Understand the standards, protocols and transparency frameworks that help publishers, advertisers and technology platforms identify legitimate inventory and understand the programmatic advertising supply chain.
Programmatic standards are specifications and industry frameworks designed to improve interoperability, transparency, trust and efficiency across digital advertising.
Programmatic advertising involves publishers, advertisers, agencies, DSPs, SSPs, ad exchanges, ad servers and other technology providers. Standards help these participants communicate and exchange information consistently.
Transparency frameworks can help participants understand who is authorized to sell advertising inventory, which entities are involved in the supply chain, and how an impression moves through the programmatic ecosystem.
Common technologies and standards include ads.txt, app-ads.txt, sellers.json, the SupplyChain object and OpenRTB specifications. Each addresses a different part of the advertising ecosystem.
Transparency helps advertising participants better understand inventory ownership, authorized sellers and the programmatic supply chain.
ads.txt and app-ads.txt allow publishers and app developers to publicly identify advertising systems that are authorized to sell their inventory.
A transparent programmatic ecosystem makes it easier for buyers and sellers to understand the entities involved in an advertising transaction and evaluate the quality and legitimacy of supply.
Different standards address different parts of the digital advertising supply chain.
Multiple standards can work together to provide different views of the advertising supply chain.
A simplified example showing how advertising inventory can move through multiple technology participants before reaching a buyer.
Each standard serves a different purpose within the advertising ecosystem.
| Standard | Primary Purpose | Main Participant |
|---|---|---|
| ads.txt | Identifies authorized sellers of web advertising inventory | Publisher |
| app-ads.txt | Identifies authorized sellers of app advertising inventory | App developer |
| sellers.json | Provides information about entities participating in the selling process | SSP / Exchange |
| SupplyChain | Represents participants involved in the transaction supply chain | Supply-side and intermediary platforms |
| OpenRTB | Defines communication and auction-related specifications for programmatic advertising | Buyers and sellers |
| Transparency objective | Improve visibility into inventory and supply relationships | Entire ecosystem |
Standards can improve transparency, interoperability and trust across digital advertising transactions.
ads.txt and app-ads.txt help publishers identify advertising systems that are authorized to sell their inventory.
sellers.json can provide information that helps buyers identify entities involved in selling advertising inventory.
The SupplyChain object can provide information about the nodes involved in an advertising transaction.
Buyers can use available supply-chain information as one factor when evaluating programmatic inventory.
Industry specifications help different advertising systems exchange information using common frameworks.
Better visibility can help publishers, buyers and technology providers understand programmatic supply relationships.
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