Google Ads, AdSense, Ad Manager and AdX: The Names Explained

Google uses a lot of similar names for its advertising products, and they are easy to mix up. Google Ads, AdSense, Ad Manager, Ad Exchange (AdX), AdMob, Authorized Buyers and Display & Video 360 all sound related because they are, but each one serves a different person at a different point in the chain. If you run a site on AdSense and keep hearing that you should "move to AdX", this map shows where each name sits, which ones you will actually log in to, and which ones you only need to recognize.

Buy side vs sell side in one picture

Every ad you see on a website involves two groups of people.

• The buy side: advertisers and agencies who want their ads shown and are willing to pay for it.
• The sell side: publishers (site and app owners) who have space on their pages and want to be paid for it.

Between them sit tools that help each side do its job. Buyers use tools to set budgets, choose audiences and place bids. Sellers use tools to define ad space, set rules and collect payment. An exchange is the marketplace in the middle where bids from buyers meet impressions from sellers.

Picture it as a line from left to right:

Advertiser > buying tool (Google Ads, Display & Video 360) > marketplace (Ad Exchange, Authorized Buyers) > selling tool (AdSense, Ad Manager, AdMob) > your page or app

When people compare "Google Ad Manager vs Google Ads", they are comparing tools from opposite ends of that line. One sells your space, the other buys space on sites like yours. Keep that picture in mind and the rest of the names fall into place.

Google Ads and Display & Video 360 (where the money comes from)

Google Ads is the product businesses use to buy advertising. A local shop, an online store or a large brand creates a campaign, sets a budget and chooses where its ads can appear. Part of that spend can reach display ads on publisher sites like yours.

Google describes the demand that reaches Ad Exchange as coming from large third-party buyers, "including Google Ads and other buyers participating in the real-time bidding exchange." In plain terms, when an advertiser running a Google Ads campaign wins an impression on your site, part of that advertiser's spend becomes your revenue.

Display & Video 360 (often shortened to DV360) is another buy-side tool. Google describes it as a platform that "helps teams execute digital advertising campaigns", covering creatives, audience data, buying inventory and optimization. It is used mostly by agencies and larger advertisers.

As a publisher, you will not log in to either of these. You only need to know they exist, because they are part of the reason your ad space has value.

AdSense: the ad network for publishers

AdSense is where most site owners start. You add a code snippet to your pages, Google fills the space with ads, and you receive a monthly payment once you pass the threshold. Google's own description is that "AdSense acts as an ad network, providing you access to demand from advertisers and helping you set up your ad inventory."

The appeal of AdSense is automation. Google's comparison of the two platforms says AdSense suits publishers who want automated management, while Ad Manager targets publishers with direct sales or a need for more granular control. You get relatively few settings, and Google makes most decisions about which ads to show and at what price.

If you are reading this, you probably already have an AdSense account. That account matters more than you might think: Google requires an AdSense account to sign up for Ad Manager, even though you do not have to keep serving AdSense ads afterwards.

Google Ad Manager: the ad server and platform

Google Ad Manager is a different kind of tool. It is an ad server and management platform, which means it decides which ad source gets each impression on your pages, according to rules you set. Google describes it as a platform that "provides granular controls and supports multiple ad exchanges and networks, including AdSense, Ad Exchange, third-party networks, and third-party exchanges."

That last part is the key difference. AdSense is one source of ads. Ad Manager is the place where you can bring several sources together, including your own directly sold campaigns, and let them compete.

There are two account types: Ad Manager (which becomes a paid contract once you pass an impression threshold) and Ad Manager 360 (a paid account with direct Google support and extra features). The differences are covered in our guide on Ad Manager vs Ad Manager 360. For a deeper side-by-side of the two publisher platforms, see AdSense vs Ad Manager.

Ad Exchange (AdX): the marketplace inside Ad Manager

Google Ad Exchange, almost always shortened to AdX, is a real-time marketplace where buyers bid on individual impressions. For publishers, it lives inside Ad Manager. Ad Exchange features appear in the Ad Manager interface, and who can see or change them is controlled by user role permissions under the "Trafficking and delivery" area.

This is a common source of confusion. Many publishers expect a separate "AdX account" with its own login. In practice, you work in an Ad Manager network that has Ad Exchange enabled. Smaller publishers usually get that through a partner relationship called Multiple Customer Management (MCM), which we explain in how MCM works.

What AdX adds over plain AdSense is control over how your inventory is sold: deal types such as Private Auctions, Preferred Deals and Programmatic Guaranteed alongside the Open Auction, plus the ability to compete AdX demand against other sources in Ad Manager. Our guide What Is Google Ad Exchange (AdX)? walks through each of these.

AdMob for apps

AdMob is the app equivalent of AdSense. Google describes it as "a mobile ad network and monetization platform for mobile developers who want to earn money from ads." If you only publish websites, you can ignore AdMob. If you also publish apps, you may see AdMob mentioned alongside Ad Manager, because some app publishers use both.

Authorized Buyers: the demand all three share

Authorized Buyers is the name Google uses for the buy-side access to its exchange. Google's Authorized Buyers help center describes it as "an ad exchange that is an online, auction-driven marketplace where ad impressions are bought and sold in real time." Buyers connect their own bidding systems, receive bid requests for available impressions and respond within a fraction of a second.

Here is the part that surprises many AdSense publishers: Google states that Ad Manager, AdSense and AdMob "all have access to the same premium Authorized Buyers." So moving from AdSense to Ad Manager with AdX does not unlock a hidden pool of buyers who could never see your site before. What it changes is how those buyers can reach your inventory (for example through private deals or auctions you set up) and how that demand competes with other sources you add.

That is also why we never promise that AdX will earn more than AdSense. Whether the extra control pays off depends on your traffic, content and setup. Our guide Will AdX Earn More Than AdSense? covers how to judge it fairly.

Which names matter for your next step

You do not need to master every product. Here is a short list of what each name means for a publisher planning the move from AdSense:

For most site owners, the practical sequence is: keep your AdSense account in good standing, get an Ad Manager network, and then gain Ad Exchange access either directly with Google or through an MCM partner. Along the way, the vocabulary gets more technical. Ad exchanges, ad networks and SSPs are explained in Ad Exchange vs Ad Network vs SSP, and our AdX and MCM glossary covers the shorthand you will meet in forums.

Next step

Now that the names are clear, the question is whether your account and site are ready for Ad Manager with Ad Exchange. Eligible publishers may receive an MCM invitation through our MCM partner network, subject to Google's policies and review. Start by checking the requirements, and if your account and site meet them, you can request a review: Get AdX access.