Glossaryprogrammatic advertisingad serving

Ad Call

ad callad requestad slotad exchangead serverad tagbid requestpublisher IDcookiesad serving

Ad Call

Also known as: ad request

An ad call is a request sent from an ad slot on a web page or app to an AdTech platform — typically an ad exchange or ad server — for the purpose of serving an ad to the user.

Ad calls usually contain information from the user's browser (e.g., cookies) alongside ad-specific data such as publisher ID, ad size, location, referring URL, and any other specifications needed for ad serving and reporting.

See also: ad tag and bid request.

Bid Request
A bid request is a message sent from a supply-side platform (SSP) or ad exchange to a bidder — typically a component of a demand-side platform (DSP) — signalling that an ad impression is available for auction. Each bid…
Ad Slot
An ad slot is the physical space on a webpage where ads appear. Publishers place ad slots in strategic locations across their site — typically areas where ad visibility and engagement are highest. Each ad slot contains…
Daisy Chain
Also known as: waterfalling, the publisher's waterfall A daisy chain is a media-buying process in which a publisher's ad server loads ad network, SSP, and ad exchange tags sequentially — one after another — until an ad…
Decisioning
The process by which AdTech platforms — including ad servers, supply-side platforms (SSPs), demand-side platforms (DSPs), and ad exchanges — determine which ad to serve for a given impression. The decision is driven by…