that considers only viewable ad impressions, as defined by standards like the Media Rating Council (MRC). For example, an ad is considered viewable if at least 50% of it is visible on the screen for at least one second.

CPA (Cost Per Action)

A pricing model where advertisers pay based on specific actions, like a sale or sign-up.

CPC (Cost Per Click)

A pricing model where advertisers pay for every click an ad receives.

Creative

The visual and textual elements of an ad designed to capture user attention.

CTV Advertising

A type of OTT advertising shown on internet-connected TVs via smart TVs or devices like Roku, blending TV reach with digital targeting.

Data Management Platform (DMP)

Software that collects and manages user data, enabling targeted advertising based on audience segments.

Display Ads

Website visual advertisements that attract user attention through text, logos, images, or video.

Demand-Side Platform (DSP)

A platform that allows advertisers to manage bids for ad inventory in real-time across multiple exchanges.

DV360

Display & Video 360 - Google’s programmatic platform for display, video, audio, and connected TV ads. Offers advanced targeting and performance tracking.

First-Price Auction

A programmatic bidding model where the highest bidder pays the exact price they bid for the ad impression. This method contrasts with second-price auctions, where the winner pays slightly above the second-highest bid.

Floor Price

The minimum price a publisher is willing to accept for an ad placement.

Frequency Capping

A digital advertising practice that limits the number of times an individual user sees a specific ad within a set timeframe. It also controls the number of bids and impressions served to the same user, ensuring a better user experience, preventing ad fatigue, and optimizing campaign performance by balancing reach and frequency across the target audience.

Frequency

Tracks how many times a user has seen the same ad.

Difference: Frequency is a measurement, while frequency capping is a setting to prevent overexposure.

Google Campaign Manager

A tool to manage, track, and report on ad campaigns across channels. Part of Google Marketing Platform.

Guaranteed Deals

Pre-negotiated programmatic deals where specific ad inventory is reserved for a buyer at a fixed price. This ensures guaranteed delivery of impressions and consistent pricing, often used for high-profile campaigns.

Header Bidding

• A programmatic advertising technique where multiple ad exchanges and demand partners bid on an ad impression simultaneously before the ad server decides. This allows publishers to maximize revenue by offering inventory to multiple bidders in real time.
• Bidder A technology or platform that participates in the header bidding process, submitting bids for ad impressions on behalf of advertisers. It evaluates inventory and determines the optimal bid based on targeting and budget parameters.
• Key Difference – Header bidding is the overarching process, while bidders are the entities or systems that compete in the auction.

Header Bidding Wrapper

A framework to manage header bidding easily. It connects multiple demand partners, such as Prebid.js and custom solutions, to maximize ad revenue.

HeroVideo

AI-based solution for publishers that automatically generates videos out of news, posts, blog articles, reviews or any other text content and place TrueView in-stream video content in the Hero section on web pages. A brand new format created by bidmatic.io.

House Ad

An internal advertisement promoting a company's products or services.

Impression

A metric that tracks when a user displays an ad.

Insertion Order (IO)

A formal agreement between an advertiser and a publisher or ad platform. It outlines campaign details such as budget, flight dates, targeting, and ad formats. It serves as the foundation for launching and tracking campaigns.

In-stream Video

A video ad format embedded within video content, played as pre-roll (before), mid-roll (during), or post-roll (after) the main video, often skippable or non-skippable, depending on the ad setup. Video content must be the primary focus of the page or explicitly requested by users, such as with a click-to-play player.

Interactive Advertising Bureau

IAB is an industry body that sets standards for online advertising, conducts research and offers legal guidance.

Google Ad Manager

(GAM) A comprehensive platform for managing and delivering ads across multiple channels.

Google MCM MA

Multiple Customer Management - Manage Account – A Google Ad Manager feature allowing a parent publisher to oversee multiple child publisher accounts within their GAM instances, enabling operational control while maintaining account-level transparency and reporting.

Google MCM MI

(Multiple Customer Management - Manage Inventory) – A Google Ad Manager feature where a parent publisher manages specific inventory segments of child publishers within their own Google Ad Manager account. The child publisher delegates certain inventory to the parent, who then handles ad trafficking and management for that inventory. The child retains access to their account but may not have visibility into the settings applied by the parent for the managed inventory.

Google AdSense

A widely-used network allowing publishers to monetize their content by displaying targeted ads and earning revenue based on clicks or impressions.

Line Item

A specific component of an ad campaign within the IO. It includes granular details like bid strategies, targeting parameters, and ad creative assignments for precise execution and optimization.

Metric

A measurable data point in the reporting interface, providing insights into key advertising performance indicators such as impressions, clicks, revenue, or fill rate.

Native Advertising

Prebid

An open-source header bidding solution. It helps publishers integrate multiple demand sources and manage auctions efficiently.

Prebid Server

A server-to-server (S2S) header bidding solution that processes bid requests externally, reducing client-side load and enabling demand aggregation across multiple SSPs and DSPs.

PMP (Private Marketplace)

A programmatic auction limited to select advertisers, providing exclusive access to premium inventory. These deals often prioritize transparency, targeting, and brand safety.

Offerwall

An interactive ad format displaying a grid of reward-based engagements, where users can complete actions (such as watching a video or installing an app) in exchange for in-app currency or benefits.

OTT Advertising

Ads delivered via streaming platforms (e.g., Netflix, Hulu) that bypass traditional cable TV, allowing precise audience targeting.

Out-Stream Video

Ads displayed outside video players, like within articles or web pages. They often play with sound-off by default and engage users in non-video environments.

Override

A dynamic configuration mechanism that allows modification of buyer parameters at runtime, enabling custom rules for specific demand sources or auction scenarios.

PublisherUID

A user identifier the publisher’s platform assigned to recognize and track users across different inventory sources and optimize monetization strategies.

Real-Time Bidding (RTB)

Slice