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

GlossaryAdtech & ProgrammaticSell-Through Rate

Adtech & Programmatic

Sell-Through Rate

The percentage of a publisher's available inventory that was actually sold over a given period.

By Brandon MinaCEO, BrandPilot AIUpdated November 2026

Short answer

Sell-through rate is the percentage of a publisher's available ad inventory that was actually sold over a given period. It is calculated by dividing sold impressions by total available impressions. A high rate indicates strong demand, while a low rate may signal pricing, packaging, or audience issues the sales team needs to address.