What Processing Time Means
When an inbound RTB request enters the platform, several actions happen almost instantly:
The request is validated
Buyers receive the ping
Buyers evaluate the traffic
Bids are returned
Routing decisions are made
The winning target is selected
The total amount of time required for this process is known as the processing time.
Processing time is usually displayed in seconds.
Example:
Processing Time: 34.418s
Why Processing Time Matters
High processing times can create several issues:
Delayed call routing
Poor caller experience
Buyer timeouts
Increased no-bid responses
Failed transfers
Lower conversion rates
In RTB environments, buyers are expected to respond quickly. Slow responses can prevent calls from connecting properly.
Common Causes of High Processing Time
Slow Buyer Responses
One of the most common causes is buyers taking too long to respond to RTB requests.
This may happen because:
Their API is slow
Their system is overloaded
Their routing logic is delayed
They are processing too many requests
Too Many Buyers in the Routing Plan
Sending requests to a large number of buyers may increase overall processing time.
More buyers means:
More bid requests
More responses to evaluate
More routing decisions
Complex routing logic can slow down the bidding process.
Network or API Latency
Internet latency or unstable API connections can delay communication between systems.
This may include:
Webhook delays
External API slowdowns
Regional network latency
Infrastructure issues
Invalid or Incomplete Data
Bad request formatting can slow processing while systems attempt to validate or reject requests.
Examples:
Missing ZIP codes
Invalid caller IDs
Incorrect parameter formatting
Empty required fields
Timeout Configurations
Some systems wait for all buyers to respond before completing the routing process.
If buyers timeout slowly, the entire request may experience higher processing times.
How to Identify High Processing Time
High processing times are usually visible in:
RTB reporting dashboards
Campaign statistics
Buyer reports
Call logs
Request logs
You may notice:
Long response durations
Increased no bids
Failed call routing
High error counts
Processing Time in Reporting
Many reporting sections include average processing time metrics by:
Campaign
Publisher
Buyer
Routing plan
Example metrics:
Metric | Description |
Average Processing Time | Average time to process RTB requests |
Buyer Processing Time | Response speed per buyer |
Campaign Processing Time | Overall campaign routing speed |
These metrics help identify bottlenecks in the RTB flow.
How High Processing Time Affects RTB Performance
Increased No Bids
Buyers may timeout before completing the bidding process.
This can result in:
No bid responses
Reduced buyer participation
Lower call volume
Failed Call Routing
If routing decisions take too long, calls may:
Disconnect
Expire
Fail to transfer
Reach voicemail
Poor Caller Experience
Long wait times before transfer may cause callers to:
Hang up
Abandon the call
Experience dead air
How to Reduce Processing Time
Optimize Buyer Routing
Reduce unnecessary buyers in the routing plan and prioritize the most responsive buyers first.
Validate Request Data
Ensure all required fields are:
Properly formatted
Present in every request
Consistent
This helps reduce validation delays.
Monitor Slow Buyers
Identify buyers with consistently high response times and investigate:
API issues
Timeout settings
Bid logic delays
Improve Infrastructure
Review:
API performance
Server latency
Network stability
Webhook speed
Infrastructure improvements can significantly reduce delays.
Best Practices
Monitor processing times regularly
Remove unresponsive buyers
Use clean and complete request data
Review RTB logs frequently
Optimize routing plans for speed
Investigate timeout-related failures
Maintaining low processing times improves routing efficiency, buyer participation, and overall call performance.