Ad operations glossary

Definitions

Campaign trafficking

Configuring a media plan in an advertising platform, including creative assignments, destinations, schedules and launch checks.

Advertiser

The organization whose campaign is being run. In CM360, advertiser records group related campaigns and creative assets.

Campaign

A grouping of advertising activity with a shared objective or plan. The exact settings and object hierarchy depend on the platform.

Placement

In CM360, a record representing where an ad may serve, with properties such as site, dimensions and schedule. Other platforms organize delivery differently.

Creative

The advertising content, such as an image, video or HTML asset. A file being uploaded does not by itself mean it has been assigned to an ad.

Ad

In CM360, an object that connects creative content with placements and serving settings. Do not assume an ad has the same structure in every platform.

Creative mapping

Matching creative assets to their intended ads or placements using the campaign instructions and identifiers.

Campaign QA

Quality assurance checks and review of campaign configuration before and after publication. Checks reduce avoidable errors; they do not guarantee campaign performance.

Impression

A delivery event counted under the reporting platform’s rules. Counts from different sources may use different definitions and deduplication.

Click

An interaction recorded by an advertising platform. A click can occur without a corresponding website session being recorded.

GA4 session

A period of website or app interaction recorded by Google Analytics 4. Sessions and ad clicks measure different events and should not be treated as equal counts.

Attribution

The rules or model that assign credit for a conversion to marketing interactions. Comparing conversions requires checking the model and lookback window.

OAuth authorization

An authorization flow that grants an application defined access to an account. Review the requested permissions and use the provider’s controls to revoke access.

Use platform definitions when comparing results

A shared dashboard makes data easier to find, but similar labels can hide different counting rules. Keep the platform, account, date range, time zone and attribution basis beside a metric. Check the original provider documentation when a definition affects a decision.