Ad Server
Overview[edit | edit source]
An Ad Server is a type of technology, which is used by advertisers, publishers, ad agencies, and ad networks to manage and run online advertising campaigns. Ad servers are responsible for making instantaneous decisions about what ads to show on a website, then serving them. Additionally, an ad server tracks the ads’ performance and generates reports to provide insights about an ad campaign's effectiveness.
Usage Types[edit | edit source]
There are primarily two types of ad servers: Publisher Ad Servers and Advertiser (or Third-Party) Ad Servers.
Publisher Ad Servers[edit | edit source]
A Publisher Ad Server is used by online publishers to display advertisements on their websites, apps, or other digital platforms. These servers allow publishers to manage inventory, fill it with suitable ads, and track the performance of ad spaces in real time.
Use Case[edit | edit source]
A prime example of a publisher ad server is Google's DoubleClick for Publishers (DFP). It allows publishers to manage their ad inventory and maximize their ad revenue.
Advertiser (or Third-Party) Ad Servers[edit | edit source]
An Advertiser Ad Server is used by advertisers to host and monitor their online advertising campaigns. They provide data about user interactions and facilitate real-time campaign optimization.
Use Case[edit | edit source]
A well-known advertiser ad server is DoubleClick Campaign Manager (DCM) by Google. It offers advertisers tools to organize and fine-tune their ad campaigns across multiple platforms.