Glossary
Programmatic advertising glossary
Clear definitions of the terms you'll see in DV360 and in your media plan.
This glossary defines common programmatic and DV360 terms such as CPM, CPV, CTR, PG, PMP, DSP, CTV, VCR and frequency, in plain English with examples.
B
- Brand Safety
- Brand safety means keeping your ads away from content that could harm your brand, such as violence or hate speech. DV360 offers content exclusions and third-party verification for this.
- Related: Viewability, PMP (Private Marketplace)
C
- CPC (Cost per Click)
- CPC is the average cost you pay for each click on your ad. You can work it out by dividing total spend by total clicks.
- Related: CTR (Click-Through Rate), CPM (Cost per Mille)
- CPCV (Cost per Completed View)
- CPCV is the cost you pay for each video ad watched to the end. It is common for OTT and CTV campaigns where full views matter.
- Related: CPV (Cost per View), VCR (Video Completion Rate), CTV (Connected TV)
- CPM (Cost per Mille)
- CPM is the cost you pay for 1,000 ad impressions. It is the most common way programmatic display and video ads are priced.
- Read the full guide: CPM Calculator for Digital Advertising: Formula and Examples
- Related: Impressions, CPV (Cost per View), CPC (Cost per Click)
- CPV (Cost per View)
- CPV is the cost you pay each time someone views your video ad. What counts as a view depends on the platform, such as watching for a set number of seconds.
- Read the full guide: How to Run YouTube Ads Through DV360: Setup, Formats and Costs
- Related: CPCV (Cost per Completed View), VCR (Video Completion Rate), CPM (Cost per Mille)
- CTR (Click-Through Rate)
- CTR is the share of impressions that led to a click, shown as a percentage. It is clicks divided by impressions, times 100.
- Related: CPC (Cost per Click), Impressions
- CTV (Connected TV)
- CTV means a television connected to the internet, such as a smart TV or a TV with a streaming stick. CTV ads play on the big screen inside streaming apps.
- Read the full guide: Connected TV and OTT
- Related: OTT (Over-the-Top), CPCV (Cost per Completed View), VCR (Video Completion Rate)
D
- DOOH (Digital Out-of-Home)
- DOOH means digital screens in public places, such as malls, airports, metro stations and roadsides. Many DOOH screens can now be bought programmatically through a DSP.
- Read the full guide: DOOH advertising
- Related: DSP (Demand-Side Platform), Reach
- DSP (Demand-Side Platform)
- A DSP is software that advertisers use to buy ad impressions from many publishers in one place. DV360 is Google's DSP.
- Read the full guide: What Is a Demand-Side Platform (DSP)? A Guide for Marketers
- Related: SSP (Supply-Side Platform), Open Auction
F
- First-party Data
- First-party data is information you collect directly from your own customers and visitors, such as site visits, app events or CRM lists. It must be collected and used with proper consent.
- Read the full guide: How to Use First-Party Data in Programmatic Advertising
- Related: Retargeting, DSP (Demand-Side Platform)
- Frequency
- Frequency is the average number of times one person sees your ad in a period. A frequency cap limits this so people are not shown the same ad too often.
- Read the full guide: Reach and Frequency Calculator: Formulas and Worked Examples
- Related: Reach, Impressions
I
- Impressions
- An impression is counted each time your ad is served on a screen. Impressions show volume, not whether the ad was seen or acted on.
- Read the full guide: How to Forecast Impressions in DV360 Before You Launch
- Related: CPM (Cost per Mille), Viewability, Reach
- Insertion Order
- In DV360, an insertion order sits under a campaign and holds the budget, flight dates and pacing for a group of line items. It is where you control how much you spend and when.
- Read the full guide: How Does DV360 Work? Structure, Buying and Reporting Explained
- Related: Line Item, DSP (Demand-Side Platform)
L
- Line Item
- In DV360, a line item sits under an insertion order and is where you set bids, targeting, inventory and creatives. It is the level that actually buys impressions.
- Read the full guide: How Does DV360 Work? Structure, Buying and Reporting Explained
- Related: Insertion Order, Frequency
O
- Open Auction
- The Open Auction is real-time bidding where any buyer can bid on available ad impressions. It offers wide reach and flexible prices, with less control over exact placements.
- Read the full guide: Programmatic Guaranteed vs PMP vs Open Auction explained
- Related: PMP (Private Marketplace), DSP (Demand-Side Platform), SSP (Supply-Side Platform)
- OTT (Over-the-Top)
- OTT refers to video content streamed over the internet instead of through cable or satellite, such as JioHotstar, ZEE5 or SonyLIV. OTT ads can run on phones, laptops and CTVs.
- Read the full guide: Connected TV and OTT
- Related: CTV (Connected TV), Programmatic Guaranteed (PG)
P
- PMP (Private Marketplace)
- A PMP, also called a Private Auction, is an invite-only auction where a publisher offers its inventory to selected buyers. It gives access to premium placements with more control than the open auction.
- Read the full guide: Programmatic Guaranteed vs PMP vs Open Auction explained
- Related: Open Auction, Preferred Deal, Programmatic Guaranteed (PG)
- Preferred Deal
- A Preferred Deal lets one buyer see a publisher's inventory at a fixed price before it goes to auction. The buyer can choose which impressions to buy, but delivery is not guaranteed.
- Read the full guide: Programmatic Guaranteed vs PMP vs Open Auction explained
- Related: PMP (Private Marketplace), Programmatic Guaranteed (PG)
- Programmatic Guaranteed (PG)
- Programmatic Guaranteed is a deal where you buy a fixed number of impressions from a publisher at a fixed price, booked in advance. It gives guaranteed delivery on premium inventory, bought through a DSP.
- Read the full guide: Programmatic Guaranteed vs PMP vs Open Auction explained
- Related: Preferred Deal, PMP (Private Marketplace), Open Auction
R
- Reach
- Reach is the number of unique people or households who saw your ad at least once. Reach times frequency roughly equals impressions.
- Read the full guide: Reach and Frequency Calculator: Formulas and Worked Examples
- Related: Frequency, Impressions
- Retargeting
- Retargeting shows ads to people who have already visited your website or app, or engaged with your brand. It helps bring back people who did not buy or sign up the first time.
- Read the full guide: How to Run Retargeting Campaigns in DV360: A Step-by-Step Guide
- Related: First-party Data, Frequency
S
- SSP (Supply-Side Platform)
- An SSP is software that publishers use to sell their ad space to many buyers. DSPs bid on impressions offered by SSPs.
- Read the full guide: How Does Programmatic Advertising Work? Step by Step
- Related: DSP (Demand-Side Platform), Open Auction
V
- VCR (Video Completion Rate)
- VCR is the share of video ad starts that were watched to the end. A higher VCR usually means your video holds attention.
- Related: CPCV (Cost per Completed View), CPV (Cost per View)
- Viewability
- Viewability measures whether an ad had a real chance to be seen. A common standard is at least half of the ad on screen for one second for display, or two seconds for video.
- Read the full guide: How to Improve Ad Viewability: A Practical DV360 Guide
- Related: Impressions, Brand Safety
Still unsure how a term applies to your campaign? Our DV360 FAQ answers common questions on pricing, minimum spend and account types, or you can ask our team.
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