The ad tech glossary

309 terms, each answered in one sentence, then explained properly with an analogy and a worked example.

A

Acceptable Ads: Acceptable Ads is a standard and program, started by eyeo (maker of Adblock Plus), under which ad blockers let through ads that meet criteria for being non-intrusive, unless users opt out.
Ad blocking: Ad blocking is software, typically a browser extension, built-in browser feature, app or network filter, that stops ads and often tracking scripts from loading on web pages and apps.
Ad refresh: Ad refresh is replacing the ad in a slot with a new one while the user stays on the same page, triggered by time, scrolling or user actions, to create more impressions.

Better Ads Standards: The Better Ads Standards are research-based guidelines from the Coalition for Better Ads that identify ad experiences consumers find most annoying, such as pop-ups and autoplaying video with sound.

Content recommendation widget: A content recommendation widget is a block of sponsored and editorial links, often under an article, that recommends stories or products and earns money when readers click the sponsored ones.

DCO (dynamic creative optimization): DCO (dynamic creative optimization) is technology that assembles ads automatically from templates and data, changing images, text, offers or prices for each viewer or context and learning which versions perform best.
Display advertising: Display advertising is visual online advertising, such as banners, images, animations and rich media, shown in ad slots on websites and apps, as distinct from search, video or audio ads.

Generative AI in advertising: Generative AI in advertising is the use of AI models that create text, images, video, audio or code to produce ads, variations, targeting and campaign setups, often automatically at scale.

IAB standard ad sizes: IAB standard ad sizes are the common banner dimensions, such as 300×250, 728×90 and 320×50, recommended by the IAB so one creative fits ad slots across many websites and apps.

Lazy loading: Lazy loading is a technique in which ads (or images) are requested and loaded only when the user scrolls near them, rather than all at once when the page first opens.

Native advertising: Native advertising is paid advertising designed to match the look, feel and placement of the content around it, such as sponsored posts in feeds or promoted articles, and labelled as sponsored.

Rich media: Rich media ads are interactive or animated ads, such as expanding banners, video-in-banner, games or carousels, that invite user engagement beyond a static image or simple click.

Sticky ad: A sticky ad is an ad unit that stays fixed on the screen, usually at the top, bottom or side, while the user scrolls through the page content.