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Campaign Types & Pricing

Applies to: Advertisers

The campaign type decides how you buy inventory and how you're billed. It's the very first choice you make, because it changes which targeting, bidding and ad options appear in the rest of the create wizard. Pick it deliberately — some choices can't be changed later.

What this is#

Every campaign is one of a handful of types, each with its own pricing model:

  • RON — self-serve across the whole network, priced per impression (CPM) or per click (CPC).
  • CPM — a targeted buy priced purely on impressions.
  • CPC / CPA — results-based buying, priced per click or per conversion.
  • RTB — programmatic, per-request bidding into an exchange.
  • Flatrate / direct deal — a fixed-price placement negotiated with the network.

When you'll use this#

Read this before you start a campaign, whenever you're unsure whether to buy on impressions, clicks or conversions, or when someone asks you to "run RTB" or "set up an offer" and you need to know what that means here.

Comparison at a glance#

Type How you buy Pricing model Best when
RON (Run of Network) Self-serve across all eligible inventory CPM or CPC You want reach and are happy to let the auction place your ads.
CPM (Targeted) Self-serve, priced on impressions Cost per 1,000 impressions You care about visibility/branding and want predictable impression cost.
CPC / CPA Self-serve, priced on results Cost per click, or per conversion/lead/install/sale You care about clicks or real actions, not just views.
RTB Programmatic bidding into an exchange CPM or CPC bid per request You're a DSP-style buyer bidding into external supply and want per-request control.
Flatrate / direct deal Negotiated with the network Fixed price for a placement/period You bought a specific placement directly. Usually network-managed.

Step by step — choosing a type#

  1. Decide what a "result" means for you. Views? Clicks? Sign-ups or sales? That single answer points you at a pricing model.
  2. If you just want reach and simplicity, pick RON and choose CPC or CPM inside it.
  3. If you're buying for branding / visibility, pick CPM (Targeted).
  4. If you're buying for clicks or conversions, pick CPC/CPA and set the matching pay type.
  5. If you run a programmatic bidder and want to bid per request, pick RTB.
  6. If the network sold you a fixed placement, it will appear as a flatrate / direct deal — usually already set up for you.
  7. Continue into Creating a Campaign; the wizard now shows only the fields your chosen type needs.

Options reference#

The pay types you'll see#

Pay type You're charged Use it for
CPM Per 1,000 impressions served Branding, awareness, reach.
CPC Per click Driving traffic to a page.
CPA Per acquisition/action Paying only for completed actions.
CPL Per lead Lead generation (sign-ups, form fills).
CPI Per install App-install campaigns.
CPS Per sale E-commerce / affiliate sales.

CPA, CPL, CPI and CPS are the "conversion" family — you set a fixed payout per conversion and define which conversion types count.

Type-specific settings#

Type Extra settings the wizard asks for
RON Pay type (CPM/CPC), optional smart/auto bidding, ad sorting, full targeting.
CPM Your CPM bid; targeting; caps.
CPC / CPA The bid (per click) or fixed CPA payout; which conversion types count; preview URL and referral percentages for offers.
RTB RTB network/exchange, RTB type (OpenRTB/JSON/XML), use type, request/endpoint URL, ad size, first- vs second-price auction, optional QPS limit, RTB categories, optional bid ruleset.
Flatrate / direct deal Deal type, date range, impression caps or percentage of inventory, agreed CPM/budget — typically pre-filled by the network.

Bidding concepts#

Concept What it means
Bid The amount you offer. CPM = per 1,000 impressions; CPC = per click; CPA = fixed payout per conversion.
Selling type How inventory is sold to your campaign (e.g. auction vs fixed), where the network offers it.
Smart / auto bidding The system adjusts your bid within limits you set, to optimise delivery (supported RON campaigns).
Bid rules A per-campaign ruleset that supplies different bids under different conditions — see Bid Rules (RTB CPC/CPM).

RON — Run of Network#

The default self-serve type. Your ads compete across all eligible inventory and are placed by the auction. You choose CPM or CPC as the pay type. RON supports the full range of targeting and filters, daily budgets, and optional smart bidding. Use it when you want maximum reach and are comfortable letting the auction decide placement.

CPM (Targeted)#

Priced purely on impressions. You set a CPM bid — what you'll pay per 1,000 impressions — and the auction decides whether you win each impression against other buyers. Use CPM for branding and awareness, where being seen matters more than clicks.

CPC / CPA#

Results-based buying. CPC charges you only on a click. The CPA family (CPA/CPL/CPI/CPS) charges you per conversion: you set a fixed payout and define which conversion types count. CPA campaigns are the basis of the network's offers — publishers promote them and earn the payout on each valid conversion. See Offers for how offers reach publishers.

RTB#

Real-Time Bidding. Instead of the network placing your ads, your campaign bids into an exchange on each incoming request. RTB campaigns can delegate their bid to a bid ruleset so you can bid different amounts under different conditions (geo, device, hour, zone). Use RTB when you run a programmatic strategy and want per-request bid control.

Flatrate / direct deals#

A fixed-price placement negotiated directly with the network — for example a guaranteed spot for a set period at an agreed price. These are typically set up and managed by the network on your behalf, so in self-serve they often appear read-only: you can see the deal and its performance, but changes go through your account manager.

Example#

CPM vs CPC — a real decision. You're launching a new brand and want people to remember it. Views are the goal, so you pick CPM and bid a competitive rate for premium placements — you'll pay for reach regardless of clicks. Three months later you're selling a product and only care about site visits: you clone the campaign, switch the goal, and run CPC instead so you pay only when someone actually clicks through.

Choosing CPA for a sign-up offer. You want leads, not traffic. You create a CPC/CPA campaign, set the pay type to CPL, enter a fixed payout of $2.00 per lead, and pick the "registration" conversion type. Publishers now promote it as an offer and you only pay for completed sign-ups.

Tips#

  • Pick the pricing model that matches what you're actually paying for. Paying CPM when you only value clicks means paying for impressions that never convert.
  • You usually cannot switch an existing campaign between the impression/click family (CPM/CPC) and the conversion family (CPA/CPL/CPI/CPS) after creation. Choose the right one up front, or clone into a fresh campaign.
  • RON is the safest starting point if you're unsure — it's flexible and supports every targeting option.
  • For RTB and flat deals, talk to your account manager first; those types are often network-configured.

Troubleshooting#

Symptom Likely cause Fix
The pay type you want isn't offered Your tenant hasn't enabled that pay type, or it's incompatible with the chosen ad type. Pick a supported pay type, or ask your account manager to enable it.
You can't change CPM/CPC to CPA (or vice-versa) Switching between the impression/click and conversion families is blocked after creation. Create a new campaign (or clone) with the correct pay type from the start.
RTB fields are missing The campaign type isn't set to RTB, or RTB isn't enabled for you. Set the type to RTB in step 1; if it's absent, contact the network.
A flat deal is read-only Direct deals are network-managed. Contact your account manager to change the deal's terms.