In plain English
The ad was served. Whether it entered the viewport, remained there long enough to register, or was noticed at all are separate questions.
Viewability standards exist because a large share of served impressions are never actually seen. Paying for served rather than viewable impressions is paying for delivery you did not receive.
What to know
One display
Counted on serving.
Not a viewing
Served and seen are different.
Viewability is separate
Measured against defined thresholds.
Repeats count
The same person counts each time.
Why it matters
For any display or programmatic buying, asking about viewability changes what the impressions were worth. On a CPM basis it directly changes the real price.
Common mistakes
×Treating served impressions as seen.
×Buying on CPM with no viewability standard.
×Reporting impressions as a result.
×Ignoring frequency, so impressions concentrate on few people.
FAQs
Is an impression the same as a view?
No. It means the ad was served.
What is viewability?
Whether the ad actually appeared on screen long enough to be seen.
WRITTEN BY TARIQ SALLAM
Marketing Consultant. Entrepreneur. Content Creator.
I'm a marketing consultant, entrepreneur and content creator. I help businesses grow through practical marketing, websites, SEO, content and AI.
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