goTom enables direct activation of Private Deals

What is a Private Auction?

A Private Auction is a real-time auction (RTB) in which publishers specifically decide which advertisers gain access to their premium inventory. Unlike the open auction, where any market participant can bid, access here is controlled via a Deal ID.

The process is both simple and highly controlled: The publisher offers premium inventory via an SSP (Supply Side Platform). Only pre-invited advertisers or agencies receive access through the Deal ID and can bid in real time for impressions. The highest bidder wins – provided the set floor price is met. This keeps the auction competitive, yet exclusive and curated.

A comparison of the auction types

Why are PMPs gaining popularity?

Private Auctions combine automation with high levels of control – a huge advantage in times of stricter privacy regulations, rising quality demands, and growing efficiency requirements.

For publishers, this means:

• Deal-based transactions require direct client contact, opening up valuable consultative opportunities – a decisive advantage in monetization.

• They retain control over which brands appear on their inventory – ensuring greater brand safety and stronger advertiser trust.

• Premium ad placements can be sold more strategically – often at higher prices.

Advertisers benefit from:

• Access to curated, high-quality inventory with stronger visibility and engagement rates.

• Higher compliance with privacy regulations, since PMPs allow access to first-party data within a controlled framework – particularly important in the context of GDPR and the phase-out of third-party cookies.

• More precise targeting: Deal IDs enable segmented and tailored audience targeting.

• Above-average performance: Higher viewability, better CTRs, and ideally stronger ROAS compared to open auctions.

• More security against ad fraud, since transactions only occur with verified, defined partners.

Why is this especially relevant now?

With the major Google Ad Manager API update in Q1 2025, the technological foundation for Private Auctions has advanced significantly – and the timing is no coincidence. For the first time, the new API enables publishers to programmatically create, manage, and update Private Auction Deals. This not only brings operational advantages but also lowers the barrier to scalable adoption.

Bulk deal editing, easy copy functions, and granular targeting at deal level greatly simplify the daily work of Ad Operations teams. In addition, new status indicators, forecasting tools, and error analysis improve the transparency and manageability of programmatic deals.

All of this elevates Private Auctions from a complex niche use case to a fully integrated, future-ready component of modern media strategies.

What goTom makes possible now: Centralized Private Auction management

goTom recognized this development early on – and as the first ad sales management platform, has fully integrated the new Private Auction API. From now on, Private Auction Deals can be created, managed, and synchronized with the SSP directly from the goTom interface – efficiently, flexibly, and at scale.

What this means for our users:

• Private Auctions can be centrally configured in goTom – including Deal IDs, audience targeting, and pricing.
• New Google features such as combined Web+App auctions, deal copies, or error diagnostics are seamlessly supported.
• Implementation times are drastically reduced, processes become much leaner – relieving internal resources.
• goTom thus becomes the central command hub for large-scale Private Marketplaces.

Conclusion: Quality meets efficiency – with goTom as the technological driver

Private Auctions offer the perfect balance between control, quality, and automation – making them not only an alternative to open auctions, but an indispensable tool for modern publishers. Google’s technical innovations make PMPs more attractive and practical than ever before – and with goTom, the right infrastructure is now in place to use this channel professionally, efficiently, and at scale.

In an environment increasingly focused on data sovereignty, transparency, and performance, Private Auctions – combined with a solution like ours – form the foundation for a sustainable and successful sales strategy.