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Decoding the Jargon

Programmatic

Also called programmatic advertising, programmatic buying

Performance marketingTerm

Buying ad space through software that bids automatically, impression by impression, across many websites and apps through ad exchanges, often in real time. It replaces negotiating with each publisher one by one.

Example

Meera's agency suggests a programmatic campaign that would show her festive video on hundreds of Indian news and lifestyle sites, buying each impression automatically through a DSP.

How you'll hear it

“That's a programmatic buy across exchanges, so check the placement report for junk sites.”

Don't confuse it with

  • DSP: the tool used to buy programmatically.
  • Display ads (Google): one network you can buy through Google Ads; programmatic usually spans many exchanges.

Related terms

DSPDisplay adsPlacementCPMAd auction

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Sources

  1. Authorized Buyers overview, Authorized Buyers Help (Google)
  2. Display & Video 360 overview, Display & Video 360 Help (Google)

Checked 1 October 2026. Examples use a fictional business; figures are illustrative.

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