Glossary

Frequency capping limits the number of times the same ad is shown to a single visitor — for example, no more than 3 impressions per visitor per 24 hours. Advertisers apply frequency caps for three practical reasons: to…

Also known as: Regulation (EU) 2016/679 The GDPR is a comprehensive data-privacy regulation developed jointly by three EU legislative institutions — the European Parliament, the European Commission, and the Council of…

Also known as: hard price floor The absolute minimum price a publisher will accept for an ad impression. Unlike a soft floor — which can be negotiated or bypassed under certain auction mechanics — a hard-floor price is…

A technique used by publishers to collect multiple bids from demand sources — including DSPs and ad networks accessed via SSPs and ad exchanges — simultaneously, rather than sequentially. Publishers implement header…

Also known as: ad view An impression is counted every time a creative (ad) is served to a user. It is one of the foundational performance indicators used to measure campaign delivery and reach. Impressions are counted…

Also known as: ad view An impression is counted every time a creative (ad) is served to a user. It is one of the most fundamental campaign performance indicators in digital advertising. Impressions are counted and…

An insertion order (IO) is a document — often a formal contract — that outlines the terms of an advertising campaign. It serves as the foundational agreement between an advertiser and a publisher (or ad network) before…

A privacy feature built into WebKit — the open-source browser engine that powers Apple's Safari — introduced with the release of Safari 11 and iOS 11. ITP changes how Safari handles first-party cookies, specifically by…

The Internet Advertising Bureau (IAB) is an advertising industry trade organization focused on the online advertising ecosystem. It develops technical and business standards, conducts research into digital advertising…

Also known as: ad inventory, ad space Ad inventory refers to all available ad space on a given site. The terms "inventory" and "ad space" are often used interchangeably in the industry. Inventory is typically divided…

A landing page is the page a user arrives at after clicking an ad. The destination is chosen by the advertiser and can be the root domain (e.g., examplesite.com) or a specific subdirectory (e.g.,…

A technique for identifying groups of people who share characteristics and behaviours similar to a brand's best-performing customers. The process starts with a defined seed audience — typically a brand's most profitable…

The process by which an advertiser purchases ad space directly from a publisher, without involving any AdTech platforms — no ad servers, demand-side platforms (DSPs), or supply-side platforms (SSPs). Manual media-buying…

Also known as: marketing technology MarTech refers to the technologies and processes used for creating, managing, and measuring digital marketing activities. The term is a portmanteau of "marketing" and "technology,"…

An official application programming interface (API) for displaying rich media ads inside mobile apps. MRAID provides a standardized set of commands built to work with HTML5 and JavaScript, giving rich media creators a…

A form of online-media advertising in which ads are designed to match the look, feel, and tone of the surrounding editorial content on a website or platform. Rather than standing apart as a distinct promotional unit,…

OpenRTB is an open-source communication protocol that establishes a common language for buyers and sellers participating in real-time bidding (RTB) advertising. Developed in conjunction with a consortium of demand-side…

OTT (over-the-top) refers to any device or service used to stream digital content to a TV or similar screen, bypassing traditional broadcast or cable delivery. Devices commonly classified as OTT include streaming boxes,…

In AdTech, a passback occurs when an ad network or ad exchange is unable to reach the publisher's floor CPM, or when no paid ads are available to deliver against a given request. When this happens, the ad request is…

Information that, on its own or when combined with other data, can be used to identify a specific individual in the real world. PII is divided into two categories: linked information and linkable information. Linked…

Piggybacking is a pixel-tracking mechanism in which the firing of one pixel automatically triggers pixels from one or more other platforms to fire as well. In practice, a single user action — such as a page load or…

A pixel is a small piece of JavaScript code — or literally a 1×1 transparent image — embedded in a web page, typically in the footer. The term is used interchangeably with "tracking pixel" or "conversion pixel"…

Also known as: pop-up, interstitial ad A pop-up ad is an advertisement that appears on top of a web page, overlaying some or all of the underlying content. Pop-ups typically load in a separate layer or window, drawing…

Premium inventory refers to a publisher's most desirable ad placements — typically homepage positions and high-traffic pages that attract the greatest audience volume and attention. From the advertiser's perspective,…