This guide is designed to stand on its own as an educational reference. It separates technical concepts, commercial outcomes and policy considerations so readers can reason about the system rather than memorize terminology.
Use a funnel of evidence
Campaign reporting becomes confusing when delivery metrics and business outcomes are mixed into one dashboard without a causal structure. A better model separates eligible opportunity, delivered impression, viewable impression, engagement, conversion and post-conversion quality.
Delivery answers did it run
Requests, responses, impressions, fill rate and pacing show whether the campaign delivered as intended. A campaign that underspends may have a supply or eligibility problem before creative performance is relevant.
Quality answers was the opportunity credible
Viewability, invalid-traffic filtering, brand suitability and placement context help determine whether an impression was a credible advertising opportunity. Quality metrics protect both advertisers and publishers from optimizing toward cheap but weak inventory.
Engagement answers did the user react
Clicks, video quartiles, completions and other interactions describe behavior after delivery. They are useful leading indicators, but not substitutes for the advertiser's actual business outcome.
Outcomes answer did it create value
Conversions, revenue, qualified leads, retention or other post-ad outcomes connect the campaign to business value. Attribution rules define how much credit an ad receives. A disciplined report makes those assumptions visible.
Keep reporting layers separate
Operational reporting, advertiser performance reporting and accounting reconciliation serve different purposes. They can share identifiers, but one dashboard should not silently mix estimated attribution with billable events. Naming the evidence layer helps users understand what a number can prove.