Google Ad Manager

History

The Google Ad Manager platform started out as two distinct products of the, then independent, DoubleClick company: The DART for Publishers ad server and the DoubleClick Ad Exchange. Google acquired DoubleClick in 2007 securing both products as part of the sale.

In 2010 DART was rebranded as DoubleClick for Publishers. A small business tier was introduced at the same time and the products became popularly known as DFP and DFP Small Business.

In mid 2018 the product name changed again. This time the DoubleClick brand was dropped completely and DoubleClick for Publishers became Google Ad Manager. As well as a rebrand, this change marked a point in the gradual merging of the two former DoubleClick products, with Ad Exchange now becoming a feature of Ad Manager rather than a stand-alone product. The rebrand to Google Ad Manager also saw the end of the Small Business label. The product still offers two tiers of service, but the lower tier is now Google Ad Manager, which the upper tier has been renamed Google Ad Manager 360. This product can sometimes be confused with the plural 'Google Ads Manager' more accurately known as 'Google Ads Editor' - software used to manage Google Ads campaigns outside of the web interface.

Functionality

Google Ad Manager is an online ad exchange platform for companies or individuals. This online server allows a company or person to manage their inventory of ads, the audiences those ads serve, and allows them to check the performance of the ads they are running, and allows them to manage the buying and selling of their ads by other networks. Google Ad Manager is an ad exchange service. This means the content or ads a company or person has on Google Ad Manager can be bought or sold within the platform by other ad agencies or advertising management platforms. One of the primary functions of Google Ad Manager is that it composes reporting for a wide range of analysis. Some of these features include campaign reports, creative reports, network performance reports, network geography reports, monthly ad unit reports, device and browser reports, billing reports, and downloaded impressions. Google Ad Manager operates on a first-price auction process. This means the account with the highest bid for an ad will win the bid for the ad in auction. Google Ad Manager allows users to set up granular targeting for their ads, which helps users better directly target who they are trying to reach. Granular targeting features within Google Ad Manager include setting targets for user devices, browsers, device manufacturers, languages, operating systems and geographical location.

Antitrust case

In 2023, the Justice Department, along with the attorneys general of several states, filed a civil antitrust suit against Google for monopolizing multiple digital advertising technology products in violation of Sections 1 and 2 of the Sherman Act. On April 17, 2025, United States et al. v. Google, the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia ruled that Google violated antitrust law. The court ruled that Google "willfully engaged in a series of anticompetitive acts to acquire and maintain monopoly power in the publisher ad server and ad exchange markets"https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.vaed.533508/gov.uscourts.vaed.533508.1410.0_5.pdf Google announced that it would appeal the decision.

References

References

1. (2018-06-27). "Introducing simpler brands and solutions for advertisers and publishers". Google.
2. Schonfeld, Erick. (22 February 2010). "DART Is Now DoubleClick For Publishers, Google Ad Manager Gets Rebranded DFP Small Business". TechCrunch.
3. Marvin, Ginny. (27 June 2018). "Google is retiring the AdWords & DoubleClick brands in a major rebranding aimed at simplification".
4. Slefo, George P.. (6 March 2019). "Google's ad manager will move to first-price auction".
5. Jankowska, Bea. (2020-11-10). "Google Ad Manager VS Google Ad Manager 360 - Everything You Need to Know".
6. (2019-05-21). "Google's (Forgotten) Monopoly – Ad Technology Services on the Open Web".
7. (2020-08-31). "Google Ad Manager: Everything You Need To Know".
8. (2007-04-14). "Google Buys DoubleClick for $3.1 Billion". The New York Times.
9. (23 February 2010). "Google DoubleClick for Publishers replaces DART".
10. (2018-06-27). "Introducing Google Ad Manager".
11. (2020-10-06). "Google Ad Manager - A Guide For Publishers".
12. "Google Ad Manager: What It Is and How It Works".
13. (2023-01-24). "Office of Public Affairs {{!}} Justice Department Sues Google for Monopolizing Digital Advertising Technologies {{!}} United States Department of Justice".
14. (2025-04-17). "Office of Public Affairs {{!}} Department of Justice Prevails in Landmark Antitrust Case Against Google {{!}} United States Department of Justice".
15. Southern, Matt G.. (2025-04-17). "Google Found Guilty of Illegal Ad Tech Monopoly in Court Ruling".