Ad auctions in five weeks

A crash course for newcomers to online advertising. Each week takes about two hours: three short lessons, a lab you run in the simulator, and a few questions to check yourself. No prior knowledge needed.

1. Week 1: How an ad auction works Know what happens each time an ad could be shown, and read the numbers a campaign produces.
2. Week 2: Audiences and time of day Bid more where and when people are worth more, and less elsewhere.
3. Week 3: Competition See that your results depend on what the other bidders do.
4. Week 4: Budgets and pacing Make a daily budget last until the hours that matter.
5. Week 5: Experiments you can trust Tell a real difference from luck, test a strategy under stress, and know what a simulation can and cannot tell you.

The labs need an account. Stuck on a term? See Help or ad auction terms, explained.