{"id":76229,"date":"2023-11-09T21:11:52","date_gmt":"2023-11-09T21:11:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mailrelay.com\/glosario\/programmatic-buying\/"},"modified":"2026-10-30T01:05:14","modified_gmt":"2026-10-30T01:05:14","slug":"programmatic-buying","status":"publish","type":"glossary","link":"https:\/\/mailrelay.com\/en\/glossary\/programmatic-buying\/","title":{"rendered":"Programmatic buying"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Programmatic buying is the automated way to buy online ads: software decides in milliseconds where, when and at what price each ad is shown, based on audience data.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In digital marketing, programmatic buying refers to a fully automated process for acquiring advertising space on the internet (across different media and websites) without negotiating each purchase by hand.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The process relies on the algorithms in DSP (<em>Demand Side Platform<\/em>) platforms to offer multiple options for placing online ads according to the characteristics of the product or service being promoted. The ultimate goal of programmatic buying is to reach specific audiences and potential customers, analyze their behavior and know the best moment to reach them with ads.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It is the result of combining <a href=\"https:\/\/mailrelay.com\/en\/glossary\/big-data\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Big Data<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/mailrelay.com\/en\/glossary\/rtb-real-time-bidding\/\">Real Time Bidding (RTB)<\/a>, since programmatic buying handles and analyzes a large amount of data to determine, in real time, whether each ad space purchase is suitable.<\/p>\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How programmatic buying works<\/h2>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The advertiser defines its audience, budget and goals in a DSP (<em>Demand Side Platform<\/em>). Publishers put their ad space up for sale in an SSP (<em>Supply Side Platform<\/em>). The two meet in an ad exchange, where each impression is bought at auction or through a prior agreement.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Audience data, often gathered in a <a href=\"https:\/\/mailrelay.com\/en\/glossary\/dmp-data-management-platform\/\">DMP<\/a>, decides who sees each ad. The price is usually calculated as <a href=\"https:\/\/mailrelay.com\/en\/glossary\/cpm-cost-per-thousand-impressions\/\">CPM<\/a>, cost per thousand impressions. If you want to see how bidding works step by step, we explain it in the <a href=\"https:\/\/mailrelay.com\/en\/glossary\/rtb-real-time-bidding\/\">RTB<\/a> entry.<\/p>\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1672\" height=\"941\" src=\"https:\/\/mailrelay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/como-funciona-compra-programatica.png\" alt=\"How programmatic buying works: advertiser and DSP, ad exchange, publisher and SSP\" class=\"wp-image-111331\" srcset=\"https:\/\/mailrelay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/como-funciona-compra-programatica.png 1672w, https:\/\/mailrelay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/como-funciona-compra-programatica-300x169.png 300w, https:\/\/mailrelay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/como-funciona-compra-programatica-1024x576.png 1024w, https:\/\/mailrelay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/como-funciona-compra-programatica-768x432.png 768w, https:\/\/mailrelay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/como-funciona-compra-programatica-1536x864.png 1536w, https:\/\/mailrelay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/como-funciona-compra-programatica-110x62.png 110w, https:\/\/mailrelay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/como-funciona-compra-programatica-60x34.png 60w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1672px) 100vw, 1672px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group has-very-light-gray-background-color has-background\" style=\"border-radius:8px;padding-top:24px;padding-right:28px;padding-bottom:24px;padding-left:28px\"><div class=\"wp-block-group__inner-container is-layout-flow wp-block-group-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Complement your ads with a channel you own<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">With email, you talk to your customers without bidding for every impression. Get started for free with Mailrelay.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-buttons is-layout-flex wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-button is-style-mailrelay-primary-button\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link wp-element-button\" href=\"https:\/\/mailrelay.com\/en\/signup\/?utm_medium=cta&#038;utm_campaign=compra-programatica\">Create a free account<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Advantages of programmatic buying<\/h2>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Programmatic advertising brings improvements over traditional digital ad buying channels. These advantages are:<\/p>\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>A single channel:<\/strong> most of the processes and the different players involved in digital advertising (advertisers, agencies, ad servers, etc.) are brought together in a single automated channel. This simplifies the process, saves time and reduces costs.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>It targets a segment:<\/strong> programmatic buying targets a previously segmented sample of users, so it only reaches those who have shown real interest in your brand\/product. It is the algorithms that analyze and evaluate users&#8217; digital behavior that enable this high degree of specialization.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>It improves reach:<\/strong> programmatic buying lets you reach many more digital media and a larger audience than traditional marketing methods can. You can reach several segments of people interested in our product at the same time, on a massive scale, thereby increasing conversions.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Types of programmatic buying<\/h2>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">There are several ways to buy programmatically. The most common are:<\/p>\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Open Deal.<\/strong> In this case, a segmented inventory is offered to all buyers in the same market who can bid on its impression package. The Open Deal market varies according to the DSP or SSP platforms used. Both buyers and publishers have access to the behavior of each campaign and its metrics. It is not a standard name: in practice it amounts to an open auction with conditions set by the publisher.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Open Market.<\/strong> In this market, bidding is direct and all buyers have access to all publishers. This is the open auction, also called RTB. It is a good idea to filter so you only buy the best spaces.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Programmatic Direct or Guaranteed.<\/strong>  The buyer and the publisher agree on a fixed price and a guaranteed volume of impressions, with no auction. The price and volume are locked in, but you can still target using the advertiser&#8217;s data.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Preferred Deal.<\/strong>  The publisher offers certain ad spaces to a chosen buyer, at a fixed price and before everyone else. If that buyer does not take all the impressions, they become available to the others again. There is no guaranteed volume.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Private Market Place.<\/strong>  An auction that only buyers invited by the publisher can join, with a minimum price. Inventory is grouped into blocks, and it works very well for digital newspapers, since one ad can be placed in several sections of the newspaper. A minimum purchase is set for selected buyers and, if there are any remaining impressions, they are diverted to other marketplaces.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The 4 programmatic buying models at a glance<\/h3>\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table><thead><tr><th>Model<\/th><th>Who can buy<\/th><th>Price<\/th><th>Guaranteed volume?<\/th><\/tr><\/thead><tbody><tr><td>Open auction (RTB)<\/td><td>Any buyer<\/td><td>Auction<\/td><td>No<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Private marketplace (PMP)<\/td><td>Invited buyers only, with a Deal ID<\/td><td>Auction with a floor price<\/td><td>No<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Preferred deal<\/td><td>A chosen buyer, ahead of everyone else<\/td><td>Fixed, agreed in advance<\/td><td>No<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Programmatic guaranteed<\/td><td>One buyer<\/td><td>Fixed, agreed in advance<\/td><td>Yes<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The further down the table, the more control and certainty you have over where and how often your ad appears, and the less flexibility on price.<\/p>\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1672\" height=\"941\" src=\"https:\/\/mailrelay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/modelos-compra-programatica.png\" alt=\"Programmatic buying models: open auction, private marketplace, preferred deal and programmatic guaranteed\" class=\"wp-image-111335\" srcset=\"https:\/\/mailrelay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/modelos-compra-programatica.png 1672w, https:\/\/mailrelay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/modelos-compra-programatica-300x169.png 300w, https:\/\/mailrelay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/modelos-compra-programatica-1024x576.png 1024w, https:\/\/mailrelay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/modelos-compra-programatica-768x432.png 768w, https:\/\/mailrelay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/modelos-compra-programatica-1536x864.png 1536w, https:\/\/mailrelay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/modelos-compra-programatica-110x62.png 110w, https:\/\/mailrelay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/modelos-compra-programatica-60x34.png 60w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1672px) 100vw, 1672px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Programmatic buying agency or your own DSP<\/h2>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">You can buy programmatic advertising through an agency or directly in a self-serve DSP. The choice depends mainly on your team and your budget.<\/p>\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table><thead><tr><th><\/th><th>Agency<\/th><th>Your own DSP (self-serve)<\/th><\/tr><\/thead><tbody><tr><td>Who it is for<\/td><td>Companies without an advertising team or with little time<\/td><td>Experienced teams with significant ad spend<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Cost<\/td><td>Agency commission plus media<\/td><td>Platform fee or minimum plus media<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Control<\/td><td>Less direct<\/td><td>Full<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Know-how<\/td><td>The agency&#8217;s<\/td><td>You need to have it yourself<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If you choose an agency, ask which DSP it uses, how it charges (and whether it shows you what it pays for media) and what reports it will give you.<\/p>\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Programmatic buying and email marketing<\/h2>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Ads bring in visits, but you pay for every impression. Email lets you stay in touch with those people without paying for each one again. The idea is to send the traffic from your campaigns to a <a href=\"https:\/\/mailrelay.com\/en\/glossary\/landing-page\/\">landing page<\/a> with a form and add those contacts to your list.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Plus, with third-party <a href=\"https:\/\/mailrelay.com\/en\/glossary\/cookies\/\">cookies<\/a> increasingly restricted, your subscriber list is first-party data that doesn&#8217;t depend on anyone else. For the general concept, see the <a href=\"https:\/\/mailrelay.com\/en\/glossary\/programmatic-advertising\/\">programmatic advertising<\/a> entry.<\/p>\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How Mailrelay helps<\/h2>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Mailrelay helps you turn the people who come from your ads into subscribers:<\/p>\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Subscription forms<\/strong> with double opt-in to capture people who arrive from your campaigns.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Welcome automation<\/strong>, also included in the free account.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Google Analytics integration<\/strong> (UTM) to compare what your ads and your emails bring in.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Free account<\/strong> with 80,000 emails a month and 20,000 contacts.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group has-very-light-gray-background-color has-background\" style=\"border-radius:8px;padding-top:24px;padding-right:28px;padding-bottom:24px;padding-left:28px\"><div class=\"wp-block-group__inner-container is-layout-flow wp-block-group-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Turn the traffic you pay for into subscribers<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Capture the emails of people who arrive from your ads and stay in touch without paying again. Up to 80,000 emails a month for free with Mailrelay.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-buttons is-layout-flex wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-button is-style-mailrelay-primary-button\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link wp-element-button\" href=\"https:\/\/mailrelay.com\/en\/signup\/?utm_medium=cta&#038;utm_campaign=compra-programatica\">Try Mailrelay for free<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Frequently asked questions<\/h2>\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What is programmatic buying?<\/h3>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It is the automated buying of online ad space, where software decides where and at what price each ad is shown based on audience data.<\/p>\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What is the difference between programmatic buying and RTB?<\/h3>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">RTB is one programmatic buying model: the real-time open auction. Programmatic buying also includes private marketplaces and fixed-price deals.<\/p>\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What is programmatic guaranteed?<\/h3>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It is a deal between an advertiser and a publisher with a fixed price and a guaranteed number of impressions, with no auction, but managed automatically.<\/p>\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What is a PMP?<\/h3>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A private marketplace: an auction that only buyers invited by the publisher can join.<\/p>\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Do I need an agency for programmatic buying?<\/h3>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Not always. If you have an experienced team and a budget, you can use a self-serve DSP. If not, an agency saves you the learning curve and the management work.<\/p>\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Related entries<\/h2>\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/mailrelay.com\/en\/glossary\/rtb-real-time-bidding\/\">RTB<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/mailrelay.com\/en\/glossary\/programmatic-advertising\/\">Programmatic advertising<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/mailrelay.com\/en\/glossary\/dmp-data-management-platform\/\">DMP<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/mailrelay.com\/en\/glossary\/cpm-cost-per-thousand-impressions\/\">CPM<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/mailrelay.com\/en\/glossary\/digital-advertising\/\">Digital advertising<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/mailrelay.com\/en\/glossary\/big-data\/\">Big data<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/mailrelay.com\/en\/glossary\/cookies\/\">Cookies<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/mailrelay.com\/en\/glossary\/cookieless\/\">Cookieless<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/mailrelay.com\/en\/glossary\/banner\/\">Banner<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/mailrelay.com\/en\/glossary\/social-ads\/\">Social ads<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"template":"","class_list":["post-76229","glossary","type-glossary","status-publish","hentry"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v28.7 - 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