Multi-stage digital content evaluation

Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for evaluating digital content. In one aspect, a system includes a distributed computing system that access the third-party corpus database to evaluate the various third-party content, based at least in part on the one or more parameters, and transmit digital data corresponding to a set of the various third-party content to a user device. The evaluation can include a first evaluation process that provides a cost-prominence relationship for various third party content and is used, in part, to select a format for at least some of the third-party content, and a second evaluation process that is used to select locations of an electronic document for at least some of the third-party content. The multiple evaluation processes can be completed in less time than a combinatorial evaluation process.