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The Madison Avenue Field GuideA field guide to marketing & advertising, by Brandon Mina

GlossaryAdtech & ProgrammaticBid Density

Adtech & Programmatic

Bid Density

The number of bidders competing for an impression; more bid density generally raises clearing prices for publishers.

By Brandon MinaCEO, BrandPilot AIUpdated November 2026

Appears in Lesson 3 of Programmatic 101

Short answer

Bid density is the number of bidders competing for a given ad impression in a programmatic auction. Higher bid density generally increases competition and raises clearing prices, which boosts publisher revenue. Publishers improve it by connecting more demand partners, for example through header bidding, while buyers watch it as a signal of inventory demand.