Glossary/Programmatic/Waterfall
What is waterfalling in advertising?
How the ad waterfall works, why it leaves money on the table, and what replaced it.
Written by Samhub with the help of AI·Updated 13 Oct 2026·3 min readWaterfalling (daisy chaining) offers an ad impression to demand sources one at a time, in a fixed order, until one of them buys it.
How a waterfall works
Direct campaigns first
Booked campaigns get the impression.
Then partner one
If it passes, the next partner is asked.
And so on
Until someone buys or the impression goes unsold.
The problem
| Issue | Effect |
|---|---|
| Fixed order | A partner lower down may have paid more |
| Many calls | Slower pages and lost impressions |
| Average prices | Order set by historical averages, not real bids |
16 pages for publishers, with a checklist for data, programmatic and direct sales.
What replaced it
Header bidding and unified auctions let all demand compete at once, so the highest bid wins. Waterfalls still exist in some app and video setups.
CPM uplift at Stampen Media after activating first-party audiences with Samhub.
Frequently asked questions
Less on the web, but still in some app mediation and video.
Another name for the waterfall.
Because all bidders compete at once, which raises revenue.
Bidding for most demand, with some networks still in a waterfall.
Related terms
Samhub audiences let you set higher floors and win more data deals, in every channel you sell.
- A walkthrough with your own data
- Built for publishers and media houses
- 30 minutes, no commitment
Turn your audience data into more revenue
Get the Media Monetization Playbook: how media houses turn first-party data into higher CPMs, data deals and direct sales. With checklists for every step.
