In digital advertising, Google Ad Manager (GAM) is a powerful platform that helps manage and optimize ad campaigns. At the heart of this process are line items that determine which ads are shown, to whom, and when. Whether you’re managing premium inventory or filling remnant space, understanding line items is crucial to ensuring your campaigns run smoothly and deliver maximum revenue.
Let’s break down what line items are, the different types available in GAM, their priorities, and how to select the right type to optimize your ad campaigns.
What Are Line Items in GAM?
In GAM, a line item is the implementation of an advertiser’s campaign settings within an order. It specifies how and where ads should be delivered—whether by impressions, clicks, or placements—over a defined period.
Every line item is part of an order, which may contain multiple line items to target different audiences or placements.
Each line item includes:
- Delivery goals: Number of impressions or clicks to be served
- Cost: Agreed CPM, CPC, or CPD rates
- Campaign duration: Start and end dates
- Targeting: Audience demographics, devices, locations, or content types
These details ensure GAM serves ads that that align with both advertiser goals and publisher inventory constraints
How Do Line Items Work in GAM?
Here’s a simplified view of how line items operate in the ad-serving process:
- Page Load: A user visits your website or app, triggering an ad request to the GAM server via the ad tag or SDK.
- Inventory Check: GAM checks available ad inventory, evaluates user data (if available), and filters line items based on targeting criteria.
- Line Item Match: GAM identifies all line items mapped to the ad unit and filters those that meet the request’s criteria.
- Priority Sorting: GAM sorts the eligible line items according to the defined priority levels (e.g., Sponsorship, Standard, Network, etc.).
- Ad Selection: The winning ad is shown. If the highest-priority line item has met its delivery goals, GAM considers lower-priority line items or programmatic demand sources like AdX and Open Bidding
In cases where multiple line items share the same priority (e.g., Network, Bulk, and Price Priority), GAM considers factors like bid price and timeout to determine the winner.
Types of Line Items and Their Priorities
GAM categorizes line items into guaranteed and non-guaranteed types, each serving different business needs:
1. Guaranteed Line Items
These line items make sure that specific campaigns meet agreed impressions or click goals within a set timeframe.
| Line Item | Sponsorship | Standard |
|---|---|---|
| Priority | 4 | 6, 8, 10 |
| Function |
Used for direct deals where advertisers or direct demand partners want exclusive visibility (e.g., 100% share of voice, where no other ads compete for that slot).
Ideal for premium placements during events or product launches. Can be billed via CPM, CPC, or CPD. |
Suitable for campaigns with defined impression goals over a period.
In GAM, a higher numerical value corresponds to a lower delivery priority. Allows for impression pacing using the adjust delivery option. |
2. Non-Guaranteed Line Items
Used when there’s no contractual obligation to deliver a set number of impressions. These typically serve non-reserved inventory.
| Line Item | Price Priority | House |
|---|---|---|
| Priority | 12 | 16 |
| Function |
Targets the highest-paying buyers, commonly used with header bidding partners.
No set impression goal but allows setting daily or lifetime caps. |
The lowest priority, used when no paid ads are available.
Often serves promotional or internal ads to avoid empty slots. |
| Line Item | Network | Bulk |
|---|---|---|
| Priority | 12 | 12 |
| Function |
Allocates a set percentage of available impressions to third-party ad networks without guaranteed delivery commitments.
Useful for monetizing unsold inventory after guaranteed deals are fulfilled. |
Used for campaigns focused on achieving a bulk number of impressions over time, without strict pacing.
Ideal for filling inventory gaps with lower-priority deals. |
Why Do Line Item Priorities Matter?
GAM assigns each line item a numerical priority. Lower numbers mean higher priority. For example, a Sponsorship (priority 4) line item will serve before a Bulk (priority 12) line item if they both target the same impression.
Priorities ensure that premium or guaranteed ads are served first, while lower-priority line items fill remaining inventory. Priorities ensure that premium or guaranteed ads are served first, while lower-priority line items fill remaining inventory. For example,through dynamic allocation, if a Price Priority line item bids higher than a Standard line item, GAM may prioritize it temporarily to maximize revenue—while still ensuring that the Standard line item meets its delivery goals GAM constantly tracks performance to make sure guaranteed line items (like Standard) meet their goals, even if that means overriding lower-priority line items.
Choosing the Right Line Item Type
Selecting the correct line item depends on your campaign goals:
| Direct Guaranteed Deals | Use Sponsorship or Standard line items for premium placements and fixed delivery commitments. |
| Remnant Inventory Sales | Opt for Network, Bulk, or Price Priority to maximize revenue from unsold impressions. |
| Internal Promotions | Deploy House line items to avoid serving blank ads. |
| AdSense & Ad Exchange Integration | Use AdX and AdSense line items to tap into Google’s demand sources. |
How to Optimize Line Items for Better Ad Results
Understanding line items in Google Ad Manager is essential for optimizing your ad delivery, meeting client goals, and increasing revenue. By knowing the different types of line items, how priorities work, and when to use them, you can navigate digital ads more effectively.
Focus on prioritizing line items based on your campaign commitments, but don’t forget about price-based competition to increase your revenue. With the right strategy, you’ll strike the perfect balance between satisfying advertisers and boosting your revenue.
