Bid request
Inventory, device, site or app and impression details are expressed in a structured request.
Open standards
Connect Demand and Supply in Real Time
Understand OpenRTB integration, bid requests, bid responses and auction workflows for interoperable real-time bidding across programmatic advertising systems.
OpenRTB transaction
A clear request-to-response integration path
OpenRTB standardizes how compatible programmatic systems describe an auction opportunity and respond with eligible bids.
Demand decision
The receiving bidder evaluates campaign eligibility, pricing and creative compatibility.
Bid response
Eligible bids return price, creative and required response metadata within the auction timeout.
Auction result
The exchange applies auction rules, chooses a result and continues delivery and measurement.
Protocol transaction
Follow an OpenRTB request from impression object to auction result
OpenRTB gives programmatic systems a shared structure for describing an auction opportunity, evaluating it and returning an eligible bid within a strict time budget.
{"imp"placement + format"site"publisher context"device"environment"source"supply path}
→
BidderEvaluate requestcampaign · price · creative
→
{"price"bid CPM"adm"creative"crid"creative ID}
Operating flow
How the workflow should progress
Create request
Represent impression, site or app, device, user/privacy, deal and supply-chain context in a structured object.
Evaluate demand
The bidder checks campaign, price, creative, policy and timeout eligibility.
Return response
Eligible demand returns bid price, creative and response metadata before the auction deadline.
Resolve auction
The exchange evaluates valid responses and continues delivery and measurement.
Decision signals
What should be measured together
Bid requests processed per second across the integration.
The share of requests that receive a valid demand response.
The maximum response window allowed before a bid becomes unusable.
Completeness and consistency of objects used by downstream decision systems.
OpenRTB capacity
QPS & request-volume estimator
Estimate daily bid-request volume, valid responses and rough request-payload transfer from a sustained QPS assumption.
Practical use
Where this capability creates value
Exchange integration
Connect compatible demand and supply platforms through a structured transaction contract.
Bidder development
Evaluate requests, apply campaign logic and return valid responses within timeout.
Supply transparency
Carry seller and supply-chain context that supports marketplace trust and quality checks.
Overview
OpenRTB integration concepts and operating requirements
Understand OpenRTB integration, bid requests, bid responses and auction workflows for interoperable real-time bidding across programmatic advertising systems.
OpenRTB Bid Request
A bid request describes an eligible impression opportunity using structured fields for inventory, media format, device or app context, deals, supply-chain information and other permitted signals. Buyers should only rely on fields that are present, valid and allowed for the transaction.
OpenRTB Bid Response
A bid response can return a price, creative reference or markup, deal information and tracking-related fields when the buyer chooses to participate. Responses still need to pass the seller's eligibility, policy and auction rules.
OpenRTB 2.x
OpenRTB 2.x refers to the widely adopted family of OpenRTB 2-series specifications. Production integrations should document the exact version, supported objects, extensions and validation rules rather than assuming universal field support.
OpenRTB vs RTB
RTB describes the real-time auction process. OpenRTB is a standardized protocol used by compatible systems to communicate bid opportunities and responses during programmatic transactions.
OpenRTB for Ad Exchanges
An ad exchange can use OpenRTB as an interoperability layer between eligible supply and demand systems while applying its own auction, pricing, privacy, fraud and commercial controls.
OpenRTB FAQ
OpenRTB standardizes communication, not business outcomes. Integration quality still depends on field validation, timeout handling, privacy signals, supply-chain transparency, creative safety and auction policy.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Is OpenRTB the same as RTB?
No. RTB is the auction process; OpenRTB is a protocol for exchanging structured bid-request and bid-response data between compatible programmatic systems.
Does every OpenRTB integration support the same fields?
No. Implementations can differ by specification version, media type, extensions, privacy requirements and platform capability, so supported fields should be documented and validated.
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