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What is Header Bidding ?

Header bidding is an advanced programmatic and ad server technique that serves as an alternative to the traditional “waterfall” method of working with multiple ad tags. A header bidding approach generates concurrent competition for your ad space or inventory. It enables both online and app publishers to examine all offers in an auction format in order to pick a winning bid, allowing them to make an informed decision that will most likely result in increased ad revenue. To implement header bidding, publishers must insert JavaScript code into their website’s <head> section. When an impression occurs, this code is used to start the auction. Prebid. js is the best choice if the publisher is capable of integrating the website with a header bidding wrapper.

To make sure you receive the greatest results, header bidding companies have devoted all of their efforts to developing their ad monetization technologies. However, exercise caution since not all ad monetization companies are made equal. Many provide the same fundamental services, but the finer points—like payment terms and service levels—are what really count. Publishers may monetize their material in a variety of ways online. That is why Google Ad Manager includes flexibility and a wide range of options, providing publishers control over how they sell advertising on their properties. Google Ad Exchange is an ad exchange network that allows publishers to sell ad space on their websites to advertisers and agencies through Real Time Bidding. AdX will auction off ad space to the highest bidder if publishers specify a minimum price for their ad space.

Header bidding is becoming more common in programmatic advertising. Header bidding vs waterfall is not a hot topic because many programmatic gurus prefer header bidding over waterfall. A new standard for programmatic ad serving is header bidding, whereas waterfall is becoming less and less used. However, it does not imply that waterfalling will completely vanish from existence. Website header bidding utilizes header bidding wrappers, which are JavaScript components in charge of bid evaluation, ad server connection, and ad calls to the demand partner.

Header Bidding allows publishers to simultaneously offer ad space out to numerous SSPs or Ad Exchanges at once. Effectively, publishers use a Header Bidding Wrapper (typically JavaScript) that enables bid requests from multiple demand sources simultaneously using programmatic protocols such as OpenRTB. Integrations can be done client side or server side depending on the publisher setup or configuration.

Header bidding varies from traditional real-time bidding (RTB) auctions in that all ad exchanges are permitted concurrently at the highest priority in the ad server. Normally, each ad exchange holds its corresponding auctions at a significantly lower priority in the publisher’s ad server.

A demand partner for header bidding is a source of demand for your ad space. When a user accesses your app or website, you programme your header bidding wrapper to send calls to these networks. These partners then use their internal demand to bid on your product in the auction.

The auction in server-to-server header bidding, also known as server side header bidding or S2S header bidding, happens on the ad server rather than the user’s browser. It enables your website to collaborate with several demand partners at once without sacrificing page performance.

All buyers are arranged by a header bidding wrapper, sometimes referred to as a container or framework, which also establishes the guidelines for the programmatic auction. As a result, publishers may increase the number of demand sources vying for an impression in an auction without having to add more code and make it more complicated with each new partner. Three distinct types of wrappers are available on the market right now. Prebid is one example of an open-source wrapper. Second, we can locate exclusive wrappers that are owned by different industry players, often the leading SSPs. These are frequently criticized for their lack of transparency and the publisher’s concern that the SSP would give itself preference in the auction. Publisher-owned wrappers might potentially be mentioned here, albeit they are extremely uncommon. They are often not prebid-based and are custom-coded. Nowadays, the majority of managed header bidding wrappers are constructed on top of Prebid because it has become a widely used standard. So that they may concentrate on their content rather than the intricacy of their monetization, publishers can trust the wrapper and save a lot of resources.

The most popular Header Bidding wrapper is Prebid pioneered by Appnexus / Xandr.



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