Adsterra Publisher Guide: How to Optimize Header Bidding and Fill Rates

Adsterra Publisher Guide: How to Optimize Header Bidding and Fill Rates

Adsterra is one of the most reliable and high-paying ad networks available for digital publishers. To maximize your revenue, understanding and optimizing header bidding and fill rates is crucial. These two elements directly impact your CPMs and overall earnings. In this comprehensive guide, we will explain header bidding, how to optimize it on Adsterra, strategies to improve fill rates, and actionable tips to maximize your ad revenue in 2025.

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What is Header Bidding?

Header bidding is an advanced programmatic advertising technique that allows multiple ad exchanges to bid on your inventory simultaneously before calling your ad server. This is different from the traditional waterfall setup, where ad networks are called one by one in a predefined order.

Benefits of Header Bidding:

1. Higher CPMs: By allowing multiple networks to compete for each impression, you increase the chance of higher bids.

2. Transparency: You can see which network offers the highest revenue for every ad slot.

3. Reduced Latency Losses: Proper implementation ensures faster ad loads and reduces missed revenue opportunities.

Adsterra and Header Bidding:
Adsterra supports header bidding integration for publishers using advanced setups like Prebid.js. This enables publishers to maximize competition and earn premium CPMs for every impression.

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Step-by-Step Guide to Implement Header Bidding on Adsterra

1. Set Up Prebid.js:
   Prebid.js is a widely used open-source header bidding wrapper. Implementing it requires technical knowledge, as it involves editing your website’s header code.

2. Add Adsterra as a Bidder:
   Configure Adsterra in your Prebid.js setup by adding the bidder code provided in your publisher dashboard. Ensure that all required parameters, such as publisherId, adUnitCode, and sizes, are correctly set.

3. Define Price Floors:
   Set a minimum bid price to avoid low-value impressions. Adsterra allows you to define price floors to ensure that every impression is monetized at a profitable rate.

4. Test Your Implementation:
   Use tools like Prebid Analytics or browser console logging to verify that Adsterra is receiving bids correctly. Check bid responses and ensure the highest bid wins the auction.

5. Optimize Ad Units:
   Use popular ad sizes like 728x90, 300x250, 160x600, and 320x50. Testing multiple ad units can help you identify which slots perform best in terms of CPMs.

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Understanding Fill Rate

Fill rate is the percentage of ad requests successfully filled with ads. For example, if you have 1,000 ad requests and only 800 are filled, your fill rate is 80%.

Why Fill Rate Matters:

• Higher fill rates lead to more revenue opportunities.

• Low fill rates can indicate technical issues or poor targeting.

• Adsterra’s revenue depends not only on CPM but also on how many impressions are actually filled with ads.

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Strategies to Improve Fill Rates on Adsterra

1. Implement Multiple Ad Formats:
   Use Popunders, Native Ads, Interstitials, and Banners to maximize fill opportunities. Some ad formats may perform better depending on user behavior and device type.

2. Target High-Demand Geographies:
   Countries like the USA, UK, Canada, Australia, and Germany usually have higher CPMs. Targeting these regions can improve fill rates and revenue per impression.

3. Use Lazy Loading:
   Lazy loading delays ad requests until the user scrolls to the ad slot. This can reduce latency issues and improve fill rates for above-the-fold ads.

4. Enable Multiple Demand Sources:
   Combine Adsterra with other networks through header bidding. Multi-network competition ensures higher bids and better fill rates.

5. Regularly Monitor and Adjust Price Floors:
   Too high price floors can lower fill rates, while too low can reduce CPMs. Find the balance by testing and adjusting based on performance.

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Advanced Optimization Tips

1. Frequency Capping:
   Limit the number of times a user sees the same ad to prevent ad fatigue. Adsterra supports frequency capping for better user experience and higher revenue.

2. Device Targeting:
   Analyze which devices (desktop, mobile, tablet) yield the highest CPMs and optimize ad placements accordingly. Mobile traffic often has higher fill rates with pop-ups and banners.

3. A/B Testing:
   Continuously test ad placements, formats, and networks. Use analytics to compare CPMs and fill rates for different configurations.

4. Page Speed Optimization:
   Slow-loading websites negatively impact fill rates and CPM. Optimize your website’s speed using caching, CDN, and lightweight code to improve ad performance.

5. Analyze Performance Reports:
   Adsterra provides detailed reports showing CPM, impressions, and revenue. Monitor these reports to identify trends and optimize ad units for maximum earnings.

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Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Ignoring Mobile Optimization: Mobile traffic accounts for a large share of ad impressions. Not optimizing for mobile can reduce fill rates and revenue.

• Setting Unrealistic Price Floors: High price floors may lead to unfilled impressions, while low floors reduce revenue potential.

• Overloading Pages with Ads: Too many ads can decrease user experience and engagement, negatively affecting CPM and fill rates.

• Neglecting Geolocation Performance: Not all regions have the same demand or CPMs. Focus on high-value geographies for better performance.

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Conclusion

Optimizing header bidding and fill rates is essential for any Adsterra publisher aiming to maximize revenue in 2025. By implementing advanced header bidding techniques, testing ad units, targeting high-demand geographies, and regularly monitoring performance, publishers can achieve higher CPMs and improved overall earnings. Remember, consistent testing and optimization are key to staying competitive and profitable in the fast-evolving ad network landscape. Read More