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SEOSEOPaid AcquisitionPaid acquisitionProgrammaticWebsite MonetizationProgrammaticApp UAApp MonetizationWebsite monetizationKeyword ResearchSearch IntentApp acquisitionROASCPAApp monetizationCPCLTVAffiliateeCPMRPMRetail MediaAttributionConversion TrackingCreative IntelMMPHeader BiddingDSPSSPRTBAd ViewabilityFill RateASOSKAdNetworkARPDAURewarded VideoAd MediationAffiliateCreative TestingA/B TestingRetargetingLookalike AudiencesCampaign OptimizationBrand SafetySupply Path

Programmatic

Index Exchange

Free

Index Exchange is a global supply-side platform and programmatic marketplace for media owners and buyers. It supports auction-based monetization, header bidding integrations, private and programmatic guaranteed deals, curation, streaming television transactions, identity connections, quality controls, and reporting across screens and formats. It fits established publishers that need transparent demand competition and technical integration support, along with agencies and advertisers seeking efficient access to premium inventory through direct deals or the open marketplace.

Monetizationsell-side platformad exchangeheader biddingstreaming television

What it does

Index Exchange is a Canadian-founded supply-side platform that helped pioneer header bidding, the technique that lets publishers offer inventory to many demand sources simultaneously instead of in a waterfall. Media owners connect display, video, and connected TV supply through Index's wrappers and server-side integrations, then transact via open auctions, private marketplaces, and programmatic guaranteed deals. The company positions itself around transparency and engineering rigor, publishing clear auction mechanics and investing heavily in technical integration support for large publishers. Its streaming and CTV products extend the marketplace into premium video, while curation tools let buyers assemble audience-aligned inventory packages. Index appeals to established publishers that want a stable, well-documented demand pipe and to agencies seeking efficient, accountable access to high-quality open-web and television inventory.

Where it fits

It functions as a sell-side marketplace connecting publisher and broadcaster inventory to demand-side platforms through transparent, header-bidding-based auctions.

Core features

  • Header bidding wrappers and server-side demand integrations
  • Open auction, private marketplace, and programmatic guaranteed deals
  • Streaming and connected TV transaction support
  • Curation tools for buyer-assembled inventory packages
  • Transparent auction mechanics and first-price documentation
  • Hands-on technical integration support for large publishers

Best for

  • Established publishers needing a stable, documented demand pipe
  • Agencies prioritizing auction transparency and accountability
  • Buyers transacting premium video and CTV inventory

Beginner notes

  1. Index is closely associated with header bidding's rise, so it's a useful reference point when learning how that auction model works.
  2. Transparency is its main selling point; review its published auction rules rather than assuming all SSPs behave identically.
  3. CTV deals here are negotiated, not self-serve—expect to work through a DSP seat and deal IDs rather than a dashboard.
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Comparisons & guides featuring this tool

Concepts behind this tool

SSP

An SSP helps publishers sell and optimize advertising inventory.

Private Marketplace (PMP)

A private marketplace is an invitation-only programmatic auction where select buyers bid on a publisher's premium inventory through a negotiated deal ID.

Ad Curation

Ad curation is the practice of pre-packaging quality inventory and audiences into ready-to-buy deals, usually assembled on the sell side, so buyers can transact value rather than sift through the raw open exchange.

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