Web-based advertising has reached a tipping point. Recent data from Bidswitch, the global programmatic middleware provider, confirmed that the majority of cookieless bid requests have an alternative ID present. The data reaffirms what advertising thought leaders have predicted all along: the industry isn’t just ready to move on – it already has! 

The numbers tell a powerful story. Alternative IDs are present in the majority, 65% of cookieless bid transactions, with only 35% of transactions operating without an alt ID. The minority of publishers operating without an ID will lose out on reaching the growing number of cookieless audiences. Ultimately leaving these publishers at a disadvantage, resulting in decreased revenue and limited audience reach. 

Even in Chrome where cookies still exist, alternative IDs are present in cookie-based bid requests as well. Interestingly third-party alternatives account for the lion’s share of presence in the bidstream at 65% while first-party IDs account for a little less than 45%. This marks a pivotal shift in web-based advertising and affirms that reliance on cookies is declining even while they are still available in Chrome.

Sincera’s data further highlights the growth in identifier deployment across the bid stream. When comparing deployed identifier data from Sincera from August 2023 to January 2025 the data confirms a trend we’ve long anticipated: the consolidation of the identity landscape. We find adoption amongst the top identifiers has increased while the lesser adopted identifiers have seen little to no progress in expanding their presence. 

January 2025

August 2023

As less adopted solutions stagnate, ID5 and other top IDs grow, as the industry rallies around robust, scalable solutions that have consistently demonstrated their value and efficacy in addressing present challenges and future demands. ID5’s deployment has increased significantly from just under 80,000 in 2023 to almost 100,000 in January 2025 making it the most adopted identifier among the publishers Sincera tracks, with 1.6 times more adoption than the next closest solution. 

The data is clear: the shift away from cookies is no longer a distant possibility—it’s happening now. Alternative IDs are not just gaining traction; they are the new standard for addressability in. 

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