Overview
When you create an order with ads targeting multiple positions — for example, a preroll ad and a midroll ad — the ad server decides how to deliver those ads across an episode's ad breaks.
Orders with multiple advertisements will now attempt to serve once in every ad break on an episode it is targeting. An order set to 'any position / any ad break' can potentially play multiple times throughout the episode, including in multiple midroll ad breaks (1-5), but never in the same ad break.
How It Works:
An order attempts to serve in every ad break where it has eligible targeting, once per ad break.
Example: An episode has a preroll, 3 midroll ad breaks, and a postroll. You have an order targeting "any position / any ad break."
The ad will attempt to serve in the preroll, midroll 1, midroll 2, midroll 3, and the postroll — once in each.
For priority campaigns, the ad will potentially serve in all 5 ad breaks (see below for more details).
For standard campaigns, the ad may serve in fewer ad breaks due to pacing and impression caps.
The ad will never place twice within a single ad break. However, it can and will place in multiple mid roll ad breaks across the episode.
What This Means for Your Campaigns
Listeners may hear the same ad multiple times per episode.
If an order targets "any midroll / any ad break" and the episode has 5 midroll ad breaks, a listener could hear that ad in all 5 midroll breaks. The ad places wherever it's eligible. This is because when a podcast episode is played, all ad placements (pre-roll, mid-roll, and post-roll) are requested at the same time. Because frequency caps are based on what a listener has already heard, the system may not account for ads being placed in other breaks within that same episode. This means a listener could hear the same ad more than once in a single episode, even if a frequency cap of one per day is set.
If a listener returns to the episode later, the ads will typically refresh and reflect the updated listening history, reducing the chance of repeat exposure.
This is especially true for priority campaigns, which have no pacing and will fill every eligible ad break.
Tip: To prevent a listener from hearing the same ad multiple times in one episode, where possible, assign each ad to a specific ad break and position (e.g., midroll 1 position 1) rather than using "any."
Priority vs. Standard Campaigns
| Priority | Standard |
Fills ad breaks? | Yes — every eligible ad break | Potentially — subject to pacing |
Limited by pacing? | No pacing options available | Yes — may stop once impression goal is met |
Risk of repeat ads? | High — fills every ad break it can | Lower — pacing may limit placements |
Priority campaigns are especially impacted by this logic. A priority order set to "any position" will likely serve in every ad break on the episode.
How to Set Up Your Campaigns
Use "any position / any ad break" when: you want your ad to serve as many times as possible across the episode. This maximizes impressions but means a listener may hear the same ad in multiple ad breaks.
Use specific positions when: you want to control exactly where and how often your ad appears. This gives you full control over frequency and placement.
Goal | Recommended Setup |
Maximize impressions across the episode | Any position / any ad break |
Ad plays once per episode | Assign to one specific ad break and position |
Ad plays in pre and mid only (once each) | Create separate ads: one targeting preroll, one targeting a specific midroll break |
Control which midroll breaks get an ad | Assign each ad to a specific midroll ad break number |
Weight Settings
Weights control rotation between ads that compete for the same position within the same ad break. If two ads in the same order both target "midroll 1, position 1" with equal weights, they rotate roughly 50/50.
If ads target different positions (e.g., one targets preroll and another targets midroll), weights have no effect — both ads serve independently.
Why a listener might hear the same ad more than once in a single episode
When a podcast episode is played, all ad placements (pre-roll, mid-roll, and post-roll) are requested at the same time. Because frequency caps are based on what a listener has already heard, the system may not account for ads being placed in other breaks within that same episode. This means a listener could hear the same ad more than once in a single episode, even if a frequency cap of one per day is set.
If a listener returns to the episode later, the ads will typically refresh and reflect the updated listening history, reducing the chance of repeat exposure.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Can a listener hear the same ad in every ad break?
Yes, if the order targets "any position / any ad break." The ad will potentially serve once in each ad break. To limit this, assign the ad to a specific ad break and position.
Q: Will the same ad play twice in the same ad break?
No. An ad will never place twice within a single ad break.
Q: Can I still set up OR delivery so my ad plays only once per episode?
The AND/OR setting is no longer available. To achieve one-play-per-episode behavior, assign your ad to a single specific ad break and position instead of using "any."
Q: Do priority and standard campaigns behave the same way?
Yes, with one difference: standard campaigns are subject to pacing. They may not fill every eligible ad break if the impression goal has already been met.
Q: What happens when a priority and a standard order compete for the same ad break?
The priority order wins. If there isn't enough space in the ad break (due to maxAds or maxDuration), the standard order will be bumped.