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Adtech Glossary

At last! A glossary that decrypts all the acronyms, unique terminology, and jargon that make the adtech industry so darn confusing.

A

Ad Exchange

A digital marketplace where advertisers and publishers buy and sell ad inventory in real time using automated real-time bidding (RTB) technology.

Ad Impression

An ad impression is counted each time an advertisement is displayed to a user on a website, app, or digital platform.

Ad Network

An ad network aggregates ad inventory from multiple publishers and sells it to advertisers, simplifying media buying and inventory monetization.

Ad Server

An ad server stores, delivers, and tracks digital advertisements, ensuring the right ad is shown to the right user at the right time.

Ad Tag

An ad tag is a small piece of code placed on a website or app to request, display, and track digital advertisements.

Advertisement

An advertisement is a digital creative designed to promote a product, service, or brand across websites, apps, and online platforms.

B

Bid Request

A bid request is a real-time message sent to DSPs inviting advertisers to bid on a specific ad impression.

Bid Response

A bid response is a DSP’s real-time answer to a bid request, containing bid price and ad creative details.

Blacklist

A blacklist blocks websites or apps associated with fraud, spam, or inappropriate content from receiving ads.

Bot Traffic

Bot traffic is non-human traffic generated by automated programs that create fake impressions and clicks.

Brand Safety

Brand safety protects advertisers by preventing ads from appearing next to unsafe or inappropriate content.

C

Creative

Creative is the visual or interactive content of an ad designed to attract attention and deliver a message.

CPC (Cost per Click)

CPC is a pricing model where advertisers pay each time a user clicks on an advertisement.

Cost per Mille (CPM)

CPM is a pricing model where advertisers pay per 1,000 ad impressions.

Cost Per Install (CPI)

CPI measures how much advertisers pay to generate one mobile app installation.

Cost per Action (CPA)

CPA is a pricing model where advertisers pay only when users complete a predefined action.

Cookie Sync / Cookie Matching

Cookie syncing matches user IDs across ad platforms to enable accurate targeting and attribution.

D

Dynamic Pricing

Dynamic pricing sets impression costs in real time based on demand, data, and market conditions.

Demand-Side Platform (DSP)

A DSP enables advertisers to buy, manage, and optimize digital ad inventory programmatically.

Deal ID

A Deal ID uniquely identifies a private programmatic deal between an advertiser and a publisher.

E

eCPM (Effective Cost per Thousand Impressions)

eCPM measures the revenue earned per 1,000 impressions across advertising channels.

F

Frequency Capping

Frequency capping controls how often an ad is shown to the same user.

Floor CPM

Floor CPM sets the minimum price publishers accept for impressions.

First-Party Data

First-party data is user data collected directly by a brand or publisher.

First Look

First look grants advertisers priority access to inventory before open auctions.

G

Geo-Targeting

Geo-targeting shows ads based on a user’s geographic location.

H

Header Bidding

Header bidding enables simultaneous bidding from multiple SSPs.

H

Header Bidding

Header bidding enables simultaneous bidding from multiple SSPs.

I

Inventory

Inventory is the available ad space publishers sell to advertisers.

Interstitial Ad

Interstitial ads are full-screen ads that interrupt user experience briefly.

In-Stream Video

In-stream video ads play before, during, or after video content.

In-App Advertising

In-app advertising displays ads within mobile applications.

Impression

An impression occurs when an ad is displayed to a user.

J

K

L

Look-Alike Audience Modeling

Look-alike modeling targets users similar to existing customers.

M

N

O

Out-Stream Advertising

Out-stream ads play video outside traditional video content.

P

Publisher

A publisher owns digital inventory where ads appear.

Programmatic Direct / Guaranteed

Programmatic direct combines guaranteed inventory with automation.

Programmatic Buying

Programmatic buying automates digital ad purchasing using algorithms.

Private Marketplace (PMP)

A PMP is an invite-only programmatic auction for premium inventory.

Preferred Deal

Preferred deals offer fixed pricing with priority access to inventory.

Q

R

RTB (Real-Time Bidding)

Second-party data is shared first-party data from partners.

Retargeting

Retargeting serves ads to users who previously visited a site.

Reach

Reach measures how many unique users see an ad.

S

Supply-Side Platform (SSP)

SSPs help publishers sell ad inventory via RTB.

Second-Price Auction

In second-price auctions, winners pay the second-highest bid.

T

Third-Party Data

Third-party data is collected and sold by external providers.

Targeting

Targeting delivers ads based on audience criteria.

U

User Acquisition (UA)

User acquisition focuses on gaining new users efficiently.

V

VPAID

VPAID enables interactive video ad functionality.

Viewability

Viewability measures whether ads were actually seen.

VAST

VAST standardizes video ad delivery.

W

Win Rate

Win rate shows how often bids win impressions.

Whitelist

A whitelist contains approved ad placement domains.

X

Z

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