What is Open Bidding?

Open Bidding (formerly known as Exchange Bidding) is Google’s response to header bidding. So what is Open Bidding and why publishers should use it?

What is Open Bidding?

Open Bidding allows publishers to selectively invite third-party demand partners to compete for their inventory through a single auction via real-time programmatic bidding.

Each Open Bidding interaction between a publisher and their demand partners is handled by Google Ad Manager in what is called a "server-to-server" integration.


What are the benefits of Open Bidding?

  • Easy to implement. Publishers can use their existing Google Ad Manager tags so there is no extra tagging or technical requirements needed.
  • Open Bidding reduces the latency that usually comes with header bidding because of the direct server-to-server connection to the third-party demand partners. Lower latency means faster ad load --> higher fill rate --> more revenue.
  • Open Bidding in Google Ad Manager runs a unified auction to determine the best yield. Publishers are able to add multiple programmatic demand partners to compete for their inventory at the same time and Google Ad Manager (GAM) will serve the highest possible bid for each impression, increasing publisher revenue and yield.

How to Get started with Open Bidding?

Open Bidding is a feature only available in Google Ad Manager 360 (GAM360) but publishers can also access Open Bidding demands through a selected provider such as Ad.Plus.

Open Bidding is also one of the features available in our MCM program.

Contact us today if you don't have a GAM360 account or if you need help with your Open Bidding setup.

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* Image credit by Google