An impression can have different meanings depending on the context. Here are some definitions:
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In online advertising: An impression is a metric used to quantify the number of digital views or engagements of a piece of content, usually an advertisement, digital post, or web page. Impressions are not a measure of whether an advertisement has been clicked on, but how many times it was displayed or had potential "eyeballs" on it).
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In mobile marketing: An impression (also known as a view-through) is when a user sees an advertisement. In practice, an impression occurs any time a user opens an app or website.
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In general: An impression can refer to an idea or opinion of what something or someone is like. It can also mean a telling image impressed on the senses or the mind, or an effect of alteration or improvement.
In the context of online advertising, impressions are important because they provide a simple representation of how many people are seeing ads within a particular channel. Calculating the number of impressions a campaign generates is also one of the simplest ways to ascertain how far an advertising channel really reaches.
