Free tool
How The LinkedIn Ads Auction Works
On LinkedIn, your ad competes with others aimed at similar target audiences. Set your bid, targeting and message: the members change colour depending on which ad wins them.
At LinkedIn, an auction system determines when your ad is shown and how much you'll pay for it. Two key factors decide which ads appear: the ad's bid price and the ad's relevancy to the member. Relevancy reflects how likely the member is to interact with your ad.
Set up your campaign
Members won
10 of 12 targeted
You win 10 of the 12 members you target.
In your targeting, Advertiser C bids €14, more than you, and wins 2 members.
Member 48 · LeadershipTheir chance of engaging with your ad : 1.7 %
- You€0.150wins
- Advertiser Anot targeting themwins
- Advertiser B€0.033wins
- Advertiser C€0.131wins
Hover or tap a member to see their auction.
Who wins the 48 members
- Advertiser C17
- Advertiser A11
- You10
- Advertiser B10
Simplified model, example figures: value = bid × chance of engagement, and the ad with the highest value wins the member. Here, only the ads that target a member compete for them, and the chance depends on the function your message speaks to; LinkedIn says your ad competes with others that have similar formats and target audiences, and that its relevance score includes member activity, page context, ad content and targeting, then changes over time with member interactions. LinkedIn does not publish its formula, and the price paid is not simulated here. The simulator sets a manual bid, one of three strategies alongside maximum delivery and cost cap. LinkedIn Help: LinkedIn ads auction
How To Read The Simulator
Value = bid × chance of engagement (simplified model, LinkedIn does not publish its formula)
Each figure is a member, sorted by job function: marketing, finance, HR, leadership. Only the ads that target a member compete for them, and the member takes the colour of the ad that wins them: the gradient shows the members you win. Hover one to see their auction, ad by ad.
Your message weighs as much as your bid. In the example, you target everyone with a general message at €14 and win 13 members out of 48. With a message that speaks to leadership, targeting leadership at €9, you win 10 out of 12.
The 3 Bidding Strategies
- Maximum delivery: your bid is automatically optimised through machine learning to maximise your objectives within your budget.
- Manual bidding: you set a specific bid amount, the maximum you are willing to pay for your key objective. It is the one the simulator sets.
- Cost cap: you set a maximum average cost per key result, and the system aims to keep costs under it by prioritising lower-cost opportunities in the auction.
- Relevancy includes member activity, page context, ad content and targeting, and it changes over time with how members interact with your content.
Your LinkedIn Campaign Bids High For Few Members?
On LinkedIn, your bid counts alongside your ad’s relevancy to each member. Your targeting, your messages and your formats tell where the bottleneck is.
Get Clear On My LinkedIn Ads
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