Glossary

Programmatic

The automated buying and selling of digital ad inventory through software, typically via real-time auction.

Media BuyingFoundationAlso called: Programmatic Advertising, Programmatic MediaSource: Industry consensus

Definition

The automated buying and selling of digital ad inventory through software, typically via real-time auction.

Why it matters

Programmatic is the umbrella term the rest of this glossary lives under — DSP, SSP, RTB, and PMP are all mechanisms inside programmatic, not separate things.

Key consideration

"Programmatic" is often used loosely to mean "not manually booked," which blurs real distinctions between open exchange, PMP, and programmatic guaranteed deals that carry very different risk and quality profiles.

Related terms

Practitioner notes

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