Glossary/Adtech & Programmatic/Bid Density
Adtech & Programmatic
Bid Density
The number of bidders competing for an impression; more bid density generally raises clearing prices for publishers.
By Brandon Mina·CEO, BrandPilot AI·Updated 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.