Useful information about ad fill rate
It is a useful metric for both publishers and advertisers to monitor in order to justify their advertising efforts and increase revenue potential.

In the world of online advertising, the term "fill rate" is frequently used to describe the rate at which ad requests are fulfilled with an actual ad. It's an important metric to monitor for both advertisers and publishers alike, as it can provide valuable insights into the efficiency of their advertising campaigns.
The basis
I am sure you have heard this term lots of times, so what is fill rate? Simply put, it is the percentage of ad requests that result in an actual ad being served. For example, if a publisher has 100 ad requests, and only 80 of them are actually filled with an ad, the rate would be 80%.
The fill rate formula is straightforward:
FR = (Total Ad Requests - Empty Ad Slots) / Total Ad Requests x 100
Fill rate calculation is quite simple as you see. Simply subtract the number of empty ad slots from the total number of ad requests, divide that by the total number of ad requests, and then multiply by 100 to get the percentage.
What does it say and affect?
A high rate generally indicates that a publisher is successfully monetizing their website or app with advertising. Conversely, a low rate can indicate that there are issues with the website or app's ad serving technology, or that advertisers are not interested in buying ad space on that particular platform.
There are several factors that can influence this metric, including the type and quality of the ad inventory, the targeting and relevance of the ads to the audience, and the demand for ad space from advertisers. It's important for publishers to continually monitor and optimise their rate to maximise their revenue potential.
For advertisers, this index is an important metric to consider when evaluating the effectiveness of their ad campaigns. If their ads are not being served due to a low FR, they may need to adjust their targeting or bid higher for ad space in order to increase their chances of being served.
It is a useful metric for both publishers and advertisers to monitor in order to justify their advertising efforts and increase revenue potential. Everybody should succeed - it is the main idea of a good advertising network. Otherwise it is quite useless.
Pro tips
Here are some additional useful information:
- This metric can vary by ad format: Different ad formats can have different rates based on their popularity with advertisers. For example, display ads may have a higher one than video ads because there are more advertisers looking for display ad space.
- It can be affected by ad blocking: Ad blockers prevent ads from being served, which can lower a publisher's metric. It's important for publishers to monitor their index on both ad blocker-enabled and disabled browsers to get a more accurate picture of their ad performance.
- It can impact revenue: A low FR can lead to lower revenue for publishers, as they are not fully monetizing their ad inventory. Advertisers may also be less likely to bid on ad space with a low index, leading to even lower revenue potential.
- It can be optimised: Publishers can optimise their FR by adjusting their ad targeting and inventory, as well as working with ad networks or exchanges that have higher demand for their ad space. Advertisers can also upgrade their FR by targeting their ads more effectively and bidding higher for ad space.
- FR is not the only metric that matters: While it is an important metric to monitor, it's not the only metric that matters. Other metrics like click-through rate (CTR) and cost per thousand impressions (CPM) should also be considered when evaluating the performance of an ad campaign.
Focus on HilltopAds
The FR in HilltopAds can vary depending on factors such as the type of ad format, the target audience, and the quality of the ad inventory. The platform also uses sophisticated targeting and automated neuro-trained optimisation algorithms to ensure that the right ads are served to the right audience at the right time, which increases the rate up to almost 100% and thus maximises revenue potential for both publishers and advertisers.
HilltopAds provides publishers with various tools and features to help them maximise their FR, including ad optimisation tools, detailed reporting and analytics, and access to a vast network of advertisers. Advertisers can also benefit from HilltopAds' targeting and optimisation capabilities, which can help improve their ad performance and increase their ROI.
The network offers a real-time bidding (RTB) that allows advertisers to bid on ad space in real-time, based on their targeting and budget. This means that the FR can vary based on the demand for ad space from advertisers, the quality of the ad inventory, and other factors.
To maximise the FR, publishers can upgrade their ad inventory by ensuring that it is high-quality and relevant to their audience. They can also work with HilltopAds' ad optimization team to improve their ad performance and increase their rate.
Fill rate is an important metric to consider when evaluating the performance of advertising campaigns on HilltopAds or any other advertising network for both publishers and advertisers in the world of online advertising. It provides insights into the efficiency and effectiveness of ad campaigns, and can be optimised to increase revenue potential.
By monitoring and optimising FR, publishers and advertisers can upgrade their profit potential and achieve their advertising goals. However, it's important to also consider other metrics when evaluating ad performance.
Agree, that it is very important to be in the right place and at the right time, so achieving high FR for an ad network is one of the key factors to success. Our professional tech team put their back and heart into system upgrades that allow them to enjoy high achievements in the field and aline the network from others.
