Taboola Data Reveals 76% Advertisers See Improved Performance From Agentic AI

Why It Matters

The findings highlight a clear market demand for open‑web AI automation, signaling a shift that could reshape performance‑marketing spend and pressure competitors to deliver comparable solutions.

Key Takeaways

• 76% advertisers report performance uplift using agentic AI on search/social.
• 80% would boost open‑web spend if comparable AI existed.
• 86% ready to allocate up to 25% of budget to open‑web AI.
• Large spenders (> $1M/mo) cite integration as biggest barrier (74%).
• Taboola's Realize+ beta extends agentic AI to the open web.

Pulse Analysis

The latest Taboola research shows that agentic artificial intelligence is no longer a niche tool but a mainstream driver of performance marketing. Seventy‑six percent of surveyed advertisers confirm measurable lift on search and social platforms, underscoring the technology’s ability to automate bidding, creative generation and real‑time optimization. This adoption mirrors broader industry trends where AI‑powered decision engines are replacing manual media planning, delivering faster learning cycles and higher return on ad spend. As marketers chase efficiency, the data validates agentic AI as a competitive necessity.

Despite strong results inside the so‑called walled gardens, the study reveals a pronounced appetite for similar capabilities on the open web. Eighty percent of respondents say they would immediately increase spend if comparable agentic solutions existed, and 86 percent are prepared to devote up to a quarter of their performance budget to that shift. The primary obstacle, however, is integration: 74 percent of advertisers spending $1 million to $4.9 million per month cite workflow compatibility as a roadblock, a figure that dwarfs the 9 percent rate among smaller spenders. This gap highlights a market inefficiency that technology providers must address.

Taboola’s recent launch of Realize+ aims to fill that void. The beta combines the company’s first‑party inventory, a real‑time decision engine and an automated element generator to replicate the ‘always‑on’ AI performance seen on search and social across the broader web. If the solution scales, it could democratize agentic advertising, allowing brands of all sizes to capture incremental growth without the integration pain currently plaguing large spenders. Analysts expect the move to pressure rivals to accelerate their own open‑web AI offerings, potentially reshaping the performance‑marketing landscape in the next 12‑18 months.