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AdRoll
adroll.com › blog › programmatic-vs-non-programmatic-advertising
Programmatic vs. Non-Programmatic Advertising: What’s the Difference? | AdRoll
November 20, 2024 - In non-programmatic advertising, placements are fixed, meaning advertisers cannot remove the ads from the selected locations once they’re set.
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Wiktionary
en.wiktionary.org › wiki › nonprogrammatic
nonprogrammatic - Wiktionary, the free dictionary
Not programmatic. Retrieved from "https://en.wiktionary.org/w/index.php?title=nonprogrammatic&oldid=81152528"
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Definitions.net
definitions.net › definition › nonprogrammatic
What does nonprogrammatic mean?
Not programmatic. ... "nonprogrammatic." Definitions.net. STANDS4 LLC, 2025. Web. 14 Jun 2025.
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Flying V Group
flyingvgroup.com › home › programmatic vs non-programmatic advertising: 2024 comparison
Programmatic Vs Non-Programmatic Advertising: 2024 Comparison - Flying V Group
October 20, 2024 - Programmatic Advertising: Utilizes ... Non-Programmatic Advertising: Involves manual negotiations and placements, requiring more time and effort, leading to slower campaign rollouts....
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Reddit
reddit.com › r/ppc › confused by 'programmatic' digitla advertising vs. 'non-programmatic' digital advertising?
r/PPC on Reddit: Confused by 'Programmatic' Digitla Advertising vs. 'Non-Programmatic' Digital Advertising?
August 11, 2024 -

Hi all, I am having a hard time understanding what 'programmatic' digital advertising actually is, and how it is different from non-programmatic digital advertising?

My ad stack is 6sense display ads, Youtube video, Google paid search, and FB and LI ads.

Every single one of the above ad channels runs ads dynamically based on the target audience, their level of intent, and where they are currently in the marketing funnel.

Given the dynamic nature of pretty much all ad platforms in 2024, I am really confused what the definition of 'programmatic' advertising is.

I see online 1 definition of programmatic advertising is "Programmatic advertising refers to the practice of automating media buying and creating digital ads with the use of marketing technology"

Since all ad platforms I use automate media buying, is the only difference between programmatic if the ads are created dynamically using these platforms, vs non programmatic would be using static ads?

Thanks.

Top answer
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The main differentiator is programmatic fills otherwise vacant inventory with audience/intent/etc placements and is not purchased through the publisher directly. To get to the definition you have to go back before ad networks existed. Companies owned a website, and you went to the 'ad sales' section of the website and negotiated packages with the company. You'd get ads placed for a limited amount of time and/or impressions, and the purchase was similar to what you'd do for a Newspaper or Print ad today. Then came ad networks. Publishers could add them in to give eyeballs to remanent inventory. Say they had 1 million visitors in a day, but only sold 500k impressions directly. The ad networks pick up the other 500k for the highest bidder (and the publisher makes more money). The networks started directly placing buys themselves, but quickly realized they could automate it to optimize performance for both advertisers and publishers - and thus multi-site and programmatic advertising was born. An advertisers could now say "get me as many impressions as you can for under $3 CPM" and the networks could go out across tens of thousands of sites, enter auctions, and deliver. After that, layering on third-party data, intent, etc. was just the natural evolution of ad network buys. So to that point, you can have a buy on the same site and one can be 'programmatic' and one cannot. I can buy direct from CNN.com for 1 million impressions. That's not a programmatic buy. I have selected exactly where I want the ads to serve and can negotiate if I want homepage, politics, etc. placement. I can also buy through an ad network, and when CNN has remnant inventory (inventory that has not been purchased direct) it will serve up in the auction, allowing it to get auctioned and placed by those various networks to the highest bidder. I can set preferences, whitelist placements, etc. but I'm not guaranteed to serve unless remnant inventory becomes available on those placements AND I want win the auction to get placed. The first is not a programmatic buy. The second is. Google search is not a programmatic buy because you are buying on a specific site (Google) with specific terms/phrases/etc. that you are directly negotiating with Google (within the platform). Google display is a programmatic buy because it runs on an ad network that fills remnant inventory across millions of publishers, but you are having no direct negotiations with said publishers. Youtube, purchased through Google ads platform, is not a programmatic buy because you have selected the broader site and are instead running on channels within it. If you run a digital video campaign through Trade Desk or another vendor, and YouTube is one of the channels available in the targeting set along with a hundred other OTT or streaming app networks, then it could be a programmatic buy. Basically programmatic refers to specifically how the inventory is getting placed (direct vs. through a network). The audience targeting, intent, etc. are all part of programmatic platforms but don't inform the definition.
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6Sense Display would be the only platform you mentioned that is "programmatic" in your stack. The other platforms will only serve on the respective sites, based on your targeting parameters, whereas 6Sense sense can serve on any one of their partner sites/networks and uses precise targeting to segment audiences with real data and in near-real time (RTB).
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Strategus
strategus.com › home › strategus blog › programmatic vs non-programmatic advertising (2025 guide)
Programmatic vs Non-Programmatic Advertising (2025 Guide)
August 28, 2025 - At the center of this transformation ... In contrast, non-programmatic advertising relies on traditional, manual processes, including direct negotiations and fixed placement deals....
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Valasys Media
valasys.com › programmatic-vs-non-programmatic-advertising-which-is-better
Programmatic vs Non programmatic advertising: Which is better? - Valasys Media
June 6, 2024 - However, amidst the buzz surrounding ... advertising, often referred to as traditional or direct advertising, adheres to manual processes for ad buying and placement....
Find elsewhere
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Teqblaze
teqblaze.com › homepage › blog › tips & tricks › programmatic vs non-programmatic advertising: what’s the difference?
Programmatic vs Non-Programmatic Advertising: What’s theDifference? - Teqblaze
March 13, 2025 - As the global market becomes increasingly competitive, the ability to reach the right audience at the right moment is the best way of gaining a competitive edge. That is where the choice of the right advertising approach really matters. The two most common approaches are programmatic and non-programmatic advertising.
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Medium
jshelbyj.medium.com › llms-non-programmatic-computing-and-logit-bias-70a3e7344713
LLMs, non-programmatic computing, and logit bias. | by Shelby Jenkins | Medium
August 26, 2023 - Maybe non-programmatic computing? Lets ask ChatGPT. Language models like GPT (from OpenAI) are often misunderstood to be non-deterministic, but they’re actually deterministic in their operation. Let’s break this down: Deterministic vs. Non-deterministic: Deterministic means that for the same input, you will always get the same output.
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CliffsNotes
cliffsnotes.com › home › information systems
Discussion for programmatic and non programmatic (docx) - CliffsNotes
February 22, 2024 - Programmatic approach is the use of automation tools, scripts, and codes to aid migration from the on-premises to the cloud infrastructure. Non programmatic uses available tools given by the cloud service provider to facilitate the migration. These are non-script or programmable methods.
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Media Shark
gomediashark.com › home › blogs › programmatic vs non-programmatic advertising
Programmatic vs Non-Programmatic Advertising - Media Shark
January 19, 2024 - Programmatic advertising is a game-changer in the world of digital marketing. But what exactly does it mean? In simple terms, programmatic advertising is the automated buying and selling of ad space in real-time. It eliminates the need for manual negotiations and streamlines the entire process.
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OneLook
onelook.com
NONPROGRAMMATIC meaning: Not following a specific program - OneLook
Might mean (unverified): Not following a specific program. ... Writing poetry or lyrics? You can find related words that match a given meter. This feature is permanently available from the "Related words" tab and from the Thesaurus.
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Dictionary.com
dictionary.com › browse › programmatic
PROGRAMMATIC Definition & Meaning | Dictionary.com
Programmatic is used to refer to tasks that can be done in an automated way (using such programs), especially as opposed to tasks that have to be done manually (by a person).Program is a common word that has many other meanings, and programmatic can also refer to anything involving or using a plan.More specifically but less commonly, it can be used to describe something involving program music, which is music intended to convey an impression of a definite series of images, scenes, or events.Example: Instead of reading every cell in the spreadsheet to look for duplicates, you can filter them out programmatically. nonprogrammatic adjective ·
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Cambridge Dictionary
dictionary.cambridge.org › us › dictionary › english › programmatic
PROGRAMMATIC definition | Cambridge English Dictionary
Web services enable programmatic access to a wide variety of data over the internet. SMART Vocabulary: related words and phrases · Plans and arrangements · accommodation · appointed · arrangement · arranger · backstop · blueprint · counter-tactic · design · done · exit strategy · formulation · lock · master plan · nonprogram ·
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BidsCube
bidscube.com › home › blog › programmatic vs non-programmatic advertising: which one to choose?
Programmatic vs Non-Programmatic Advertising ✓ Key Differences Explained - BidsCube
September 5, 2025 - Non-programmatic depends on channel context and publisher first-party insight. Limited scale, slower optimizations, and higher CPMs can erode ROI if used alone. ... Your form has been successfully sent! Your request will be received in a few minutes and our team will get in touch with you as soon as possible! In the meantime...
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Office of Justice Programs
ojp.gov › ncjrs › virtual-library › abstracts › programmatic-and-nonprogrammatic-aspects-successful-intervention
Programmatic and Nonprogrammatic Aspects of Successful Intervention: New Directions for Research | Office of Justice Programs
The article first presents results of correctional intervention effectiveness based on 32 literature reviews and meta-analyses that collectively addressed 20 separate programmatic approaches such as educational training or group counseling. It then examines findings that show the importance of nonprogrammatic factors such as staff characteristics, staff/client interactions, and setting.
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Pathlabs
pathlabs.com › blog › direct-vs-programmatic-advertising
Direct vs Programmatic Advertising: A Breakdown for Marketers | Pathlabs
March 14, 2023 - This is great because it promotes accuracy and efficiency in the campaign, but the marketer has no direct control over where and when the platform fields the ad. They have to hope the programmatic platform will execute everything correctly; it often does, but this can require tweaking and optimization.
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