Create a programmatic guaranteed deal (open beta)

Media Owners
Last Updated: July 16, 2026•

A programmatic guaranteed dealClosed A private auction that allows media owners to offer specific inventory directly to selected buyers identified by a deal ID. Terms are negotiated and are agreed upon before the auction occurs. is an agreement between a Media Owner and a buyer with predefined terms and pricing for reserved inventory. The buyer commits to a guaranteed budget, and the media owner commits to delivering a specific number of impressions.

To participate in the guaranteed deals open beta program, you must meet the following prerequisites:

To create a programmatic guaranteed deal:

  1. Enter your email address and password to log in to the Index UI at app.indexexchange.com.

  2. If you have more than one account, select the account that you want to access.

  3. Go to Private Market > Deals.
  4. Click the CREATE DEAL drop-down list and select Programmatic guaranteed.
  5. Under Pacing platform, choose the platform that controls how impressions are delivered over the deal's flight:

    If you select Index Exchange as your pacing platform, Index controls when the deal activates based on your targeting criteria and distributes impressions evenly over the deal's flight, but your ad server still makes the final decision to serve the ad. If you select your ad server instead, you'll need to manage pacing there.

  6. In the Name field, enter a name for the programmatic guaranteed deal.

  7. In the Deal ID field, specify a unique deal identifier using one of the following options:
    • Enter your own deal ID. The deal ID can only contain letters, numbers, and dashes. It cannot start with a zero or contain spaces.
    • Click GENERATE if you want our system to generate a deal ID automatically.
  8. In the DSPClosed Demand-Side Platform (DSP). A software platform that automates bidding decisions in real-time and efficiently connects buyers and audiences through an ad exchange or SSP. Also known as a buy-side platform. drop-down list, select the DSP for this deal.
  9. In the Buyer seat IDs (optional) field, optionally enter a Buyer Seat ID, also known as a Trading DeskClosed A buyer in the RTB exchange. Trading desks integrate with DSPs to participate in the auctions that occur each time an impression is served. A single trading desk may be connected to one or more DSPs. The pairing of a single trading desk with a single DSP represents an advertiser user in our system. ID, if a buyer has provided you with one. It must correspond with the DSP selected in the DSP field.
  10. In the Start date and End date fields, specify the duration of the deal in UTC.
  11. To include labels for reporting on this deal, expand Reporting Labels (optional) and enter values for the following labels:  
    • Agency: Associate the deal with an agency.
    • Advertiser: Associate the deal with an advertiser.
    • Salesperson: Associate the deal with a salesperson.
    • External reference ID: Associate the deal with an external record system.
    • Custom: Associate the deal with any other values that you want to report on .

    Note:

    • To keep reporting consistent, plan your label taxonomy before you start adding values. For example, "Advertiser Corp.", "Advertiser Corporation", and "advertiser corporation" are all considered different values in reporting.
    • Comma-separated values are allowed and are considered a single value in reporting.
  12. In the Pricing & Goal section, in the Price field, enter the minimum gross CPMClosed Cost Per Thousand (CPM). A pricing structure for buying impressions and is the cost of serving an advertisement 1,000 times. Also known as Cost Per Mille (where M represents 1,000 in Roman numerals) or Cents Per Mille. price in USD that DSPs must bid for impressions. The winning bidder only owes the negotiated fixed priceClosed For specific deals, a fixed price can be negotiated between a publisher and a buyer. If the advertisers bid at this fixed price or above, their bid responses are eligible to compete in the auction, and, if they win the auction, they only pay the fixed price regardless of what their bid amount was. defined in this field. If the winning bid is higher than the fixed price, the bid is reduced to match the fixed price.

    Note: For guaranteed deals, the Auction typeClosed The RTB auction type and can be either a first price auction (an auction where the highest bid wins, and the winner pays the highest bid amount in full) or a fixed price auction (an auction that has priority over all other auction bid types and the bid must meet or exceed the pre-determined fixed price). field is automatically set to Fixed and cannot be changed.

  13. In the Total impressions goal field, enter the number of impressions that the buyer has committed to purchase. The Total spend goal is automatically calculated from the price and impressions goal.

    Note: If your ad server is the pacing platform, impression and spend goals are only for reporting and deal synchronization. Pacing and delivery are managed by your ad server.

  14. If you chose Index Exchange as the pacing platform, you must add site IDs in the Targeting section. Optionally, you can add other targeting dimensions.
    1. Under Required in the Targeting section, expand Site IDs and select at least one site ID. You can target site IDs individually, as part of an inventory group, or both.
      OptionSteps

      Target an existing inventory group

      In the Inventory groups list, select the inventory groups with the site IDs that you want to target. To see which site IDs are included in a group, click the icon next to the site ID count for that group.

      Target a new inventory group

      1. Click + CREATE INVENTORY GROUP.
      2. In the Name field, enter a name that describes the grouping of site IDs you are adding to the inventory group.
      3. In the Site IDs, list select the site IDs that you want to add to the group.
      4. Click CREATE.

      Target site IDs

      In the Site IDs list, select the site IDs that you want to target.

      Apply presets

      A preset is a predefined list of site IDs that can be quickly applied to a deal like a template. The Apply presets drop-down shows only when a preset already exists. For more information on creating a preset, see Create a targeting preset.

      1. From the Apply presets drop-down list, select a preset. To see which site IDs are included in the preset, click the icon next to the preset in the list.

      2. To add site IDs on top of the preset, in the Site IDs list, select the site IDs to include.

      Note: While presets and inventory groups both group site IDs, they are not the same. For more information on the differences between the two, see Managing targeting values.

    2. To target device types, inventory channels, formats, interstitialClosed A ad that covers the entire screen of the device/host app. ads, and rewardedClosed An opt-in video ad experience, typically in mobile apps, in exchange for which the user receives some type of in-app or in-game currency. ads, under Optional in the Targeting section, expand General and configure the following options:
      Targeting optionDescription

      Device types

      Select the device types that you want to target:

      Inventory channels

      Select the inventory environments that you want to target:

      • In-app: An ad that displays in an app.

      • Web: An ad that displays in a browser environment.

      Formats and sizes

      Select the formats and sizes that you want to target:

      Interstitial

      Select the interstitial settings that you want to target:

      • Interstitial: A full-screen ad that covers the entire interface of the host app.

      • Not interstitial: An ad that doesn't cover the entire interface of the host app or site, such as a banner or popup ad.

      Rewarded

      Select the rewarded settings that you want to target:

      • Rewarded: A type of ad that the user receives a reward for viewing, such as if the user must watch a video ad before reading a news article.

      • Not rewarded: A type of ad that isn't associated with a subsequent reward.

    3. To target operating system and browsers, under Optional in the Targeting section, expand Environment and configure the following options:

      Targeting optionDescription

      Operating systems

      Select the operating systems that you want to target.

      Browsers

      Select the browsers that you want to target.

    4. To target specific geographies, under Optional in the Targeting section, expand Geography and configure the following options:
      Targeting optionDescription

      Countries

      Select the countries that you want to target. While this setting is optional, it is recommended that you target the countries with the IP traffic that the buyer intends to buy from.

      Zip and postal codes (Beta)

      Select up to 5,000 zip and postal codes to include and exclude. If you're using zip and postal code targeting, it's recommended that you also target the countries that correspond to those codes to make sure that you're selecting the correct regions. For more information about restrictions with zip and postal code targeting, see Targeting geography in deals.

      To include zip and postal codes:

      1. In the Include section, click ADD TARGETING.

      2. Enter the zip and postal codes to target as a comma-separated list. You can provide either the full code or the prefix (at least the first two characters). Any lowercase letters are converted to uppercase and spaces are removed.

        If a zip or postal code you’re adding is already in the exclusion list, it will be moved to the inclusion list.

      3. Click APPLY.

      Note: If your campaignClosed A collection of multiple ads in different formats. targets the UK, make sure you enter the first four characters of the postal code. Because postal codes in the UK have variable-length prefixes, entering only two or three characters can match unintended postal codes; for example, SE1 will match SE1, SE10, SE11, and SE19.

      To exclude zip and postal codes:

      1. In the Exclude section, click ADD TARGETING.

      2. Enter the zip or postal codes to exclude as a comma-separated list. You can provide either the full code or the prefix (at least the first two characters). Any lowercase letters are converted to uppercase and spaces are removed.

        If a zip or postal code you’re adding is already in the inclusion list, it will be moved to the exclusion list.

      3. Click APPLY.

      Note: When values are added to both the Include and Exclude lists, the Include list takes priority. Targeting is restricted to the included values, and excluded values are ignored.

    5. To target URLs, under Optional in the Targeting section, expand URLs and configure the following option:
      Targeting optionDescription

      URLs

      Enter the partial URLs that you want to target. For example, "xyz.com/all/" is a partial site match that means both "ww2.xyz.com/all/stories.html" and "ww3.xyz.com/all/editorial.html" would be eligible to serve impressions, but "ww2.xyz.com/sports" would not be included. Wildcards are supported.

    6. To target app bundles, under Optional in the Targeting section, expand App Bundles and configure the following option:
      Targeting optionDescription

      App bundles

      Select the app bundles that you want to target. Only app bundles that have been pre-registered will be listed. If you want to add an app bundle, contact your Index Representative.

    7. To target specific performance metrics, under Optional in the Targeting section, expand Performance Metrics and configure the following options:

      OptionDescription

      ViewabilityClosed A measure of how often an impression is actually seen by a user. For example, an ad that is served at the bottom of a page that requires a user to scroll to see it will likely have a lower viewability score than an ad that loads at the top of a page.

      Select the minimum viewability probability percentage that you want to target. For more information, see What is viewability?

      Video completion rateClosed The percentage of video advertisements that play to completion. Also known as view through rate and video completion rate. (VCR) (Beta)

      Select the minimum VCR percentage that you want to target. For more information about what VCR is and how we predict it, see Targeting video completion rate (VCR) in a deal (Beta).

      Click-through rate (CTR)Closed CTR measures the percentage of times an ad was clicked. (Beta)

      Select the minimum CTR percentage that you want to target. For more information about what CTR is and how we predict it, see Targeting click-through rate (CTR) in deals (Beta).

    8. To target specific video placements, skippability, playback methods, or ad duration, under Optional in the Targeting section, expand Video and configure the following options:

      Targeting optionDescription

      Video placements

      Select the placement types that you want to target for video ads:

      Skippable

      Select the skippability type that you want to target for video ads:

      • Non-Skippable: A video ad that must be watched in its entirety and cannot be skipped by the viewer.

      • Skippable: A video ad that can be skipped by the viewer after a certain amount of time.

      • Undefined: A video ad that has not been defined as either skippable of non-skippable. If you include this option, the video ad can be either of these types, but it would not be included in targeting if you only choose non-skippable or skippable.

      Playback methods

      Select the playback methods that you want to target for video ads:

      • Initiates on page load with sound on: The video starts playing with the sound on as soon as the page loads.

      • Initiates on page load with sound off by default: The video starts playing with the sound off as soon as the page loads.

      • Initiates on click with sound on: The video starts playing with the sound on after the user clicks the play button.

      • Initiates on mouse-over with sound on: The video starts playing with the sound on after the user mouses over it.

      • Initiates on entering viewport with sound on: The video starts playing with the sound on once it becomes visible to the user on the page.

      • Initiates on entering viewport with sound off by default: The video starts playing with the sound off once it becomes visible to the user on the page.

      • Undefined: A playback method has not been specified for the video.

      Aspect ratios

      Select the aspect ratios that you want to target. Fuzzy matching is used in aspect ratio targeting to minimize rounding errors. Video sizes that are close to the selected aspect ratio will still be included.

      Player width

      Select the minimum video player width that you want to target.

      Player height

      Select the minimum video player height that you want to target.

    9. To target content ratings, livestream, genres, or specific languages, under Optional in the Targeting section, expand Content and configure the following options:
      Targeting optionDescription

      Genres

      You can either include or exclude genres for STV content targeting. In the Include list, select the genres to target in the deal, or in the Exclude list, select the genres to exclude from targeting.

      Note: When values are added to both the Include and Exclude lists, the Include list takes priority. Targeting is restricted to the included genres, and excluded genres are ignored.

      Content ratings

      You can either include or exclude content ratings for STV content targeting.

      1. From the drop-down menu, select either Include or Exclude.

      2. Select the ratings to include or exclude.

      Networks (Beta)

      Select the networks with the channels that you want to target. Before you can see or target content networks, they must be set up by Index. For more information, see Targeting content channel, content network, and content series in deals using inventory groups (Beta).

      Channels (Beta)

      Select the channels that you want to target. Before you can see or target channels, they must be set up by Index. For more information, see Targeting content channel, content network, and content series in deals using inventory groups (Beta).

      Series (Beta)

      You can either include or exclude series for STV content targeting.

      1. From the drop-down menu, select either Include or Exclude.

      2. Select the series to include or exclude.

      Before you can see or target series, they must be set up by Index. For more information, see Targeting content channel, content network, and content series in deals using inventory groups (Beta).

      Livestream

      Select the streaming options that you want to target:

      • Live content: Content that is real-time and streaming live.

      • Not live: Content that was pre-recorded and not streaming live.

      Languages

      Select the languages of the videos that you want to target.

    10. To target inbound deal IDs, under Optional in the Targeting section, expand Inbound Deal IDs (Beta) and configure the following option:
      Targeting optionDescription

      Inbound deal IDs

      Select the inbound deal IDs that you want to target. An inbound deal ID refers to a deal that was not created in the Index UIClosed The Index UI at app.indexexchange.com that allows you to manage integration settings, such as inventory, campaign, and deal settings. but may be present in inbound ad requests to Index. To add new inbound deal IDs to this list that you can target, contact your Index Representative.

      Note: This feature is currently in Beta. If you would like to participate in the Beta program, contact your Index Representative.

    11. To target segments, under Optional in the Targeting section, expand Segments and configure the following options:

      OptionDescription

      Include segments

      When including segments, you can add up to four segment rule sets. For more information about how to set up segment targeting, see How segment targeting works.

      1. In the Include section, click ADD TARGETING.

      2. To show or hide columns, click COLUMNS and select or deselect the columns.

      3. Select the segments to include. You can use the search bar to find segments by name or ID.

      4. Click the Segment description icon to view a segment's description.

      5. Click APPLY.

      6. To include another set of segments, click + AND and repeat steps 3-5.

      Exclude segments

      When excluding segments, you can add one segment rule set. For more information about how to set up segment targeting, see How segment targeting works.

      1. In the Exclude section, click ADD TARGETING.

      2. To show or hide columns, click COLUMNS and select or deselect the columns.

      3. Select the segments to exclude. You can use the search bar to find segments by name or ID.

      4. Click the Segment description icon to view a segment's description.

      5. Click APPLY.

    12. To target custom key values, under Optional in the Targeting section, expand Custom Key Values (Beta) and configure the following option:
      OptionDescription

      Custom key values

      You must register the custom key values with Index before you can see the option to target custom key values in the Index UI. Until they are registered, this option won't be visible. For more information about custom key values, see Targeting custom key values in deals using inventory groups (Beta).

      1. Click Add Key.

      2. In the Key drop-down list, select a key.

      3. In the Rule drop-down list, select the targeting logic you want to use:

        • is any of: Includes the specified key in targeting

        • is none of: Excludes the specified key from targeting

      4. In the Values list, select one or more values that correspond to the specified key.
      5. To add multiple keys, click + AND and repeat steps 2, 3, and 4.

      Note: This feature is currently in Beta. If you would like to participate in the Beta program, contact your Index Representative.

  15. Click CREATE.

After you finish: Share the deal ID with your buyer so they can respond to your bid requests.