Media Glossary
Ad tech and media data,
explained for publishers.
Plain-language definitions of the terms behind programmatic, audience data, ad sales and reader revenue. Written by Samhub with the help of AI.
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Most searched terms
MetricsCPM (cost per mille)
The price of 1,000 ad impressions.
33.1k searches a monthMetricsClick-through rate (CTR)The share of ad views that lead to a click.
27.1k searches a monthProgrammaticGoogle Ad ManagerGoogle's ad server and exchange for publishers.
22.2k searches a monthAudience dataAudience targetingShowing ads to chosen groups of people.
14.8k searches a monthA27 TERMS
Ad blocking rateThe share of readers who block ads.Ad exchangeA marketplace where ad impressions are auctioned.Ad fraud and invalid traffic (IVT)Impressions and clicks not made by real, interested people.Ad impressionOne ad shown once.Ad inventoryAll the ad space a publisher can sell.Ad loadHow many ads a page or app shows.Ad mediationManages many ad networks in an app.Ad networkBuys inventory from many sites and resells it.Ad operations (ad ops)The team that sets up, runs and reports campaigns.Ad refreshLoading a new ad in the same slot.Ad requestA page asking for an ad to fill a slot.Ad revenueWhat a publisher earns from advertising.Ad serverDecides which ad to show and counts the results.Ad techThe technology used to buy, sell and measure ads.Ad unitA space on a page where an ad can appear.Ad verificationChecking that ads ran as agreed.AddressabilityThe share of your audience you can recognize and target.ads.txtLists who may sell your ad inventory.Advertising proposalA plan and offer for an advertiser.ARPUAverage revenue per user.Audience analyticsMeasuring who your readers are and what they do.Audience dataData about who your readers are and what they do.Audience engagementHow readers interact with your content over time.Audience extensionReaching your audience on other sites.Audience insightsWhat you learn about who your readers are.Audience segmentationGrouping readers so advertisers can reach them.Audience targetingShowing ads to chosen groups of people.
B4 TERMS
C18 TERMS
Campaign managementRunning a campaign from booking to report.Campaign reportShows an advertiser what a campaign delivered.Campaign traffickingSetting campaigns up in the ad server.CDP vs DMPTwo types of data platforms compared.Click-through rate (CTR)The share of ad views that lead to a click.Consent management platform (CMP)Collects and stores readers' consent choices.Consent rateThe share of readers who accept data use.Content recommendationSuggesting the next article to each reader.Contextual advertisingTargeting ads based on the content of the page.Cookieless advertisingAdvertising without third-party cookies.Cost per day (CPD)A fixed price per day for a placement.CPC vs CPMPaying per click versus per 1,000 impressions.CPM (cost per mille)The price of 1,000 ad impressions.Creative specificationsThe technical rules an ad must follow.Cross-media advertisingOne campaign across several media.CurationPackaging inventory and data into deals for buyers.Customer data platform (CDP)Unifies customer data into one profile per person.Customer segmentationGrouping customers by shared traits.
D14 TERMS
Data activationPutting data to work in the tools that use it.Data clean roomLets two parties match data without sharing it.Data enrichmentAdding detail to the data you already have.Data management platform (DMP)Collects and segments audience data for advertising.Data monetizationTurning your data into revenue.Data processing agreement (DPA)The GDPR contract between a controller and a processor.Deal IDA code that identifies a programmatic deal.Demand-side platform (DSP)The software advertisers use to buy impressions.Demographic targetingTargeting by age, gender, income or household.Digital advertising for publishersHow publishers earn from digital ads.Digital subscriptionsPaid access to a publisher's digital content.Direct-sold advertisingAds sold by the publisher's own team.Display advertisingVisual ads on websites and apps.DSP vs SSPThe buy side and sell side of programmatic.
E3 TERMS
F7 TERMS
Fill rateThe share of ad requests that get an ad.First-party cookiesCookies set by the site the reader is visiting.First-party dataData you collect directly from your own readers.First-price auctionThe winner pays exactly what they bid.Flat-fee advertisingA fixed price for a placement or period.Floor priceThe lowest price a publisher accepts for an ad impression.Frequency cappingLimiting how often one person sees an ad.
G3 TERMS
H2 TERMS
I7 TERMS
IAB TCFThe industry standard for passing consent to ad tech vendors.ID graphLinks one reader's visits across devices and logins.Identity resolutionMatching records to the same person.Impressions vs reachHow many ads were shown versus how many people saw them.Insertion order (IO)The signed order for a direct ad campaign.Intent dataSignals that someone is close to a purchase.Interest-based advertisingAds based on inferred interests.
J0 TERMS
K0 TERMS
L4 TERMS
M7 TERMS
Made-for-advertising sites (MFA)Sites built mainly to sell ads.MakegoodFree extra delivery when a campaign under-delivers.MalvertisingAds used to spread malware or scams.Media buyingNegotiating and booking ad space for a campaign.Media kitThe document that sells your audience and ad formats.Media planningChoosing channels, audiences and budget for a campaign.Media salesHow publishers sell advertising.
N3 TERMS
O2 TERMS
P15 TERMS
Page viewsThe number of times a page is loaded.PaywallLimits access to content for non-paying readers.Personal dataAny information that relates to an identifiable person.PrebidOpen-source header bidding software.Predictive audiencesAudiences built from what people are likely to do.Preferred dealsA fixed-price deal without guaranteed volume.Premium inventoryThe ad space buyers value most.Privacy SandboxGoogle's project to replace third-party cookies.Private marketplace (PMP)Invite-only auctions for premium inventory.Programmatic advertisingBuying and selling ads automatically.Programmatic directDirect deals bought through programmatic.Programmatic for publishersHow publishers sell through programmatic.Programmatic guaranteedA direct deal bought through programmatic.PseudonymizationReplacing direct identifiers so data cannot be linked to a person on its own.Publisher dataThe audience data a publisher collects.
Q0 TERMS
R9 TERMS
Rate cardYour list prices for ad formats and packages.Reader revenueMoney paid by readers.Real-time bidding (RTB)An auction for every single impression.Registration wallAsks readers to log in, for free, to keep reading.Remnant inventoryAd space left after direct sales.Retail mediaAdvertising sold by retailers on their own shopper data.RetargetingReaching people who already showed interest.Rich media adsAds with video, animation or interaction.RPM (revenue per mille)What a publisher earns per 1,000 page views.
S11 TERMS
Second-party dataAnother company's first-party data, shared with you.Second-price auctionThe winner pays just above the second-highest bid.Sell-through rateThe share of available inventory you actually sold.sellers.jsonShows who the sellers in the chain are.Server-side trackingCollecting data through your own server instead of the browser.Share of voice (SOV)Your share of all ads in a market or placement.Sponsored contentContent paid for by a brand and labeled as such.Standard banner sizesThe ad sizes every buyer and ad server supports.Subscription churnThe share of subscribers who cancel.Supply path optimization (SPO)Buyers choosing the shortest, cleanest route to inventory.Supply-side platform (SSP)The software publishers use to sell impressions.
T5 TERMS
Takeover adOne advertiser owns all ad space on a page.Third-party cookiesCookies set by another domain than the site visited.Third-party dataData bought from providers who collected it elsewhere.Time on pageHow long readers stay on a page.Tracking pixelA tiny invisible image that records a visit or an action.
U4 TERMS
V2 TERMS
X0 TERMS
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