Understanding Budget Types

When setting up a campaign or line item, one of the first decisions to make is how to select the correct budget type. This choice determines how the system allocates and tracks campaign spend, and ultimately shapes how performance is measured. There are three budget types available in the platform:

Impressions

The Impressions budget type is based on the total number of impressions defined during campaign or line item creation. When this option is selected, the bidder will optimize toward delivering the specified number of impressions, without enforcing a strict cap on spend. This means that the total cost of the campaign may fluctuate depending on available inventory and pricing in the auction. Because the priority is impression delivery, spend becomes a variable outcome at the end of the campaign.

Spend

The Spend budget type, in contrast, is based on a fixed dollar amount. When this option is used, the platform ensures that spend does not exceed the allocated amount. The number of impressions delivered during the campaign may vary depending on CPM rates and competition. This type of budget is ideal when there’s a financial limit in place and impression delivery can be more flexible.

Spend with Vendor Fees

The Spend with Vendor Fees budget type also uses a fixed dollar amount, but unlike the standard Spend option, it includes both media cost and any associated third-party vendor fees. This budget type provides a more comprehensive view of campaign spend by accounting for the full cost of delivery, including external services that support targeting, measurement, or data enrichment.

When Spend with Vendor Fees is selected:

• The campaign budget includes:

  • Media cost

  • Fees from integrated third-party vendors such as IAS. For more information on supported data partners, click here.

  • Any custom vendor fees defined and assigned in the platform

• The Spend metric in reporting reflects the total of both media and vendor fees, which may lead to fewer impressions being delivered within the same budget compared to a media-only spend configuration.

If Spend with Vendor Fees is not selected:

• The campaign budget and spend tracking will include only media cost.

• Vendor fees are still tracked but separately:

  • They appear in reporting under the Vendor Fees dimension.

  • They are also included in the Vendor Fee report.

  • These fees do not count against the campaign or line item budget and will not affect pacing or delivery.

Spend with Vendor Fees is ideal when wanting to tightly control spend while still needing visibility into external fees. By including these fees in the budget, you're ensuring a more accurate representation of total investment—and preventing unanticipated overspend due to untracked costs.

Choosing the Right Budget Type

Selecting the appropriate budget type depends on the objective of the campaign. If focusing on guaranteed delivery volumes, Impressions could be the right fit. If controlling spend is top priority, Spend or Spend with Vendor Fees are more suitable. For a holistic view of total investment—including third-party services—Spend with Vendor Fees offers the most accurate representation of true campaign cost.