Taboola is one of the two dominant native advertising platforms, powering content recommendation widgets on thousands of premium publisher sites worldwide. Whether you're managing content discovery campaigns, driving website traffic, or optimizing for conversions, understanding every available dimension and metric is essential for making the right optimization decisions.
This guide provides a complete reference of every dimension and metric available in Taboola as of 2026. We've organized them by category, explained what each one measures, and included practical context on when and how to use them for campaign reporting and optimization.
What Are Taboola Dimensions vs Metrics?
Before diving into the full reference, it's important to understand the difference between dimensions and metrics in Taboola — two categories that serve fundamentally different purposes in advertising data.
Dimensions are descriptive attributes that identify and categorize your data. They are the labels that let you organize, filter, and segment your reports. Examples include campaign name, publisher site, country, platform, and operating system. Dimensions answer the question: "How do I want to slice this data?"
Metrics are quantitative measurements that tell you how your campaigns performed. They are numbers: impressions, clicks, CTR, CPC, spend, conversions, and CPA. Metrics answer the question: "What happened with my campaigns?"
In Taboola's Backstage API, dimensions correspond to the group_by parameter, while metrics correspond to the fields parameter. The dashboard provides a point-and-click interface for selecting both.
How Is Taboola Data Structured?
Taboola data follows a hierarchy of Account > Campaign > Campaign Item (Ad). Campaigns define the budget, targeting, and bid strategy. Campaign items are the individual ads within a campaign — each with its own headline, thumbnail image, and landing page URL. Metrics can be queried at any level and broken down by publisher site, platform, geography, and other dimensions.
The Backstage API returns data through reporting endpoints that support flexible combinations of date ranges, dimensions, metrics, and filters. Most data is available with daily granularity and a 2-4 hour reporting delay. Campaign-level data rolls up all items within the campaign, while item-level data shows performance for each individual ad creative.
Campaign Dimensions
Campaign-level dimensions define the top-level structure of your Taboola advertising. These fields identify the campaign and its configuration — objective, budget, targeting strategy, and status. Use these dimensions to organize reporting by campaign and understand the strategic setup behind your results.
| Dimension | API Field | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Campaign ID | campaign | Unique identifier for the campaign |
| Campaign Name | campaign_name | Name of the campaign as set by the advertiser |
| Campaign Status | status | Current state: RUNNING, PAUSED, DEPLETED, EXPIRED, PENDING_APPROVAL, REJECTED |
| Campaign Objective | marketing_objective | Goal type: DRIVE_WEBSITE_TRAFFIC, GENERATE_LEADS, ONLINE_PURCHASES, BRAND_AWARENESS, APP_INSTALLS |
| Budget Type | spending_limit_model | Budget model: DAILY or ENTIRE (lifetime budget) |
| Daily Budget | daily_cap | Maximum daily spend for the campaign in account currency |
| Total Budget | spending_limit | Total campaign budget (for lifetime budget campaigns) |
| Bid Strategy | bid_strategy | Bidding approach: FIXED, SMART, TARGET_CPA, MAXIMIZE_CONVERSIONS |
| Base CPC Bid | cpc | Baseline cost-per-click bid in account currency |
| Target CPA | target_cpa | Target cost per acquisition for Smart Bid campaigns |
| Country Targeting | country_targeting | Countries the campaign is targeting |
| Platform Targeting | platform_targeting | Targeted platforms: DESKTOP, MOBILE, TABLET, or ALL |
| Start Date | start_date | Campaign start date |
| End Date | end_date | Campaign end date (if set) |
| Created Date | create_time | Timestamp when the campaign was created |
| Last Modified | last_modified | Timestamp of the last change to campaign settings |
Campaign Item (Ad) Dimensions
Campaign item dimensions describe the individual ads within a campaign. Each item consists of a headline, thumbnail image, landing page URL, and optional description. These fields are essential for creative analysis — identifying which ad variations drive the best click-through rates and conversions.
| Dimension | API Field | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Item ID | item | Unique identifier for the campaign item (ad) |
| Item Title | title | Headline text of the ad as shown on publisher sites |
| Item URL | url | Landing page URL the ad links to |
| Thumbnail URL | thumbnail_url | URL of the ad's thumbnail image |
| Item Description | description | Optional description text shown below the headline on supported placements |
| Item Status | status | Approval status: RUNNING, PAUSED, PENDING_APPROVAL, REJECTED, CRAWLING |
| CTA Button | cta.cta_type | Call-to-action button type: LEARN_MORE, SHOP_NOW, SIGN_UP, READ_MORE, DOWNLOAD, etc. |
| Brand Name | branding_text | Advertiser brand name displayed with the ad |
| Creative Type | type | Content format: ITEM (standard), VIDEO, APP_INSTALL, MOTION_ADS |
| Video URL | video_url | URL of the video asset for video campaign items |
| Item Labels | campaign_item_labels | Tags for organizing and filtering campaign items |
| Approval State | approval_state | Content review status and any rejection reasons |
Core Performance Metrics
Core performance metrics measure the fundamental delivery and cost efficiency of your Taboola campaigns. These are the baseline metrics every advertiser should monitor — from how often ads are shown to how much each click costs.
| Metric | API Field | Description | Formula / Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Impressions | impressions | Total number of times your ad was served on publisher pages | Counts every ad load, regardless of whether the user scrolled to see it |
| Visible Impressions | visible_impressions | Impressions where the ad was actually viewable by the user | MRC standard: 50%+ pixels in view for 1+ continuous second |
| Viewability Rate | visible_impressions / impressions | Percentage of total impressions that were viewable | (Visible Impressions ÷ Impressions) × 100 |
| Clicks | clicks | Total clicks on your ad | Clicks on the headline, thumbnail, or CTA button that redirect to your landing page |
| CTR | ctr | Click-through rate | (Clicks ÷ Impressions) × 100. Taboola native ad benchmarks: 0.3-0.8% |
| Visible CTR | vctr | Click-through rate based on visible impressions only | (Clicks ÷ Visible Impressions) × 100. More accurate than standard CTR |
| CPC | cpc | Average cost per click | Spend ÷ Clicks |
| CPM | cpm | Cost per 1,000 impressions | (Spend ÷ Impressions) × 1,000 |
| vCPM | vcpm | Cost per 1,000 visible impressions | (Spend ÷ Visible Impressions) × 1,000 |
| Spend | spent | Total amount spent in account currency | Actual cost after any Smart Bid adjustments |
| Daily Average Spend | spent / days | Average daily expenditure over the selected period | Total Spend ÷ Number of days in the reporting period |
| Budget Utilization | spent / daily_cap | Percentage of daily budget actually spent | Low utilization indicates targeting is too narrow or bids are too low |
Conversion Metrics
Conversion metrics measure the business outcomes driven by your Taboola campaigns — purchases, signups, form submissions, and other valuable actions tracked through the Taboola Pixel. These metrics are essential for campaigns optimized toward performance goals rather than pure traffic generation.
| Metric | API Field | Description | Formula / Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Actions (Conversions) | actions | Total number of conversion events tracked by the Taboola Pixel | Sum of all defined conversion rules that fired within the attribution window |
| CPA | cpa | Cost per action (conversion) | Spend ÷ Actions |
| Conversion Rate | cpa_conversion_rate | Percentage of clicks that resulted in a conversion | (Actions ÷ Clicks) × 100 |
| Conversion Value | cpa_conversion_value | Total monetary value of conversions | Sum of revenue values passed through the pixel event |
| ROAS | roas | Return on ad spend | Conversion Value ÷ Spend |
| View-Through Conversions | cpa_view_through_conversions | Conversions from users who saw the ad but did not click | Attributed when a user views the ad and converts within the view-through window (typically 1 day) |
| Click-Through Conversions | cpa_click_conversions | Conversions from users who clicked the ad and later converted | Attributed within the click-through attribution window (1, 7, or 30 days) |
| Conversion by Rule | cpa_actions_num_by_rule | Conversion count broken down by each defined conversion rule | Separate counts for purchases, signups, page views, etc. per conversion definition |
| Revenue Per Conversion | cpa_conversion_value / actions | Average revenue generated per conversion event | Total Conversion Value ÷ Total Actions |
Engagement Metrics
Engagement metrics measure what users do after clicking your ad — how deeply they interact with your landing page and website. These metrics go beyond the click to reveal content quality and user interest, which are critical for optimizing beyond CTR toward actual business value.
| Metric | API Field | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Page Views Per Session | page_views_per_session | Average number of pages viewed per visit from Taboola traffic |
| Bounce Rate | bounce_rate | Percentage of sessions where the user left after viewing only the landing page |
| Average Session Duration | avg_session_duration | Average time spent on the website per visit from Taboola traffic (in seconds) |
| Content Read Rate | content_read_rate | Percentage of visitors who scrolled through at least 75% of the landing page content |
| Engaged Visits | engaged_visits | Visits where the user viewed 2+ pages or spent 30+ seconds on the site |
| Engaged Visit Rate | engaged_visit_rate | Percentage of total visits classified as engaged |
| Cost Per Engaged Visit | cost_per_engaged_visit | Average cost for an engaged visit |
Why engagement metrics matter in native advertising: Native ads on Taboola compete with editorial content for attention. A high CTR but high bounce rate means your headline attracts clicks but the landing page doesn't deliver on the promise — this wastes budget and can reduce your content quality score. Optimize for engaged visit rate and page views per session to ensure you're driving quality traffic, not just clicks.
Content and Creative Dimensions
Creative dimensions allow you to analyze performance by content characteristics. These dimensions help you identify which creative approaches — headlines, thumbnails, and content formats — drive the best results across different publisher sites and audience segments.
| Dimension | Description |
|---|---|
| Headline Text | The full headline text of the campaign item |
| Thumbnail Image | The image asset used for the campaign item |
| Landing Page URL | Destination URL grouped for performance comparison |
| Content Type | Format of the promoted content: article, video, product page, landing page |
| Brand Text | Advertiser name displayed with the ad |
| CTA Type | Call-to-action button text: Learn More, Shop Now, Sign Up, Read More, Download |
| Creative Variation | A/B test group for multi-variant creative testing |
| Video Duration | Length of video content (for video campaign items) |
| Thumbnail Dimensions | Pixel dimensions of the thumbnail image |
Audience Breakdowns
Audience breakdowns are cross-cutting dimensions that let you segment any metric by where, how, and who engaged with your ads. These breakdowns are essential for identifying which publisher sites, platforms, geographies, and technical environments drive the best performance.
Publisher Site Breakdown
| Dimension | API Field | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Site Name | site | Publisher website name where the ad was shown |
| Site ID | site_id | Unique identifier for the publisher site in Taboola's network |
| Site Category | site_category | Content category of the publisher: News, Entertainment, Sports, Finance, Technology, Health, etc. |
| Placement | placement | Position on the publisher page: below-article, mid-article, homepage widget, sidebar |
Platform and Device Breakdown
| Dimension | API Field | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Platform | platform | Device category: DESKTOP, MOBILE, TABLET |
| Operating System | os_family | Operating system: Windows, macOS, iOS, Android, Linux |
| Browser | browser | Web browser: Chrome, Safari, Firefox, Edge, Samsung Internet |
| OS Version | os_version | Specific operating system version (e.g., iOS 18, Android 15) |
| Browser Version | browser_version | Specific browser version number |
| Connection Type | connection_type | Network connection: WiFi, Cellular (3G, 4G, 5G) |
Geographic Breakdown
| Dimension | API Field | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Country | country | Country of the user viewing the ad |
| Region / State | region | State or region within the country |
| DMA | dma | Designated Market Area (US only) |
| City | city | City-level geographic targeting (available for select markets) |
Smart Bid Metrics
Smart Bid is Taboola's machine learning-powered bidding system that automatically adjusts your CPC bids based on predicted conversion probability for each impression. Smart Bid metrics help you understand how the algorithm is optimizing your bids and whether automated bidding is outperforming manual strategies.
| Metric | Description |
|---|---|
| Smart Bid CPC | Actual average cost per click after Smart Bid adjustments — may be higher or lower than your base bid |
| Smart Bid Multiplier | The factor applied to your base CPC bid for each impression. A multiplier of 1.5 means the algorithm bid 50% above your base CPC |
| Predicted Conversion Rate | The algorithm's estimated probability that a click from this impression will result in a conversion |
| Smart Bid Savings | Estimated cost savings compared to what a fixed-bid strategy would have spent for the same conversions |
| Bid Range (Min) | Minimum CPC bid the algorithm placed during the reporting period |
| Bid Range (Max) | Maximum CPC bid the algorithm placed during the reporting period |
| Target CPA Achievement | Actual CPA compared to the target CPA — expressed as a percentage (100% = hitting target exactly) |
| Conversions from Smart Bid | Number of conversions attributed to impressions where Smart Bid was active |
| Learning Phase Status | Whether the Smart Bid algorithm is still in learning phase (needs 30-50 conversions to optimize) or has stabilized |
How to Use These Metrics for Campaign Optimization
Knowing which metrics matter for your specific goals is what separates effective native advertising from wasted budget. Here's a practical framework for selecting the right metrics at each optimization stage.
For content discovery campaigns
Focus on visible impressions, visible CTR, and CPC. Use visible metrics rather than total impressions to measure actual ad exposure. Compare CTR across different publisher sites to identify where your content resonates with readers. Track engagement metrics (page views per session, average session duration) to ensure clickbait headlines aren't generating low-quality traffic.
For conversion campaigns
Prioritize CPA, conversion rate, and ROAS. Break down conversions by publisher site to build site-level inclusion and exclusion lists. Monitor Smart Bid metrics — if the learning phase status shows the algorithm is still learning, avoid making bid changes until it stabilizes. Compare click-through conversions vs view-through conversions to understand your actual attribution model.
For creative testing
Compare CTR and conversion rate across campaign items with different headlines, thumbnails, and CTAs. Let items accumulate at least 1,000 impressions each before drawing conclusions. Track bounce rate per item — a high-CTR item with a high bounce rate indicates the headline sets incorrect expectations. Use creative variation dimensions to organize A/B tests systematically.
For publisher optimization
Use the site name breakdown to identify your top-performing publishers. Sort by CPA or engaged visit rate rather than CTR. High-CTR sites with poor post-click engagement are wasting budget. Build block lists for sites with consistently high CPAs and inclusion lists for sites with strong conversion rates. Monitor viewability rate by site — low viewability means your ads load but users never scroll to see them.
Common Mistakes When Analyzing Taboola Data
Avoid these frequent errors that lead to suboptimal optimization decisions in Taboola campaigns.
1. Using total impressions instead of visible impressions
Taboola ads often load below the fold on publisher pages. If a user never scrolls down, the impression counts but the ad was never actually seen. Always use visible impressions and visible CTR for accurate performance measurement. The viewability rate varies dramatically by site — some publishers have 90%+ viewability while others sit at 30%.
2. Optimizing solely for CTR
In native advertising, clickbait headlines can generate very high CTR but terrible post-click performance. A sensationalized headline might get 1.5% CTR but 80% bounce rate and zero conversions. Always pair CTR optimization with engagement metrics (bounce rate, session duration) and conversion rate. The best campaigns balance CTR with quality post-click behavior.
3. Making bid changes during Smart Bid learning phase
Smart Bid needs 30-50 conversions to exit its learning phase and optimize effectively. Changing budgets, bids, or targeting during this period resets the learning process. Monitor learning phase status and wait for stabilization before evaluating Smart Bid performance. If your campaign generates fewer than 2-3 conversions per day, consider using a higher-funnel conversion event to give Smart Bid enough data.
4. Ignoring publisher site quality
Taboola's network includes thousands of publishers with vastly different audience quality and engagement levels. Two sites generating the same number of clicks can produce dramatically different conversion rates. Review site-level CPA and engagement metrics weekly and maintain active block lists. The Pareto principle often applies: 20% of sites drive 80% of your conversions.
5. Not separating mobile and desktop analysis
Mobile and desktop users behave fundamentally differently on publisher sites. Mobile users may click more impulsively, leading to higher CTR but higher bounce rates. Desktop users tend to engage more deeply. Always break down performance by platform and consider running separate campaigns with different bids for mobile and desktop when the performance gap is significant.
6. Averaging CPA across campaigns with different objectives
A content discovery campaign optimized for page views will have a vastly different CPA than a purchase campaign. Averaging CPA across these campaigns produces a meaningless number. Compare CPA only within campaigns sharing the same conversion event and marketing objective. Calculate ROAS for revenue-generating campaigns separately from CPA for lead generation campaigns.
