Supply Path Optimization (SPO)
Advertiser practice of choosing the most efficient path to buy publisher inventory, eliminating redundant middlemen.
Supply Path Optimization (SPO) is a demand-side practice where advertisers and DSPs analyze the multiple paths available to buy a publisher's inventory and choose the most efficient one — typically the path with the fewest intermediaries and lowest fees.
For publishers, SPO means that having a clean, well-structured ads.txt and working with reputable SSPs matters more than ever. If your inventory is available through 15 different resellers, an SPO-savvy buyer will pick the one with the most direct path and ignore the rest. This can reduce competition for your inventory if you have too many resellers. Keeping your ads.txt lean and focused on direct relationships improves your position in SPO-driven buying decisions.