Frequency capping is a campaign-level setting that limits the number of times you’ll serve your ad to the same user within a specific timeframe. With the rise of devices and content channels, this tool is essential for preventing ad fatigue while maintaining audience engagement.

Frequency capping is one of three elements that compromise a campaign’s Bid Strategy, alongside budget capping and bid pacing. The Bid Strategy determines how aggressively a campaign should bid based on how much you’d like to spend, how you’d like to pace bidding, and how often you’d like for users to see an ad.

Refer to Bid Strategy overview for more information on the differences between frequency capping, budget capping, and bid pacing; and review Manage a campaign’s Bid Strategy to define or adjust your campaign’s frequency-cap settings.

The IQM platform implements a sophisticated “waterfall” method to execute a campaign’s frequency capping settings. This process ultimately helps ensure the number of impressions served to that individual can be governed and limited.

It first prioritizes assigning a device identifier to an IQM ID, then redirects to the Ramp ID if an IQM ID isn’t feasible. If neither is associated, the platform counts unique impressions at the Device or Cookie level, and in certain cases, progresses to IPV 6 or IPV4 to collectively cap impressions for the user.

Note that the waterfall approach may allow for additional impressions to be served to a device identifier if higher-level identifiers (IQM ID, Ramp ID) aren’t associated during bidding.

An advertiser creates a campaign and enables Frequency Capping in the campaign’s Bid Strategy section. The advertiser chooses a frequency cap of 5.

Assuming limited associations of the IQM ID and Ramp ID with the devices, cookies, and IPs in the campaign’s available bid requests, the impression-distribution scenario pictured above unfolds. The campaign earns a maximum of five impressions per user, but the distribution of these impressions varies depending on the presence or absence of an associated IQM ID or Ramp ID for a given user.

In this example, the campaign reached six unique users and served a total of 30 impressions. These impressions were distributed in the following way:

In summary, IQM ID 1–associated with MAID 1, MAID 2, and Cookie 1–underwent frequency capping at the IQM ID level. Ramp ID 1–associated with MAID 3 and Cookie 2–underwent frequency capping at the Ramp ID level. For MAID 4, IPV 6, and IPV4, a maximum of 5 impressions were served with the absence of an associated IQM ID or Ramp ID.

Q: What is the purpose of a campaign’s frequency cap?

A: Frequency caps limit the number of impressions a user can see during a given time frame. This setting helps advertisers walk the fine line of driving brand awareness and earning conversions without over-serving ads.

Q: What frequency cap do you recommend for my campaign?

A: Each campaign is unique based on the targeting parameters you set and the current bid landscape. This means that there’s not one recommended frequency cap for optimal campaign performance. We recommend starting with a lower frequency cap (e.g., 3 impressions per day) and gradually increasing it, as needed, based on the campaign’s reach and overall performance.

Q: Can I set a different frequency cap for a campaign’s creatives, audiences, or inventory?

A: No, frequency capping is set at the campaign level rather than for individual campaign elements.

Q: What are the devices for which IQM receives Device IDs?

A: We receive Device IDs for mobile, connected TV (CTV), over-the-top (OTT), and tablet devices.

Q: What scenarios might cause a campaign to exceed its frequency cap?

A: A given user may get served your ad additional times depending on whether a unique identifier (IQM ID or Ramp ID) is available.

For example, consider an advertiser who sets a frequency cap of 1 impression for a campaign. The first impression is counted at the Ramp ID level. Later, the campaign bids on a request for the same user because no unique identifier–such as a Ramp ID–is available. In this scenario, the cookie ID becomes the primary identifier and the bid is sent again. The cookie ID is counted as a unique user.

Q: What percentage of traffic is capped at the IQM ID or Ramp ID level?

A: Approximately 45-50% of bid request traffic is capped at the IQM ID or Ramp ID level. The remaining traffic is capped at the Device ID, Cookie ID, or IP Address level.

Q: When does frequency capping management take place?

A: You can add optional frequency capping settings to your campaign when you complete the campaign’s Bid Strategy section. A campaign’s Bid Strategy determines how aggressively it should bid based on how much you’d like to spend, how you’d like to pace bidding, and how often you’d like for users to see an ad. Refer to Bid Strategy overview for more information on the three elements that comprise a campaign’s Bid Strategy.

Q: How do I set up new frequency capping settings for a campaign?

A: Refer to the steps outlined in Manage a campaign’s Bid Strategy to complete this process.

Q: How do I change existing frequency capping settings for a campaign?

A: Refer to the steps outlined in Manage a campaign’s Bid Strategy to complete this process.