Understand how
DSP advertising works.
A demand-side platform (DSP) is software advertisers and agencies use to buy advertising across connected sources of inventory. It evaluates opportunities against a campaign’s targeting, creative requirements and budget, then decides whether and how much to bid.
See where the DSP fits.
- AdvertiserSets the campaignGoals, budget and creative
- DSPMakes buying decisionsEligibility, bids and spend controls
- SSP / exchangeConnects supply and bidsSelling rules and auction outcomes
- PublisherProvides the ad spaceA site, app or media service
Programmatic advertising describes automated media buying. A DSP is a tool on the buying side. Real-time bidding is one transaction method, and negotiated deals can also be executed through a programmatic workflow.
Understand DSP vs SSP.
A DSP serves the buyer.
The advertiser or agency defines what to buy and the conditions for spending. The DSP evaluates available opportunities and connects eligible bids to campaign controls and reporting.
- Primary question
- Should this campaign buy this opportunity?
- Controls to inspect
- Targeting, creative eligibility, budgets and bid decisions.
An SSP serves the publisher.
A supply-side platform helps a publisher offer inventory to demand sources and apply selling rules. An exchange connects bids and available inventory; these functions can be combined in one service.
- Primary question
- Which eligible demand should fill this opportunity?
- Controls to inspect
- Inventory access, seller rules and auction handling.
The platform label alone does not establish inventory access, commercial terms or reporting quality. Check the actual connections and responsibilities in the inventory and connection guide.
Follow one opportunity
through the buy.
This simplified auction path separates the decision to bid from the delivery of an ad. A win alone does not establish an impression.
Explore pico DSP’s auction pathThe buyer sets the campaign rules.
Define the markets, formats, approved creatives and spend limits. Agree on what a billable event means for the connection.
The DSP evaluates a request.
Check whether the opportunity meets the campaign’s requirements. In pico DSP, privacy, supply, creative and budget decisions can each make an opportunity ineligible.
An eligible bid enters the auction.
A bid carries a price and creative response. The selling platform determines the auction outcome; a bid can lose, arrive late or be rejected.
Delivery events inform reporting.
Track accepted events and reconcile the applicable spend. Delivery accounting and business-outcome attribution answer separate questions.
Keep buying authority clear
when agents join the workflow.
pico DSP is being developed for agentic, programmatic and direct buying. AdCP over MCP connects buyer-agent workflows to the engine. Campaign execution still needs explicit access, eligible inventory and spend controls.
Agentic buying does not make every media buy autonomous. Review what an agent can change and which actions require approval.
Explore agentic media buyingTurn the explanation
into a buying brief.
List the formats, publishers and markets you need. Decide who will operate campaigns, own integrations and respond to incidents. Self-service describes campaign operation; self-hosting describes who runs the infrastructure. Confirm both.
Compare the complete cost, including media, platform access, data and services. Use the DSP evaluation checklist and DSP cost guide to prepare questions for a potential partner.
pico DSP is coming soon. Launch pricing, commercial supply partners, hosted access and support packages have not been announced.
Bring your buying needs
to pico DSP.
Join for launch updates on access, availability and commercial terms.