Real-time bidding (RTB) auctions are a type of online advertising auction where advertisers compete to place their ads on publisher websites and apps. RTB auctions are conducted in real time, and the highest bidder wins the auction and has their ad displayed on the publisher’s website or app.Header bidding is a technique that allows publishers to sell their ad space to multiple ad networks simultaneously. This increases competition for the publisher’s ad space and drives up CPMs.
How RTC Auctions Work
RTB auctions work as follows:
• A user visits a publisher’s website or app.The publisher sends a request to a header bidding server.
• The header bidding server sends requests to multiple ad networks simultaneously.
• The ad networks bid on the user’s ad impression.
• The header bidding server selects the highest bidder and displays the bidder’s ad on the publisher’s website or app.
Benefits of Header Bidding
Header bidding offers a number of benefits for publishers, including:
• Increased CPMs: Header bidding increases competition for the publisher’s ad space, which drives up CPMs.
• Improved fill rates: Header bidding helps publishers to improve their fill rates by giving them access to multiple ad networks simultaneously.
• More control over ad serving: Header bidding gives publishers more control over which ads are displayed on their websites and apps.
How to Implement Header Bidding
To implement header bidding, publishers need to install a header bidding solution on their website or app. A header bidding solution is a piece of software that allows publishers to sell their ad space to multiple ad networks simultaneously.Once a header bidding solution is installed, publishers need to set up their ad networks. This involves creating accounts with each ad network and configuring the header bidding solution to send requests to each ad network.
Challenges of Header Bidding
Header bidding can be complex to implement and manage. Publishers need to have a good understanding of how header bidding works in order to implement it successfully.Another challenge with header bidding is that it can slow down page load times. This is because the header bidding solution needs to send requests to multiple ad networks simultaneously.
Header bidding is a powerful way for publishers to increase their ad revenue. However, it is important to note that header bidding can be complex to implement and manage. Publishers should carefully consider the benefits and challenges of header bidding before implementing it.
Learn in 60s
Short vertical lessons from our team. Tap to watch, swipe for the next.
1:16Prebid 10 and 11: what changed in your wrapperPrebid 10 and 11: what changed in your wrapper
1:04App developers: from AdMob alone to in-app biddingApp developers: from AdMob alone to in-app bidding
1:04CTV publishers: from one app to many buyersCTV publishers: from one app to many buyers
1:01Web gaming sites: rewarded and interstitial adsWeb gaming sites: rewarded and interstitial ads
1:05Finance publishers: high CPMs and strict brand safetyFinance publishers: high CPMs and strict brand safety
1:00Sports publishers: traffic spikes and live-event yieldSports publishers: traffic spikes and live-event yield
1:02News publishers: AI search, fewer clicks, and yieldNews publishers: AI search, fewer clicks, and yield
1:10CoMP: getting paid when AI crawls your contentCoMP: getting paid when AI crawls your content
1:21Agentic ad protocols: ARTF and AAMPAgentic ad protocols: ARTF and AAMP
1:09The IAB spiders and bots listThe IAB spiders and bots list



