As programmatic advertising evolves, so does the language we use to describe it. But sometimes that language creates more confusion than clarity. Few terms illustrate this better than curation.
OpenX has been a leader in sell-side curation for years. In fact, we pioneered the use of supply-side data and identity to shape smarter, more targeted programmatic deals. But as “curation” became a catch-all buzzword, the nuance between basic inventory packaging and true data-driven targeting started to disappear.
Today, not all curation is created equal — and that distinction matters.
To bring clarity back to the conversation, OpenX is using more precise language to describe what actually drives performance: supply-side targeting.
Not All Curation Is the Same
Curation is now everywhere in programmatic. At its simplest, it refers to organizing inventory into packages based on site quality, format, or contextual relevance. This approach plays an important role in improving brand safety, consistency, and control.
But much of what is labeled “curation” today stops there.
Basic curation often amounts to inventory packaging:
- Site lists
- Contextual categories
- Format or device filters
While useful, these approaches do not apply audience intelligence. They don’t shape inventory based on who is most likely to engage or convert. And they don’t materially change how data flows through the supply path.
That’s where supply-side targeting comes in.
What Supply-Side Targeting Really Means
Supply-side targeting (SST) is the practice of enriching curated inventory with audience data at the source, before the bid.
That data may originate from:
- Advertisers and agencies
- First- and second-party partners
- Trusted third-party data providers
- AI-driven performance models
To function at scale, SST requires a deeply interoperable identity graph that can connect signals across platforms, partners, and channels.
At OpenX, supply-side targeting is powered by the largest independent sell-side identity graph, integrated with:
- 80+ direct data and identity partners
- 250+ additional providers via LiveRamp
Because targeting happens directly on the supply side, SST:
- Removes unnecessary steps in the buying process
- Improves match rates
- Expands reach
- Delivers stronger performance with less waste
In short, supply-side targeting is an evolution of curation — and an extension of it. It cannot exist without curation, but it goes further by applying data and intelligence directly within the supply path.
Curation vs. Supply-Side Targeting
Understanding the difference between curation and supply-side targeting is critical for buyers and publishers alike.
Curation
Curation is the practice of organizing digital ad inventory into ready-to-buy or custom packages to meet brand needs around quality, safety, and consistency. At OpenX, curation includes:
- AI-powered filtering that automatically blocks low-quality or risky inventory
- Always-on exclusion of Made-for-Advertising (MFA) sites
- Packages built using site lists, contextual targeting, and format controls
- Delivery through unique deal IDs that activate seamlessly in any DSP
Curation can exist without supply-side targeting.
Supply-Side Targeting
Supply-side targeting applies audience and performance data to curated deals, making advertising more effective by reaching the right users more efficiently. At OpenX, SST:
- Is powered by our proprietary identity graph
- Supports first-, second-, and third-party data
- Enables people-based targeting across devices
- Reduces unnecessary bid responses and data leakage
- Improves performance and reach simultaneously
Supply-side targeting cannot exist without curation — it builds on curated supply and enhances it with data-driven precision.
Examples of Curation
Curation packages may include:
- Site lists and allowlists (domains, app bundle IDs, CTV apps, page URLs)
- Contextual and category-based deals (IAB categories, live sports, responsible media)
- Format targeting (CTV, video, mobile, web, native, DOOH)
- Device, OS, browser, and language filters
- Video attributes (placement, duration, skippability, rewarded formats)
- Inventory controls (MFA exclusion, indirect supply controls)
- Pre-built and custom deal libraries
- Certified or direct-only supply such as TV by OpenX
These packages help advertisers maintain consistency and quality at scale.
Examples of Supply-Side Targeting
Supply-side targeting layers data and intelligence onto curated supply, including:
- Audience targeting using:
- First-party data
- Second-party data
- Third-party data
- Authenticated IDs
- First-party data
- Data matching and behavioral insights
- Advanced contextual targeting (sentiment, performance signals)
- AI-driven models such as Results by OpenX:
- Engagement models
- Conversion models
- Lookalike models
- Engagement models
- KPI-focused targeting:
- Attention quality
- Viewability
- Video completion and view-through rates
- Attention quality
- Content object targeting (genre, rating, livestreams, series, language, network)
- Sustainability-focused and impact-driven deals
This is where precision replaces packaging.
The Value of Supply-Side Targeting for Buyers
For advertisers and agencies, supply-side targeting delivers measurable improvements across the metrics that matter most:
- Improved targeting and match rates through direct identity matching
- Greater reach without sacrificing quality
- Reduced data leakage and unnecessary fees
- Higher working media efficiency by eliminating wasteful impressions
- Real-time activation and optimization
- Lower data costs, with access to over 5,000 off-the-shelf segments included
At OpenX:
- 60% of all deals leverage advanced targeting
- Buyers achieve 2x incremental reach
- Advertisers see up to 30% reductions in data fees
Supply-side targeting allows buyers to move beyond broad assumptions and instead reach high-value audiences with precision, consistency, and control.
The Value of Supply-Side Targeting for Publishers
Supply-side targeting benefits publishers just as meaningfully. By aligning premium inventory with high-intent demand:
- Yield improves without compromising quality
- Arbitrage-driven and low-value supply is filtered out
- Competition increases for high-performing inventory
With OpenX, partners have seen:
- 260% increase in win rates for curated CTV deals
- 130% increase in display win rates
- 40% boost in bid density for CTV and 10% for display
SST helps publishers monetize their most valuable inventory more effectively while maintaining brand-safe, transparent environments.
Why OpenX Is Different
OpenX didn’t adopt supply-side targeting because it became fashionable — we helped define it. Our approach is grounded in:
- A people-based identity graph spanning 237M+ individuals
- Direct matching using robust match keys, including hashed email, MAIDs, IP address, and more
- Deep interoperability across DSPs, data providers, and channels
- AI-powered models that continuously refine which impressions are sent to market
Unlike platforms that label basic packaging as “curation,” OpenX is explicit about what SST is, how it works, and what outcomes it delivers. We also operate with broader responsibility:
- TAG Platinum certified for anti-fraud, inventory quality, transparency, and anti-malware
- 100% of supply is ads.txt and sellers.json compliant
- Reseller restrictions that limit unnecessary intermediaries
- The first net-zero verified supply-side platform
Precision, Not Packaging
Curation plays an essential role in programmatic advertising. But supply-side targeting takes it further.
It’s not about repackaging inventory. It’s about applying intelligence where it has the most impact — at the source.
By enriching curated supply with identity, data, and AI-driven insights, supply-side targeting delivers precision at scale. It reduces waste, improves performance, and creates value for every participant in the ecosystem.
The bottom line is simple: Supply-side targeting goes beyond curation. It’s precision — not packaging dressed up as targeting.
And at OpenX, it’s how we’ve been building the future of programmatic all along.