What is RTB?
Real-Time Bidding – automated auction system for buying and selling ad impressions instantly.
Understanding RTB
RTB, or Real-Time Bidding, is a programmatic auction system where ad impressions are bought and sold in real-time, typically in milliseconds as a webpage loads. When a user visits a page, information about that user and the ad placement is sent to an ad exchange where advertisers bid to show their ad.
RTB enables precision targeting and dynamic pricing—advertisers can bid different amounts for each impression based on its perceived value. The highest bidder wins and their ad is displayed, all before the page finishes loading. RTB is the technology behind most programmatic advertising and enables the sophisticated targeting and optimization capabilities of modern digital advertising.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is RTB?
Real-Time Bidding – automated auction system for buying and selling ad impressions instantly.
RTB, or Real-Time Bidding, is a programmatic auction system where ad impressions are bought and sold in real-time, typically in milliseconds as a webpage loads. When a user visits a page, information about that user and the ad placement is sent to an ad exchange where advertisers bid to show their ad.
What does RTB stand for?
Why is RTB important?
RTB revolutionized digital advertising by making every impression individually biddable based on its value to the advertiser. This efficiency prevents wasting budget on low-value impressions and allows precise control over who sees your ads. Understanding RTB mechanics helps you set appropriate bid strategies and recognize when you're being outbid versus when inventory is genuinely unavailable.