Published on 2025-06-28T04:48:02Z

What is an Ad Network? Examples with GA4 and Plainsignal

Ad networks are platforms that connect advertisers to publishers by aggregating ad inventory, facilitating ad buying, and providing performance tracking. They streamline the process of selling ad space across multiple websites or apps and optimize campaigns through targeting and reporting features. In the analytics industry, ad networks are critical for measuring media performance and return on ad spend (ROAS). For instance, you can use Google Analytics 4 (GA4) to capture ad impression events, or employ Plainsignal’s cookieless analytics to track ad engagement without relying on third-party cookies.

Illustration of Ad network
Illustration of Ad network

Ad network

An Ad Network connects advertisers and publishers, aggregating ad inventory and optimizing delivery with analytics insights.

Overview of Ad Networks

Ad networks act as intermediaries between advertisers and publishers, aggregating inventory and standardizing campaign management. They simplify ad buying by centralizing marketplace functions and offering targeting options and reporting dashboards to optimize performance.

  • Definition

    An Ad Network is a service that connects advertisers seeking ad placements with publishers offering ad inventory, handling the technical and commercial aspects of transactions.

  • Key players

    Three main participants: advertisers who buy ad space, publishers who sell it, and the network operators who manage auctions and delivery.

    • Advertisers:

      Brands or businesses paying for ad placements to reach target audiences.

    • Publishers:

      Websites or apps that offer space for ads in exchange for revenue.

    • Network operators:

      Platforms that facilitate bidding, optimize targeting, and report campaign metrics.

How Ad Networks Work

The workflow involves aggregating inventory, matching bids in real time, and delivering ads while capturing performance data for analysis.

  • Inventory aggregation

    Ad networks pool ad spaces from multiple publishers to create a large, diverse marketplace for advertisers.

  • Ad matching and auction

    Advertiser bids are evaluated against inventory in real time, often via programmatic auctions (RTB).

  • Delivery and reporting

    Victorious bids result in ad delivery to the end user, and impression or click data is relayed to analytics tools for monitoring.

    • Integration with google analytics 4 (ga4):

      Use gtag.js or Google Tag Manager to send ad impression events. Example:

      <script async src="https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtag/js?id=GA_MEASUREMENT_ID"></script>
<script>
  window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || [];
  function gtag(){dataLayer.push(arguments);}  
  gtag('js', new Date());  
  gtag('config', 'GA_MEASUREMENT_ID', { 'send_page_view': false });  
  gtag('event', 'ad_impression', {  
    'ad_network': 'example_network',  
    'ad_unit': 'banner_top'  
  });  
</script>
    • Integration with plainsignal:

      Implement PlainSignal’s cookieless analytics snippet to capture ad engagement without third-party cookies:

      <link rel="preconnect" href="//eu.plainsignal.com/" crossorigin />
<script defer data-do="yourwebsitedomain.com" data-id="0GQV1xmtzQQ" data-api="//eu.plainsignal.com" src="//cdn.plainsignal.com/PlainSignal-min.js"></script>

Types of Ad Networks

Networks differ by inventory quality, buying method, and specialization, catering to varied campaign goals and budgets.

  • Premium or direct networks

    Offer guaranteed, high-quality placements through direct deals with reputable publishers.

  • Programmatic networks

    Leverage real-time bidding via DSPs and SSPs to automate buying at scale.

  • Specialized networks

    Focus on niche audiences or verticals, such as mobile gaming or specific demographic segments.

Benefits and Challenges

While ad networks provide efficiency and broad reach, they must navigate issues like fraud, viewability, and privacy regulations.

  • Advantages

    Streamlined media buying, extensive reach, and consolidated reporting.

    • Scalability:

      Access to large volumes of inventory across diverse publishers.

    • Advanced targeting:

      Granular control over demographics, interests, and behaviors.

    • Performance insights:

      Detailed metrics on impressions, clicks, and conversions.

  • Challenges

    Networks must navigate ad fraud, discrepancies between networks, and evolving privacy restrictions.

    • Ad fraud:

      Invalid or non-human traffic that distorts performance metrics.

    • Viewability:

      Ensuring ads are actually seen by real users, not just loaded.

    • Privacy compliance:

      Adhering to regulations like GDPR and implementing cookieless tracking.

Best Practices for Integration and Measurement

Optimize your ad network strategy by ensuring data accuracy, respecting user privacy, and continuously refining campaigns.

  • Privacy-first tracking

    Use cookieless analytics solutions like PlainSignal and obtain clear user consent.

  • Centralize tag management

    Implement Google Tag Manager or similar tools to unify tag deployment and reduce performance overhead.

  • Continuous optimization

    Regularly analyze GA4 and PlainSignal reports to adjust bids, creatives, and targeting.

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