You’ll need to follow specific steps to successfully apply Bid Model settings to a campaign, and review certain concepts to understand how Bid Model components work individually and in tandem. If you encounter an error, are blocked from adding or managing Bid Model settings, or have questions related to how they work, refer to these resources first:

Return to this article to review additional questions that you may encounter related to Bid Modeling.

Q: What is a Bid Model?

A: A Bid Model is the set of rules that you apply to a campaign to optimize its performance. These rules allow you to adjust bids, allocate budgets, and shift priorities for supported dimensions. Refer to Bid Model overview to learn more about Bid Modeling, including eligibility requirements and supported dimensions.

Q: What is a Bid Model component?

A: Bid Model components include Spend Ratios, Dimension Priorities, and Bid Modifiers. While these granular adjustments are optional, they allow you to take greater control of your campaign’s optimizations and, ultimately, its performance.

Q: What is the difference between a dimension category and a dimension?

A: Dimensions are the specific targeting parameters that you can adjust by applying one or more Bid Model components to them. For example, you might choose for the campaign to prioritize spend for one creative over another, while still targeting both of them.

You can assign Bid Model settings to dimensions across the Creative, Location, and Inventory categories. Refer to Supported dimensions for a list of all supported dimensions within these categories.

Q: Which Bid Model component (Dimension Priority, Spend Ratio, Bid Modifier) can I apply to the dimensions that my campaign is targeting?

A: You can apply settings for any one Bid Model component or multiple components if both the campaign and its dimensions are eligible. Refer to these resources for more information on component-level eligibility requirements:

Note that certain Bid Modifier components are required when others are applied. For example, if you’ve applied a strict Spend Ratio, you won’t be able to apply a Dimension Priority to the same dimension. However, you’re required to define a Dimension Priority when you apply a flexible Spend Ratio to a dimension. Full details of these limitations and dependencies are available in the three resources linked above.

Q: What does Others signify in each Bid Model table?

A: The Others row functions as a bucket. When you apply Bid Model settings to only certain dimensions in a dimension category, the other dimensions that you’re targeting in the same dimension category are automatically aggregated in Others. It may also include items that your campaign isn’t directly targeting, but that appeared in its serving data within the past three months.

Refer to Key terms and concepts - Others for more information.

Q: How do I add the Others row to a Bid Model table?

A: Follow the steps to apply a Bid Model to a Location, Creative, or Inventory dimension:

When you reach the step to choose the dimensions for which you’d like to apply Bid Model settings and + Add to Modeling, the dimensions that you choose will display as individual rows in the table. All other dimensions within that category are captured in the Others category automatically.

Q: What does Unknown signify in a Bid Model table?

A: When bid requests pass through the IQM platform, it assesses key information about those requests to help ensure that they match a campaign’s targeting criteria. In certain instances, one or more details—such as Inventory or Location information—is unable to be gathered after the ad is served. These events are captured in the Unknown row.

The Unknown row may also signify that your campaign previously targeted an item that you have since blocked or removed from its targeting settings.

Note that you can only apply advanced modeling settings (Bid Modifiers, Spend Ratios, Dimension Priorities) to known dimension values.

Q: Why am I unable to apply Bid Model settings to a Deal ID when this dimension is supported?

A: This issue is likely due to one of the following three reasons:

Q: What happens if I apply multiple Bid Model settings to the same dimension?

A: When you apply multiple components for the same dimension, ad opportunities pass through a decision-making process. The Bid Model assesses whether serving is enabled for a dimension at each stage based on the Bid Model components you defined and the campaign’s current performance. Refer to Applying multiple Bid Model components for more information on how this decision-making process works.

Q: Why is the Bid Model app’s Model tab disabled?

A: A campaign must target at least one dimension from a dimension category for the app to enable that category’s Model tab. For example, you’ll need to target at least one state, city, or ZIP code in your campaign to apply a Bid Model setting to a Location dimension.

Open the Campaigns app to review or update your campaign’s targeting settings, and refer to Bid Model overview to confirm that the campaign is eligible for Bid Modeling.

Q: Why is the Advanced Modeling button disabled in the Campaigns app?

A: A campaign must target at least one dimension from a dimension category for the app to enable that category’s Model tab. For example, you’ll need to target at least one state, city, or ZIP code in your campaign to apply a Bid Model setting to a Location dimension.

Review or update your campaign’s targeting settings, and refer to Bid Model overview to confirm that the campaign is eligible for Bid Modeling.

Q: My campaign is set up and meets the requirements. Why is the Advanced Modeling button disabled in the Campaigns app?

A: Confirm that you saved the campaign. This will create a campaign ID, which you’ll need in order to apply and manage Bid Model settings.

Q: Why haven’t the changes that I applied in the Bid Model app been reflected in the Campaigns app?

A: You’ll need to refresh the page in the Campaigns app to reflect any changes that you applied in the Bid Model app. While the changes typically appear within ten minutes, allow up to one hour before troubleshooting.

Q: What does the page-and-eyeball icon signify next to a dimension in the Bid Model table?

A: After your campaign starts running, it might serve ads for dimensions in a dimension category that you didn’t include the campaign’s targeting parameters. For example, if your campaign targets the state of California, you may see a number of served California ZIP Codes listed in the Bid Model app.

These served dimensions are identified from the campaign’s serving data over the past three months, captured in the Bid Model table, and labeled with a page-and-eyeball icon. You can leave served dimensions un-modeled, or apply a Bid Model setting to those dimensions directly in the Bid Model app. Note that the new dimensions that appeared in the serving data won’t appear in the campaign’s details in the Campaigns app.

Q: What does the exclamation point icon signify next to a dimension in the Bid Model table?

A: When a dimension features the exclamation point icon, it signifies two things: The campaign previously targeted and served ads for that dimension, and the same dimension is no longer included in the campaign. In other words, the campaign previously targeted an item that you have since blocked or removed from its targeting settings.

Q: What does the eyeball icon signify next to a dimension in the Bid Model table?

A: After your campaign starts running, it might serve ads for dimensions in a dimension category that you didn’t include the campaign’s targeting parameters. These dimensions are identified from the campaign’s serving data over the past three months, captured in the Bid Model table, and labeled with an eyeball icon.

You can leave these items un-modelled, or apply a Bid Model setting to those dimensions directly in the Bid Model app. Note that the new dimensions that appeared in the serving data won’t appear in the campaign’s details in the Campaigns app.

Q: What is a use case for applying Bid Model settings to dimensions that were identified from the campaign’s serving data?

A: There may be instances where you’d like for a campaign to continue bidding on the dimension, but not explicitly add it to the campaign’s targeting parameters. You can also apply Bid Model settings to dimensions that appear in the serving data to indirectly impact the Bid Model settings of targeted dimensions that share a parent/child relationship with the served dimensions.

For example, an advertiser’s campaign is targeting a set of cities, including San Francisco. The state of California appears in the campaign’s serving data and is listed in the Bid Model app. These dimensions have a parent/child relationship since San Francisco city is located in California state.

The advertiser can apply Bid Model settings to State dimensions to control the serving behavior in those states’ targeted child locations, and achieve the following outcomes:

Q: How long will it take for my new, changed, or removed Bid Model settings to apply to my campaign?

A: In most cases, the campaign will reflect all Spend Ratios, Dimension Priorities, and/or Bid Modifier settings within one hour.

Q: Can I apply a Bid Model component (Bid Modifier, Spend Ratio, Dimension Priority) to a dimension that’s not listed in the Bid Model app?

A: No. You can add a dimension to the Bid Model app by editing the campaign in the Campaigns app and adding the dimension to its targeting rules. Keep in mind that the dimension must also be included in the supported dimension categories to be eligible for Bid Modeling.

Q: How can I review a campaign’s existing Bid Model settings?

A: Advertisers can review a campaign’s Bid Model settings directly in the Bid Model app, and workspace admins can view them in the Customers app.

Q: How can I quickly determine which dimensions have Bid Model settings applied to them?

A: Modeled dimension subcategories feature an icon in the Bid Model app, which indicates that modeling has been applied.

Q: What is a Spend Ratio?

A: A Spend Ratio is a Bid Model component that allows you to take control of your campaign’s spending pattern. You can specify how much of a campaign’s total budget you’d like to allocate to each Creative, Location, or Inventory dimension that your campaign is targeting. Refer to Spend Ratio overview for more information.

Q: Can I repeat the same Spend Ratio for multiple dimensions within the same dimension category?

A: Yes. While you can designate any percentage of your campaign’s budget to each dimension, note that the sum of all percentages in a single dimension category must equal or exceed 100% for flexible Spend Ratios, and equal 100% exactly for strict Spend Ratios. Refer to Spend Ratio overview for more details.

Q: Can I remove a Spend Ratio from a campaign after it’s already started spending?

A: Yes. You can add, edit, or delete a Spend Ratio from a campaign at any time. Note that you can only define Spend Ratios that equal or exceed the amount that the campaign has already spent on that dimension. For example, if a campaign has spent 20% of its budget on ZIP Code A, you can change its Spend Ratio to 21% or higher.

The sum of all percentages in a single dimension category must also equal or exceed 100% for flexible Spend Ratios, and equal 100% exactly for strict Spend Ratios. Refer to Spend Ratio overview for more details.

Q: Why can’t I change the Spend Ratio for my campaign?

A: You can add, edit, or delete a Spend Ratio at any time; however, you’ll need to enter a Spend Ratio that’s greater than or equal to the percentage that the campaign has already spent on that dimension.

Q: Why can’t I apply a Spend Ratio to the dimensions that my campaign is targeting?

A: There may be certain requirements that the campaign or its targeting dimensions don’t currently meet. For example, the campaign may be targeting only Publisher Categories, which would make it ineligible for Spend Ratio settings. Refer to Spend Ratio overview to review a full list of eligibility criteria.

Q: Why can’t I apply Spend Ratios to Publisher Categories?

A: Spend Ratios aren’t supported for Publisher Categories because a single impression may belong to two or more Publisher Categories.

For example, an advertiser defines a total campaign budget of 1,000 impressions. The campaign serves 100 impressions, which happen to each belong to 10 different Publisher Categories. This scenario would cause the campaign to behave as if it served the full 1,000-impression budget (100 impressions x 10 Publisher Categories) rather than the actual 100 served impressions due to overlap.

Q: What happens if I remove a Spend Ratio from only one dimension in a dimension category?

A: If you’ve assigned a Spend Ratio percentage to one or more other dimensions in the same dimension category, the dimension will move to the Others category.

You may also need to adjust the Spend Ratios of the Others row, or the other dimensions in the dimension category, to ensure that their percentages still equal or exceed 100% for flexible Spend Ratios, and equal 100% exactly for strict Spend Ratios. Refer to Spend Ratio overview for more details.

Q: How do I apply, change, or delete a Spend Ratio?

A: The exact steps you’ll follow will differ based on the dimension category. Refer to the dedicated resources linked below to learn how to add, edit, or remove a Spend Ratio or another Bid Model component based on the dimension category:

Q: Is there a limit to the amount of times I can change a Spend Ratio?

A: There’s no limit. You can add, edit, or delete any Bid Model component as many times as you’d like if the campaign is still eligible for Bid Modeling. Note that you can only define Spend Ratios that equal or exceed the amount that the campaign has already spent on that dimension. For example, if a campaign has spent 20% of its budget on ZIP Code A, you can change its Spend Ratio to 21% or higher.

The sum of all percentages in a single dimension category must also equal or exceed 100% for flexible Spend Ratios, and equal 100% exactly for strict Spend Ratios. Refer to Spend Ratio overview for more details.

Q: What is a Dimension Priority?

A: A Dimension Priority is a Bid Model component that allows you to take control of the way your campaign delivers impressions. You can specify the order in which a campaign should attempt to deliver impressions across the Creative, Location, or Inventory dimensions that your campaign is targeting. Refer to Dimension Priority overview for more information.

Q: Why can’t I set a Dimension Priority when I’ve applied another Bid Model setting to the same dimension?

A: You’ve likely already chosen a strict Spend Ratio for the same dimension. You can apply a Dimension Priority to dimensions that are assigned a flexible Spend Ratio. Refer to Spend Ratio overview for more information on the differences between flexible and strict Spend Ratios, and to review related requirements.

Q: Can I review Dimension Priorities for an expired or deleted campaign?

A: Yes. You can still view priorities if a campaign is expired or deleted; however, you won’t be able to add, change, or remove any Dimension Priorities that are assigned to expired or deleted campaigns.

If desired, you can update a campaign’s date range to restore an expired campaign.

Q: Can I repeat the same Dimension Priority for multiple dimensions?

A: Yes. You can assign the same priority to more than one dimension. Any dimensions featuring the same priority will be treated equally during campaign execution. Refer to Dimension Priority overview for more information and examples.

Q: How do I apply, change, or delete a Dimension Priority?

A: The exact steps you’ll follow will differ based on the dimension category. Refer to the dedicated resources linked below to learn how to add, edit, or remove a Dimension Priority or another Bid Model component based on the dimension category:

Q: Is there a limit to the amount of times I can change a Dimension Priority?

A: There’s no limit. You can add, edit, or delete any Bid Model component as many times as you’d like if the campaign is still eligible for Bid Modeling.

Q: How will I know when serving is enabled for a dimension based on the latest performance check?

A: You’ll know that serving is enabled for a dimension when the circle next to a dimension in the Priority column changes from gray to green. This indicates that ads are being targeted for that dimension based on the latest pacing performance check. Refer to Key terms and concepts: Daily spend pacing for more information.

Q: When is my campaign’s next performance check?

A: The frequency of pacing checks increases based on how soon the campaign is ending. Refer to Daily spend pacing - Pacing-check schedule for full pacing-check details based on a campaign’s remaining duration, or open the campaign in the Bid Model app. The Modeled tab will display the next performance check’s date and time toward the top of the page.

Q: What is a Bid Modifier?

A: The Bid Modifier Bid Model component allows you to take control of your campaign’s bidding strategy. You can choose to bid a higher or lower price for the Creative, Location, or Inventory targeting dimensions based on their importance to your campaign. Refer to Bid Modifier overview for more information.

Q: Why can’t I apply a Bid Modifier to the dimensions that my campaign is targeting?

A: Confirm that you defined a Base Bid Price and Max Bid Price for the campaign. The Bid Model multiplies the Base Bid Price by any Bid Modifiers you define for a dimension while staying below the Max Bid Price.

If you’ve already defined a Base Bid Price and Max Bid Price, there may be other requirements that the campaign or its targeting dimensions don’t currently meet. For example, the campaign may be targeting Private Marketplace (PMP) deal IDs, which would make it ineligible for Bid Modifier settings. Refer to Bid Modifier overview to review a full list of eligibility criteria.

Q: How are Bid Modifiers applied when a campaign is targeting both Open Exchange inventory and Private Marketplace (PMP) inventory?

A: The bid request determines how Bid Modifiers are executed. Incoming bid requests from the Open Exchange will bid using the bid-modified Base Bid Price, while incoming traffic from the targeted Deal ID will instead bid the Max Bid Price. In other words, no Bid Modifier settings are applied to the Deal ID dimension.

Refer to Bid Modifier overview for more information.

Q: What happens if I don’t add a Bid Modifier to a dimension?

A: Bid Modifiers are an optional optimization tool. The campaign will observe the same Max Bid Price for all of the dimensions that it’s targeting if no Bid Modifiers are applied. If you apply Bid Modifiers to only certain dimensions in a dimension category, however, you will define a Base Bid Price, which the campaign will use to modify the bids of only those dimensions.

Q: Can I review Bid Modifiers for an expired or deleted campaign?

A: Yes. You can still view bid settings if a campaign is expired or deleted; however, you won’t be able to add, change, or remove any Bid Modifiers that are assigned to expired or deleted campaigns.

If desired, you can update a campaign’s date range to restore an expired campaign.

Q: Can I repeat the same Bid Modifier for multiple dimensions in the same dimension category?

A: Yes. The Bid Model will treat each Bid Modifier independently. Once the campaign confirms that an ad opportunity matches all campaign and Bid Model settings for that particular dimension, it multiplies the dimension’s Bid Modifier by the campaign’s Base Bid Price and places a bid in the programmatic auction.

Q: What happens if I apply a Bid Modifier to multiple dimension categories (Locations, Creatives, Inventory)?

A: When an incoming ad requests matches dimensions across two or more dimensions categories, the campaign multiplies all applicable Bid Modifiers together, and multiplies the result by the Base Bid Price you defined for the campaign.

Refer to Bid Modifier - Multiple dimension categories to review examples of how this process works.

Q: What bid is placed when a dimension’s modified bid exceeds the Max Bid Price I chose for the campaign?

A: In instances when the Bid Modified value exceeds the Max Bid Price, the campaign will bid the Max Bid Price instead.

Q: Why can I edit the Others row for Spend Ratios and Dimension Priorities, but not for Bid Modifiers?

A: By definition, items included in Others have no Bid Modifiers applied to them. All dimensions included in the Others bucket are assigned a Bid Modifier of 1X, meaning that the campaign should observe the Max Bid Price that you defined for the campaign.

If you want to change the Bid Modifiers of any items included in Others, you can do so by returning to the All Creatives, All Inventory, or All Locations tab in the Bid Model app—depending on the dimension category—and managing each dimension individually. Refer to the resources below for step-by-step instructions on applying a Bid Modifier to a dimension:

Q: How do I apply, change, or delete a Bid Modifier?

A: The exact steps you’ll follow will differ based on the dimension category. Refer to the dedicated resources linked below to learn how to add, edit, or remove a Bid Modifier or another Bid Model component based on the dimension category:

Q: Is there a limit to the amount of times I can change a Bid Modifier?

A: There’s no limit. You can add, edit, or delete any Bid Model component as many times as you’d like if the campaign is still eligible for Bid Modeling.