A

A/B Testing

Allows you to test two different components, otherwise known as variables, of an ad to see which one performs better when it's shown to users. By analyzing these variables, you learn how to optimize your revenue.

Ad Blindness

Refers to a phenomenon in which people consciously or unconsciously ignore ads more and more over time due to the increasing competition for people’s attention.

Ad Exchange

Serves as a middle ground between supply-side platforms (SSPs) and demand-side platforms (DSPs), so publishers and advertisers can access and exchange ads and inventory.

Ad Mediation

A platform app developers use to connect their app with multiple ad networks.

Ad Network

Allows mobile app and game publishers to post openings for ad space and allow advertisers to bid on ad space inventory.

Ad Revenue Attribution

A method to measure the profitability of user in-app actions to understand the app's current user audience base and determine who has the highest potential lifetime value (LTV).

App Bidding

With app bidding, app publishers can establish an impartial, open auction over their ad inventory by offering every ad opportunity to multiple ad networks at the same time.

ARPPU (Average Revenue per Paying Active Users)

A KPI that calculates the average revenue per paying customer.

ARPDAU (Average Revenue per Daily Active User)

A KPI that indicates how much revenue the active app or game users generate every day, including in-app purchases, in-app ads and subscriptions.

B

Banner Ads

A static, graphic ad format that appears at the top or bottom of an app or as a piece of content users can scroll through.

C

CAC (Customer Acquisition Cost)

A KPI used to understand the total average sales and marketing cost to acquire a customer.

CPC (Cost per Click)

A payment metric that describes the amount of revenue paid to a publisher from an advertiser for each click on an ad unit.

Casual Games

Casual games are oriented around simple game mechanics and rules, can be picked up quickly and tend to have mass-market appeal. Casual games have more complex mechanics than hypercasual, often featuring meta-games.

CPA (Cost per Action)

A model where a publisher gets paid for submitting a form, installing an app or another action.

CPI (Cost per Install)

A pricing model which compensates app advertisers each time a user installs their app through their ad.

CTR (Click Through Rate)

The number of clicks compared to the number of impressions. Click through rate is calculated as clicks divided by impressions.

Closed Beta

Indicates a testing arrangement amongst a small group of publishers is taking place. [Accessibility: Limited. Invite only.]

D

DAU (Daily Active Users)

The number of unique users that log in and start a session in an app in 24 hours. This is a key metric that enables developers to measure retention rates and calculate lifetime value.

DSPs (Demand-side Platforms)

Platforms that enable the buying and selling of digital ad inventory by managing multiple ad exchanges through a single interface.

E

eCPM (Effective Cost per Thousand Impressions)

A standard measure of revenue from ads that equals estimated revenue divided by impressions multiplied by 1,000. The revenue you have earned per 1,000 impressions.

Engagement

A measure of how much a user interacts with an ad. Greater engagement leads to clicks and conversions, which drives up revenue.

F

Fill Rate

The number of ads that Audience Network returns compared to the number of ads requested. Fill rate is calculated as filled divided by ad requests.

Flow Type

When an ad is shown in the user experience of your apps, such as after a level in game play. See Optimization for common flow types.

Frequency Capping

Limiting the frequency of ads served to a unique user based on views or clicks.

G

General Availability (GA)

A mediation platform in GA is proven and stable—and provides publishers with robust features. [Accessibility: Open to all.]

H

Hardcore Games

Hardcore games require a significant time investment from players to engage with and learn the game. Hardcore games are often achievement-oriented, enable players to test and pit their skills to win against others

Hybrid-casual Games

Hybrid-casual games combine hyper-casual's simplicity with more complex progression mechanics, like social features or a sophisticated in-game economy.

Hyper-casual Games

Hyper-casual games tend to be universally appealing and easily playable due to their short session length and fun game mechanics. They're known as "easy to pick up but difficult to master", which encourages players to come back.

I

IDFA (Identifier for Advertisers)

A unique ID assigned by Apple to a user's device and used by advertisers to track data, in order to target advertising.

IMPDAU (Impressions per Daily Active User)

A KPI that enables developers to gauge the effectiveness of their monetization strategy based on the number of impressions they receive daily.

Impressions

The number of times ads were on screen. An impression is counted as the number of times an instance of an ad is on screen for the first time.

In-app Advertising

An app monetization model that depends on integrating ads in gameplay and receiving compensation each time a user clicks.

In-app Events

Any actions taken after a user installs an app, such as sign-in, level-completion in a game, purchases, social shares.

In-app Purchases

An app monetization model focused on giving users opportunities to make purchases during gameplay, including new characters, levels or other upgrades.

Interstitial Ads

An ad format used during a natural break in the user flow of your app. These full-screen, immersive experiences can be click to play or set to autoplay.

J

K

L

Latency

Communications delays over a network between performing a live-action and receiving a response.

LiveOps

Any game changes, updates, or improvements made but not released as a brand-new version of the game.

LTV (Lifetime Value)

A prediction to model a game's profit margin from an average user over the timeframe in which they play the game.

M

MAU (Monthly Active Users)

A KPI that indicates the number of unique users per month (or 30 days).

Mediation

Management and optimization of ads served from different networks through one interface.

Meta Games

Meta refers to elements of mobile gameplay such as systems, mechanics, and loops that a player may repeat to progress in the game.

Mid-Core Games

More complex than hyper-casual and casual games, mid-core games require skill and strategy to progress and as a result, requires players to be more invested and set apart more time to play. They can feature multiplayer experiences, side quests, resource management, and solve a puzzle or complete a repetitive action.

N

Native Ads

A native ad is an ad placement that fits the design of your app. Native ads are often better for engagement and make higher eCPMs because they blend in naturally with your interface.

O

Open Beta

Indicates a mediation partner’s platform has gone through a majority of its testing and development. Any publisher can become an early adopter of this mediation platform. [Accessibility: Open to all.]

P

Paid

An app monetization model that charges users a fee to download and use the app.

Playable Ads

An interactive video ad for Meta and Audience Network for mobile app advertisers to drive higher quality and higher intent users to install their apps with a try-before-you-buy experience.

Q

R

Retention Rate

A KPI that indicates the percentage of users who install your app and return to play it. Retention is calculated from the day of app download (Day 0).

Rewarded Video

An ad format offering an immersive in-app ad experience that provides users with an incentive in exchange for a completed video view within an interstitial experience.

ROAS (Return on Ad Spend)

A KPI that indicates the amount of money a business earns for each dollar spent on advertising.

RTB (Real-Time Bidding)

The buying and selling of ad inventory by demand-side platforms and supply-side platforms via a programmatic ad buying process.

S

SDK (Software Development Kit)

A package of software development tools designed to enable a developer to create parts of an app rapidly.

SSP (Supply-side Platforms)

A platform for publishers to manage and sell their inventory of ad space.

Subscription

An app monetization model that offers free access to download the app but requires payment of a monthly fee for full functionality.

T

U

User Acquisition

The process through which publishers acquire users for their mobile app or game.

V

W

Waterfall

The traditional, programmatic ad buying model. The waterfall organizes ad sources to yield the highest CPMs for advertisers and increase revenue for publishers.

X

Y

Z