An impression occurs each time an advertisement is shown to a user on a web page or app. Impressions are a metric used to measure the reach of an ad campaign and calculate CPM pricing models.
While impressions do not guarantee engagement, they are important for brand awareness and measuring potential audience reach. Affiliates track impressions to understand the visibility of their ads and calculate performance metrics like click-through rates.
Impression tracking involves ad serving technologies, viewability measurement, and fraud detection to ensure accurate counting. In programmatic advertising, impressions are bought and sold in real-time auctions based on audience targeting and bid prices.