What is Win Rate?
The percentage of programmatic auctions that a bidder wins out of all auctions they participate in, indicating bidding strategy effectiveness.
Win rate is a key performance metric in programmatic advertising that measures the percentage of auctions a demand-side platform (DSP), advertiser, or campaign wins out of all auctions they bid on. It reflects the competitiveness of bidding strategies and the efficiency of targeting parameters. A higher win rate indicates that bids are competitive for the desired inventory, while a lower win rate may suggest either very selective bidding or uncompetitive bid amounts.
Why It Matters
Win rate helps advertisers and DSPs optimize their bidding strategies and campaign performance. A balanced win rate indicates efficient budget utilization - too high may suggest overbidding, while too low indicates difficulty securing desired inventory. It provides insights into market competitiveness and helps refine targeting to improve campaign efficiency and ROI.
How to Calculate
Win Rate = (Number of Won Auctions ÷ Number of Bid Responses Submitted) × 100%. For example, if a DSP submitted 10,000 bids and won 1,500 auctions, the win rate would be 15%. Some platforms also calculate bid request win rate: (Won Auctions ÷ Total Bid Requests) × 100%.
Industry Benchmarks
| Category | Average | Good Performance |
|---|---|---|
| Display Campaigns | 10-25% | 15-30% |
| Video Campaigns | 5-20% | 15-25% |
| Mobile Apps | 8-22% | 18-28% |
Best Practices
Monitor win rate alongside CPM and conversion metrics for holistic optimization. Adjust bidding strategies if win rates are consistently too high (potential overbidding) or too low (missing opportunities). Use win rate data to refine audience targeting and inventory selection. Test different bid amounts to find optimal win rate ranges for campaign goals.
Examples
A retail advertiser targeting holiday shoppers maintains a 20% win rate, indicating competitive bidding in a high-demand period. A niche B2B campaign achieves 35% win rate due to less competition for specialized inventory. A brand awareness campaign optimizes for 15% win rate to balance reach and cost efficiency.
Notes
Optimal win rates vary by campaign objective, vertical, and competition levels. Brand campaigns may target higher win rates for premium inventory, while performance campaigns may accept lower win rates for cost efficiency. Win rate should be analyzed alongside other KPIs like eCPM, conversion rates, and return on ad spend.