Processing time in RTB (Real-Time Bidding) refers to how long the platform takes to process an inbound request, evaluate buyers, receive bid responses, and determine the final routing decision.
This metric is extremely important because high processing times can negatively affect call routing, buyer participation, and overall call performance.
What Happens During Processing
When an inbound RTB request is received, the system performs several actions:
Validates the incoming request
Sends the ping to buyers
Waits for buyer responses
Evaluates bids and routing rules
Selects the winning buyer or target
Routes the call
The total time required for these steps is displayed as the processing time.
Example:
Processing Time: 34.418s
Why Processing Time Matters
High processing times can cause:
Delayed call routing
Increased no-bid responses
Buyer timeouts
Failed transfers
Poor caller experience
Lower conversion rates
In RTB environments, speed is critical. Buyers are expected to respond quickly so calls can be routed efficiently.
Common Causes of High Processing Time
Slow Buyer Responses
Some buyers may take too long to respond due to:
API latency
System overload
Slow internal routing
Bid evaluation delays
If buyers do not respond fast enough, the request processing time increases.
Too Many Buyers in the Routing Plan
Large routing plans may increase processing time because the system must:
Ping multiple buyers
Wait for multiple responses
Compare bids and conditions
More routing complexity usually means longer processing.
Network or Infrastructure Delays
Processing time may also increase because of:
Network latency
Slow webhooks
Server performance issues
External API delays
Invalid or Missing Data
Bad request formatting may slow processing while the system attempts validation.
Common examples include:
Missing ZIP code
Invalid caller ID
Incorrect parameters
Empty required fields
Buyer Timeouts
Some buyers may not respond before the timeout limit is reached.
This can lead to:
Delayed routing
No bids
Increased errors
Where to Monitor Processing Time
Processing time can usually be reviewed in:
RTB reporting dashboards
Buyer statistics
Campaign reports
Call logs
RTB request logs
Many systems display average processing times by:
Campaign
Buyer
Publisher
Routing plan
How High Processing Time Affects Performance
Issue | Impact |
Slow buyer responses | Delayed routing |
Buyer timeouts | Increased no-bids |
Long caller wait times | Caller hangups |
Delayed transfers | Lower conversions |
API latency | Failed routing decisions |
How to Reduce Processing Time
Optimize Buyer Routing
Prioritize the most responsive buyers and remove inactive or slow buyers when possible.
Validate Request Data
Ensure all required fields are:
Properly formatted
Consistently populated
Valid before submission
Monitor Buyer Performance
Identify buyers with consistently high response times and review:
API stability
Timeout settings
Bid response behavior
Improve Infrastructure
Review:
Server performance
Network stability
Webhook response times
API connectivity
Infrastructure optimization can significantly improve processing speed.
Best Practices
Monitor processing times regularly
Remove unresponsive buyers
Keep routing plans optimized
Use clean and complete request data
Investigate timeout-related failures
Review RTB logs frequently
Maintaining low processing times helps improve routing efficiency, buyer participation, and overall call performance.