What is an Ad Server?

Ad Servers are systems that deliver ads when requested by mobile/desktop web pages, app pages etc. Some examples of Ad Servers are Atlas Solutions, Sizmek, OpenX, DoubleClick etc.

A web page, when it starts to load in the user’s browser, has a few blank ad spaces. The publisher’s Ad Exchange holds an auction for each of these ad spaces in real time. The winning DSP gets to show their ad in the ad space. The DSP usually delivers a URL that loads the ad from the Ad Server. This entire process finishes in a fraction of a second i.e. less than the time it takes to finish loading this page.

Role of Ad Servers in Programmatic

1. Centralised Campaign Reporting: The Ad Server has centralised campaign reporting that maintains record of the ads served, clicks, conversions etc.
2. Source of Record: An Ad Server keeps a single version of the truth of the publishers being paid for the conversions, clicks or impressions.
3. De-Duplicated Reach: An Ad Server Helps the advertisers report unique (also called de-duplicated) users reached across all publishers.
4. Real Time: Ad servers allow a peek into exact campaign performance in real time allowing accurate and timely decisions.
5. Data Ownership: An Ad Server provides advertisers with the ownership of data and removes dependence on publishers data.
6. Media Optimisation: Allows advertisers to compare performance indicators across publishers. These vary from top of the funnel i.e. new users added to bottom of the funnel i.e. last touch before conversion. This information enables accurate decisioning on identifying the publishers to scale and those to remove from the campaign.