Infrastructure
Ad Server
An ad server is technology that selects, serves and measures digital advertisements according to campaign, placement, pacing, targeting and delivery rules.
It is the operational delivery layer that turns campaign and inventory decisions into actual creative responses, impression tracking and reporting records.
How it works
- An ad request reaches the server with placement and context information.
- Eligible campaigns or fallback sources are evaluated.
- A creative response or redirect is produced.
- Impression, click and delivery events are recorded for reporting.
Frequently asked questions
Is an ad server a DSP?
No. A DSP primarily makes buying decisions; an ad server primarily manages creative delivery, campaign serving and measurement.
Can publishers and advertisers use different ad servers?
Yes. Publisher-side and advertiser-side ad serving can be separate while sharing measurement or redirect signals.