Adtech Glossary - A

A/B testing, or split testing, is standard practice in digital marketing. It is a method used to compare two versions of an advertisement or a webpage to determine which performs better in achieving a specific goal or objective. The plan could be increasing click-through rates, conversions, or user engagement. A/B testing allows advertisers and marketers […]

Above the Fold pertains to the initial content section users see upon landing on a webpage. Usually, people measure this section as the top 600 pixels from the webpage’s upper edge to the bottom of the user’s browser window. While its size may fluctuate depending on devices and browser preferences, it typically represents valuable content […]

Account-Based Marketing is a strategic marketing technique that targets specific high-value accounts or companies rather than a broad audience. In ABM, marketing and sales teams work closely to create personalized and highly targeted campaigns catering to individual target accounts’ unique needs and interests. Account-Based Marketing is especially useful for B2B companies or those focusing on […]

An ad audience refers to a specific group of individuals or users targeted to receive a particular advertisement based on specific criteria. Advertisers and marketers use ad audiences to ensure that their ads are delivered to the most relevant and interested users, increasing the chances of achieving their advertising goals. Advertisers can optimize their ad […]

An ad blocker is a software application or browser extension that prevents advertisements from being displayed on websites or other digital platforms. Its primary function is to eliminate or obstruct various forms of advertising, including banner ads, pop-up ads, video ads, and sponsored content so that users can browse the internet without interruption. Ad blockers […]

Ad blocking refers to the practice of using software or browser extensions to prevent advertisements from displaying on web pages and in other digital content. Ad blocking tools identify and block the code or scripts that deliver ads to a user’s device, preventing ads from loading and displaying.

An ad budget refers to the specific amount of money an advertiser or company allocates to spend on advertising activities within a given period, typically a campaign or a fiscal year. The ad budget plays a crucial role in planning and executing advertising strategies, as it determines the resources available to reach the intended audience […]

Ad budget optimization refers to the process of strategically managing and distributing advertising budgets across different campaigns, channels, or ad placements to achieve the best possible return on marketing investment (ROMI) and overall performance. Ad budget optimization aims to ensure advertisers use the allocated ad spend efficiently and effectively, maximizing the impact of their advertising […]

An ad call, or an ad request, is a signal transmitted from an ad slot or ad unit on a publisher’s website to an ad tech platform. The primary objective of this ad call is to kickstart the sequence of events that ultimately results in an advertiser’s ad content being delivered to the website and […]

An ad campaign, short for an advertising campaign, refers to a coordinated series of advertisements and promotional activities designed to achieve specific marketing objectives within a given time frame. It involves strategically planning, creating, and implementing various promotions across multiple channels to deliver a consistent message to a target audience. Typically, companies develop ad campaigns […]

Ad campaign optimization is the systematic process of fine-tuning advertising campaigns to attain specific business goals. This involves making strategic adjustments to various elements to enhance performance. Ad campaign optimization strategies include improving keyword usage efficiency, refining audience targeting, employing dynamic search ads, and creating compelling ad copy to achieve desired business outcomes.

Delivery, in advertising and ad tech, is interchangeable with publish and serve. It is employed to characterize the event of an advertisement reaching a publisher’s platform at the hands of an advertiser. Ad delivery occurs when an advertiser acquires an ad unit through one of the numerous methods of media procurement found in digital advertising.

Ad delivery refers to the process of displaying advertisements to users through various digital channels, such as websites, mobile apps, social media platforms, and more. It involves the systematic placement and presentation of ads to target audiences in accordance with advertising campaigns and strategies.

By ad exchange, we understand an automated programmatic marketplace that contributes to the buying and selling of online advertising inventory in real-time through an auction-based system. It is a platform where advertisers’ and publishers’ needs are connected efficiently and transparently. Ad exchanges revolutionized the ad-buying process by introducing programmatic advertising, which relies on automated technology […]

Ad extensions are additional information that advertisers can include in their online advertisements to provide users with more context and value. These extensions come in various formats, such as text, links, or multimedia elements, and emphasize particular attributes, promotions, and contact particulars or guide users to specific website sections. Ad extensions play a pivotal role […]

An ad group comprises a collection of individual advertisements strategically grouped within a paid search campaign. These ad groups serve as a means to categorize and oversee ads that revolve around common themes, targeting criteria, and landing pages. The principal objective behind employing ad groups is to establish a well-organized and understandable structure for an […]

An ad impression occurs when an advertisement appears on a web page or mobile app. It represents a single instance of showing an ad to a user. When an ad impression happens, it indicates that the ad has loaded and is viewable to the user, although it does not guarantee that the user has seen […]

Ad injection, often called adware or malicious ad injection, is a deceptive advertising practice where advertisements illegitimately infiltrate a publisher’s website through malicious software. This form of impression ad fraud involves the introduction of new ads or substituting existing ones while users are engaged in their web browsing sessions. Consequently, ad injection allows third-party applications […]

Ad inventory, or advertising inventory, encompasses the aggregate advertising opportunities a publisher can provide advertisers. These opportunities contain spaces on websites, mobile platforms, applications, and even videos. These designated spaces serve as the hosting grounds for displaying advertisements to users and can resemble the prime real estate of the online advertising ecosystem. Traditionally, advertisers determine […]

Ad markup pertains to the code responsible for rendering an ad creative on a webpage. This code, constituting the ad creative’s markup, is occasionally called the ad payload. Markup denotes code instructing a web browser to present a web page’s text and visuals. We term the code enclosed within angle brackets as elements, while we […]

Ad mediation is a technology-driven solution that empowers publishers to make their ad inventory available to numerous advertisers through mediation platforms. The objective is to enhance ad monetization by boosting the effective cost per mille (eCPM), increasing display ad fill rates, and improving overall efficiency. Typically, ad mediation platforms streamline and optimize the search for […]

Ad metrics are a set of quantifiable measurements and data points used in digital advertising to assess the performance and effectiveness of advertising campaigns. These metrics give advertisers, publishers, and marketers valuable insights into their ads’ performance and whether they achieve their intended objectives.

Ad networks are enterprises managed and run by individuals. They act as intermediaries, streamlining media transactions between publishers and advertisers. In contrast, ad exchanges are automated technology platforms that handle this process without human involvement. The primary function of ad networks is to consolidate the advertising space of various publishers, subsequently offering this consolidated inventory […]

Ad ops refer to services that oversee digital ad sales online. These ads predominantly appear as banner ads on websites, with additional formats such as video or audio ads on streaming services. The technology used in ad operations connects websites with available ad space to advertisers seeking to purchase ad placements. Most digital ads are […]

An ad pod refers to a cluster of advertisements strategically arranged to be aired consecutively during a single advertising interruption or placement, resembling the concept of ad breaks seen in traditional linear television. Ad pods empower publishers to optimize their earnings from each advertising pause and grant advertisers more significant influence over the placement of […]

Ad position denotes the placement of an advertisement within the list of sponsored search results presented by a search engine. This positioning is influenced by both the bid amount and the quality score of the advertisement, directly impacting the ad’s visibility and overall effectiveness. In a pay-per-click advertising model, securing higher ad positions typically correlates […]

Ad rank is a metric employed in pay-per-click advertising to assess an advertisement’s placement and prominence on the search engine results page. This metric is determined by a variety of the bid amount and the quality score of the advertising, with higher ad ranks resulting in superior ad placements and heightened visibility for the ad.

Ad recall serves as a valuable research metric, gauging a customer’s ability to recall encountering a specific brand or product through a designated channel, such as display ads, mobile platforms, or CTV/streaming devices.

An ad refresh is an automated procedure wherein an ad unit reloads on a webpage, triggered by predefined criteria established by a publisher. These criteria may include user actions, scroll-depth, or the time spent on the page. When an ad refresh occurs, it generates a fresh ad impression, facilitating another round of bidding, particularly in […]

Ad relevance is the pivotal factor determining how well an advertisement aligns with the interests and needs of the consumer who encounters it. In the realm of pay-per-click advertising, ad relevance is a crucial element in gauging the triumph of a campaign. PPC advertising charges advertisers for each user who clicks on their ads. The […]

Ad revenue optimization is a process that involves crafting and delivering user-centric ads while leveraging data to experiment with ad layouts and types, all to enhance the user experience and boost click-through rates. This process highlights the ideal equilibrium between advertising expenses and revenue generation. It encompasses fine-tuning diverse facets within ad campaigns, including optimizing […]

Ad rotation is the practice of showcasing various ads to a particular audience or a designated group of users over a set time frame. Advertisers frequently employ this technique in pay-per-click advertising initiatives, competing for keywords and incurring charges with each ad click. Ad rotation serves as a valuable tool enabling advertisers to experiment with […]

Ad scheduling, a prominent feature in PPC advertising, empowers advertisers to precisely dictate the days and times when their ads will appear. This precision enables advertisers to focus their ad campaigns on the most opportune moments, enhancing the likelihood of conversions while optimizing their advertising budget. In PPC advertising, advertisers engage in keyword bidding to […]

By ad server, we understand a technology platform that is the central system responsible for managing and delivering digital advertisements to target audiences on websites, mobile apps, or other digital channels. Ad servers play a critical role in the ad ecosystem, as they handle the complex ad delivery process, tracking, and reporting for advertisers, publishers, […]

An ad slot is an actual space within a website where advertisements are displayed. To populate this space with an ad on a web page, it includes an ad tag, facilitating communication with the ad server and determining which creatives to present. Publishers strategically position ad slots in specific locations on a webpage where they […]

Ad space pertains to the area an advertisement occupies within an ad slot. Although advertisers often use ad space and ad slots interchangeably, these terms are not synonymous. To illustrate this concept, consider a TV: the solid plastic structure and frame represent the ad slot, while the screen area enclosed within the frame, where movies […]

An ad tag is a code snippet inserted into an ad slot to facilitate the display of an advertisement. Various ad tag types exist, encompassing HTML or IMG, JavaScript, iframe, and SafeFrame ad tags for display and mobile, as well as VAST and VPAID ad tags for video content. The primary objective of an ad […]

Ad targeting is a process that involves advertisers specifying the characteristics of the preferred user profile for delivering advertisements. In the process of determining the criteria for ad targeting, user attributes may encompass demographic data like age, gender, marital status, geographical location, profession, and income level, among various other factors.

Ad tech, short for advertising technology, refers to the use of technology, tools, and platforms to automate and optimize the process of buying, selling, delivering, and analyzing digital advertising. Ad tech is an industry at the intersection of advertising and technology that brings together advertisers, publishers, and technology companies that develop advertising solutions encompassing various […]

Ad tracking is a process that entails the collection of data and user insights regarding the effectiveness of online advertising campaigns. Advertisers have a variety of methods at their disposal for gathering this information, including tracking URLs, tracking pixels, and cookies. Advertisers accumulate data such as an online user’s search history and previously visited websites. […]

Ad trafficking is a process that encompasses the complete transformation of an ad campaign’s blueprint into a live digital ad campaign. This process can contain tasks such as generating and uploading ad creatives, choosing advertising inventory sources, managing ad placements within specific zones, setting timeframes, and configuring ad servers.

An ad unit, sometimes called an ad placement, denotes a singular ad position, area, or slot within a publisher’s website, app, or other platform. Simply put, an ad unit serves as a designated spot to display an advertisement. Each ad unit managed by a publisher comes with specific requirements, encompassing dimensions and acceptable ad formats […]

Ad verification is a process that encompasses a comprehensive range of procedures aimed at ensuring that displayed ads reach websites and specific placement locations that align with the defined criteria of an advertising campaign. These verification processes scrutinize various factors, including the website’s hosting location, its domain, the contextual relevance of the webpage, the ad’s […]

AdChoices represents a self-regulatory body overseen by the Digital Advertising Alliance across the United States, Canada, and Europe. Its core mission revolves around enhancing the transparency of online behavioral advertising processes. This is achieved by furnishing users with insights into utilizing their information for personalized ad targeting. AdChoices advocates for advertising enterprises to adopt and […]

Addressability is the ability to precisely target and deliver advertising content to specific audiences or individuals based on various attributes and data points. Addressable advertising allows advertisers to tailor their messages to reach particular demographic groups, user behaviors, interests, or other characteristics rather than broadcasting the same ad to a broad and undifferentiated audience. Addressability […]

Addressability refers to the ability to deliver targeted and personalized advertisements to specific individuals or groups of individuals. Addressable advertising relies on data and technology to determine and get the most suitable audience for a particular ad campaign. This contrasts traditional, non-addressable advertising, which often involves broadcasting the same message to a broad and potentially […]

Ads.cert is an enhancement designed to complement the functionality of “ads.txt,” a file publishers incorporate into their website(s) to indicate their trusted partners within the ad tech ecosystem. The primary goal of Ads.cert is to diminish fraudulent activities and amplify transparency in programmatic advertising. It verifies a publisher’s ad inventory through cryptographic signatures on bid […]

Ads.txt (or Authorized Digital Sellers) is an initiative in the digital advertising industry that helps combat fraud and unauthorized selling of ad inventory. Publishers place a simple text file on their websites to publicly declare the authorized sellers or resellers of their digital advertising inventory. The purpose of Ads.txt is to create transparency and provide […]

AdSense is an advertising platform crafted by Google to empower website owners to exhibit precisely targeted advertisements on their web pages. In return, they receive some revenue generated from clicks on these ads. Conversely, advertisers entrust Google with creating and administrating their ad campaigns, aiming to reach their intended audience by pinpointing specific keywords and […]

An adtech platform is a software solution employed for the automation of online advertising’s purchasing, selling, and measurement processes.

Advanced TV refers to the evolving landscape of television advertising beyond traditional linear TV advertising and incorporates more sophisticated, data-driven, and targeted advertising methods. Advanced TV leverages digital technologies and data to deliver ads to specific audiences on connected TV platforms, over-the-top (OTT) devices, and other internet-enabled television services. Advanced TV becomes a powerful tool […]

An advertisement is a mode of conveying information in the form of audio, visual, or textual content strategically showcased within an application or website. Its fundamental purpose is to foster the promotion of a product, service, or the overarching brand identity of a company. This promotional message is a cornerstone of the advertising process, engineered […]

An advertiser is an entity interested in acquiring advertising space to showcase their advertisements to a specific audience. Within the ad tech ecosystem, advertisers play a pivotal role as they create demand for ad inventory, enabling publishers (the providers of digital ad space) to generate revenue from their websites.

An advertising agency is a firm that offers services related to the conception, strategy, and execution of advertising initiatives. Additionally, they may oversee various promotional and marketing activities on behalf of their clients. Typically, advertising agencies operate as autonomous external entities that collaborate with diverse clients, including businesses, multinational corporations, nonprofit organizations, and other agencies.

Advertising management is a process that involves the intricate utilization of various tools and software to promote a product or service effectively. This multifaceted process commences with the application of marketing research and diverse media campaigns designed to facilitate product sales. With proficient advertising management, an advertising campaign may yield more audience engagement and evoke […]

Advertising-Supported Video on Demand (AVOD) refers to video streaming services available to users at no cost, with their revenue primarily derived from advertising placements. In the AVOD model, each view contributes a modest income, making it particularly appealing to content creators who can amass a substantial viewership and consistently offer a significant content volume. Success […]

Affiliate marketing is a strategy in which content creators or publishers earn commissions by promoting products or services offered by retailers or advertisers. The affiliate partner receives compensation for delivering specific outcomes to the retailer or advertiser. Marketers achieve this by utilizing a tracked affiliate link to endorse the product or service. Traditionally, affiliates receive […]

An affiliate network is a well-established platform that connects brands and publishers. This platform allows publishers such as bloggers and influencers to promote their offerings. Companies utilizing this network browse it to find affiliates who can effectively showcase their brand’s products and services. Typically, publishers collaborating with these companies are provided with digital cookies to […]

An agency trading desk, often abbreviated as ATD, occupies a central position in programmatic advertising. It functions as a programmatic media planning and purchasing division within a traditional advertising agency. Additionally, some agency trading desks also manage data and audience-related operations. It’s worth noting that most agency trading desks adopt a DSP-agnostic approach, meaning they […]

AI marketing refers to harnessing the capabilities of artificial intelligence to refine and improve diverse facets of marketing. This approach harnesses data-driven insights and automation to heighten marketing campaigns’ efficiency, personalization, and effectiveness. In digital marketing, AI finds significant utility, especially in situations where speed is of the essence. AI marketing tools leverage customer data […]

An analytics suite is a dedicated segment within a software application that enables users to interpret data gathered from one or multiple interconnected platforms. These suites frequently provide tools for visualizing data simplifying the process of analyzing and disseminating information. Both publishers and advertisers commonly employ customized analytics suites within their ad tech platforms.

An API (application programming interface) means a coding concept facilitating communication between software platforms. It often plays a crucial role in harmonizing and exchanging data among two or more platforms. In the ad tech domain, APIs play a pivotal role in enabling various platforms utilized by advertisers, publishers, and third parties to connect and interact […]

Application Delivery Management (ADM) refers to the technologies used to optimize and manage the delivery of advertising content and applications across various digital channels. It encompasses a range of activities to ensure that digital ads and applications are delivered efficiently, reliably, and with high performance to target audiences. ADM is critical for providing a seamless […]

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is an artificial simulation of human intelligence in computers and other machines. It involves the development of computer programs and systems that can complete tasks that typically require human intelligence, such as comprehending natural language, recognizing patterns, solving complex problems, learning from experience, and making decisions. AI encompasses various techniques and approaches, […]

Attribution, often called conversion attribution, entails linking a user’s action to its initial source. This concept is vital for enabling payment models like CPA to operate effectively. For instance, when a user clicks on an advertisement and subsequently selects a special offer on a website, culminating in a purchase, attribution enables us to credit the […]

Attribution in marketing and advertising refers to assigning credit to various marketing channels, touchpoints, or activities that contribute to a desired outcome or conversion. It involves identifying and understanding the impact of each marketing effort on a customer’s decision to take a straightforward action, such as making a purchase, filling out a form, or signing […]

In programmatic advertising and marketing, an auction is the real-time bidding process to buy and sell digital ad inventory. It is an automated and dynamic auction system where advertisers compete for ad impressions in real time, with the highest bidder winning the opportunity to display their ad.

In programmatic advertising and marketing, an audience is a specific group of people who share common characteristics, interests, or behaviors. It represents a targeted population segment marketers aim to reach with their advertising messages and campaigns.

Audience extension represents a strategy publishers employ to generate revenue from their websites by aiding advertisers in reaching their target demographics. To achieve this objective, publishers integrate audience extension technology into their websites. Through this integration, publishers can utilize cookies to collect data about their website visitors and subsequently share this valuable information with interested […]

Audience segmentation, or user segmentation, involves grouping users who share common characteristics into distinct lists. In advertising, marketers often create audience segments using personally identifiable information, historical user behaviors, and additional factors such as the individual’s device.

Audience targeting is the strategy of pinpointing and engaging a precise group of individuals who are highly inclined to be interested in the advertised product or service. This method encompasses diverse criteria like demographics, geography, psychographics, and behavioral data to craft targeted audience segments, enabling advertisers to optimize ad performance by presenting their ads exclusively […]

Audience validation is a brand metric report assessing the alignment between the intended audience composition and the campaign reach within that demographic. This metric verifies whether a marketing budget effectively targets the desired audience by comparing the campaign’s exposure to the demographics of the audience it reaches.

An audio ad, or an audio commercial, is a form of advertising primarily delivered through audio channels, such as radio, streaming music platforms, podcasts, and other audio content. Its purpose is to convey a marketing message or promote a product or service to the audience through audio content. Audio ads typically consist of spoken words, […]

Auto-tagging is a functionality provided by certain pay-per-click (PPC) advertising platforms, which automatically appends tracking tags to the URLs of an advertising campaign. These tags, commonly called UTM (Urchin Tracking Module) parameters, furnish details regarding the ad click’s origin, medium, and content. This feature empowers advertisers to enhance their campaign performance monitoring and analysis precision.

Automatic bidding is a functionality provided by numerous online advertising platforms, enabling advertisers to configure their campaigns for automatic bid adjustments to optimize their chances of securing ad placements. Advertisers specify a maximum bid amount, and the platform then autonomously fine-tunes bids, either upward or downward, taking into account several factors, such as auction competitiveness […]

Automatic placement is a process that employs automated algorithms to determine the specific locations for advertising a website or mobile app. Advertisers frequently use this placement method in pay-per-click (PPC) advertising, engaging in keyword bidding and making payments for each click their ad receives.

The average position is a fixed metric that indicates how your ad typically ranks compared to other ads, and this ranking determines the sequence in which ads appear on the page.

Awareness is the point at which a consumer becomes acquainted with a brand’s product or service. Awareness campaigns empower marketers to place their brand in front of potential customers through messaging that grabs their attention. When examining the marketing funnel, this represents the initial interaction with new consumers as they embark on their customer journey.

An awareness campaign is a form of advertising that seeks to inform people about the presence of a brand or product. It’s a strategic approach aimed at boosting visibility and capturing attention for a cause or brand. Advertisers use such campaigns to connect with like-minded individuals, educate potential customers, and generate new contacts and support.