Get your account in order

Check how the platform lets you in, whether that's a self-serve sign-up, an application, a signed contract or an agency. You'll find it under How to buy on every exchange page, with the minimum spend wherever the platform publishes one.

Know what you'll pay

Ask for the platform fee, any data or verification fees and the payment terms before you commit, and decide how you will bid: manually, or with an automated strategy such as target CPA or target ROAS. Where a platform states its fees, you'll find them on its page.

Protect your brand

Set your block lists, allow lists and brand-safety settings before any real spend, and check whether the platform works with DoubleVerify or IAS.

Bring your data and tracking

Put your pixel or conversion API in place and test a click all the way to a conversion. Planning to use your own audiences? Check which identity solutions the platform supports.

Start small, then scale

Run a small test on the audiences, markets and formats you care about, with your creative in the platform's specs. Keep what works and add budget from there.