Auction
Real-Time Bidding (RTB)
Real-time bidding is an auction process in which eligible buyers compete for an individual ad opportunity within a very short response window, typically while a page, app or video experience is loading.
RTB lets buyers value each impression separately and lets sellers expose inventory to competitive demand instead of using a single fixed buyer or price.
How it works
- A bid request describes the available impression and permitted signals.
- Demand platforms decide whether to bid and at what price.
- The auction evaluates valid bids under the configured auction model.
- The winner is returned for creative delivery and tracking.
Frequently asked questions
How fast is real-time bidding?
The complete transaction is designed to happen within the page or app loading path, so bidding timeouts are normally measured in milliseconds.
Is the highest bid always the winner?
Not necessarily. Eligibility, policy, deal priority, floors, quality rules and auction configuration can all affect the final winner.