Leverage Google Open Bidding (formerly EBDA) for server-to-server real-time auctions that bring additional demand into your Google Ad Manager stack without client-side overhead.
Google Open Bidding (formerly Exchange Bidding Dynamic Allocation, or EBDA) is Google's server-side bidding solution that allows third-party exchanges and SSPs to compete in a unified auction alongside Google Ad Exchange demand — all within Google Ad Manager. Unlike client-side header bidding, Open Bidding happens server-to-server, which takes bidder code off the page. The trade-offs are Google's revenue share on every Open Bidding win, a partner list limited to the exchanges Google has onboarded, and a contract you must sign with each partner before it can bid.
HBDR configures and manages your Open Bidding setup to complement your existing header bidding stack, creating a multi-layered auction strategy that maximizes competition and revenue. Our hybrid approach ensures you capture demand from partners that perform better in server-side environments while maintaining the transparency benefits of client-side Prebid.
What Open Bidding changes in your auction, and what it costs.
The page sends one ad request and Ad Manager calls every yield partner server-to-server, so there is no bidder code on the page. Google says this reduces the latency historically associated with header bidding. It does not remove it: the ad response still waits while Ad Manager collects partner bids, and a partner that times out loses the impression.
Open Bidding partners compete with the Ad Exchange bid and your best eligible line item in one unified auction, and the highest net bid wins. Ad Manager has run a unified first-price auction since 2019, so the choice between Open Bidding and Prebid now comes down to fees, partner coverage and control.
Google pays Open Bidding revenue with your Ad Exchange payment, itemized by exchange, net of Google's revenue share. That share is a cost Prebid does not carry, so compare partners on net revenue. Under the Open Bidding Direct Pay beta, SSPs pay you directly and Google bills a %-media fee instead.
Sources: Google Ad Manager Help, Introduction to Open Bidding, How Open Bidding works, Open Bidding payments, Open Bidding Direct Pay (Beta) and Auction model; Google Ad Manager blog, first-price auctions, 5 September 2019.
We maximize Open Bidding performance through strategic partner selection and ongoing optimization.
We analyze your traffic profile to identify the ideal Open Bidding yield partners that complement your existing demand stack.
We configure Open Bidding to work seamlessly alongside Prebid.js, ensuring no demand cannibalization and optimal auction pressure. The common mistake is calling the same exchange through both paths, where it can bid against itself for one impression; each partner belongs in the path where it nets more.
Detailed reporting on Open Bidding contribution with win rate, CPM trends, and incremental revenue attribution versus other demand channels.
Continuous optimization of yield partner configurations, timeout settings, and floor prices specific to the Open Bidding auction environment.
HBDR has served ads since 2015 for publishers on the web, in apps and on connected TV.