Ad-tech, in plain English

Tech that bypasses ad blockers so publishers don’t lose impressions from blocked ads.

Systems that block bot, proxy, datacenter, and incentivized traffic before billing.

Cost per Action — the price advertisers pay only when a conversion (signup, deposit, install) happens.

Smart bidding mode where the system optimizes CPM bids to hit a target cost per acquisition.

Cost per Click — the price advertisers pay each time a user clicks an ad.

Cost per Mille — the price advertisers pay per 1,000 ad impressions.

Click-Through Rate — clicks divided by impressions. Format and creative quality indicator.

Demand-Side Platform — buyer-side software advertisers use to purchase ad inventory programmatically.

Effective CPM — revenue per 1,000 impressions normalized across pricing models. The key metric publishers optimize for.

Percentage of ad requests that get an ad served (vs. coming back empty).

Geographic targeting parameter. Country-level by default, can be city- or region-level.

Push-style notification rendered inside the page (no subscription required, iOS-friendly).

Full-screen ad displayed between content transitions.

Ads styled to match surrounding content. Higher CTRs than display, lower banner blindness.

Payout cycle: publisher gets paid 14 days after the end of the earnings period.

Payout cycle: publisher gets paid 7 days after the end of the earnings period.

Full-page ad that opens in a new tab behind the current window. Highest-paying display format.

Return on Ad Spend — revenue generated per dollar spent on ads.

Real-Time Bidding — programmatic auction where advertisers bid per impression in milliseconds.

Server-to-server conversion tracking. Tracker fires a URL when a conversion happens, mapping it back to the click.

Automated bid adjustment that lowers your CPM bid when competition is weak, preserving spend efficiency.

A single URL that routes traffic to the best-matching offer based on GEO, device, and other signals.

Supply-Side Platform — seller-side software publishers use to sell inventory to multiple DSPs.

High-value English-speaking markets (US, UK, CA, AU). Highest CPMs, most competition.

Mid-tier markets (most of EU, LATAM). Mid CPMs, mid competition.

Emerging markets. Lower CPMs but higher volume and easier scaling.

Video Ad Serving Template — IAB spec that lets video players request, display, and report on ads.

Category of offer or content (iGaming, VPN, Dating, Mobile apps, eCommerce, etc.).