IAB Tech Lab produces global technical standards and solutions to build and support a healthy and sustainable digital media and advertising industry. Our key areas of focus are:
- Creating a portfolio of technical standards to balance consumer privacy and addressability through our work related to identity.
- Developing technical standards that are needed to accelerate the ongoing growth of Advanced TV.
- Advancing and producing technical standards to combat ad fraud, supply chain transparency, and enhanced security.
Below you can find a full list of digital advertising standards, initiatives and products mapped to their area of focus. To learn more about the companies who are adopting and adhering to these standards, view our Specification Adoption Program
IAB Tech Lab working groups produce both specifications, taxonomies, and software as outputs. The working groups also produce guidelines, guidance and primers on new technologies or changes that impact the industry. Tech Lab will also start initiatives when major industry changes occur that will likely result in sub working groups that will develop new standards and guidelines coming out of group discussions and learnings.
You can view all of the Specifications, Guidelines, Taxonomies, and Software currently supported by Tech Lab in the tables below.
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Specifications
Technology standards play a crucial role in integrating stakeholders across the ad tech industry by establishing a unified framework for collaboration. These standards ensure that different systems, platforms, and tools can communicate seamlessly, reducing friction and improving efficiency. By fostering interoperability, they help advertisers, publishers, and tech providers align on processes like measurement, data sharing, and privacy compliance. Ultimately, technology standards enable a more cohesive and scalable ecosystem, driving innovation and value for all stakeholders.
The table below lists all the Standards and APIs managed by IAB Tech Lab that help the industry grow, comply with regulations, and efficiently collaborate.
| Tech Lab Specification | Description | Tech Lab Pillar | Most Recent Release | Release Version | Working Group Responsible |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| VAST | VAST is a Video Ad Serving Template for structuring ad tags that serve ads to video players. | Advanced TV | July 2024. Final. | CTV addendum | Advanced TV Working Group |
| Accountability Platform | The Accountability Platform is a specification for open, auditable data structures and standard practices to detect miscommunications and demonstrate, via standard data structures and reporting, accurate communications across the digital advertising supply chain of data use preference and restriction signals set by users and the digital properties they visit. | Privacy | Nov 2024. Final. | v1.0 | Accountability Working Group |
| ACIF (Ad Creative ID Framework) | The Ad Creative ID Framework (ACIF) defines a framework to enable a persistent identifier for ad creative at every phase in the video advertising supply chain. | Advanced TV | June 2024. Public Comment closed. | v1.0 | Advanced TV Commit Group |
| ads.cert | "ads.cert” is the umbrella marketing term for an IAB Tech Lab protocol suite that provides an open standard cryptographic security foundation for the programmatic advertising ecosystem. | Supply Chain & Foundations | Jan 2022 | Authenticated Connections v1 | Programmatic Supply Chain Working Group |
| Ad Management API | The Ad Management API specification support all major scenarios known at time of publication for creative approval for both bidding and markup delivery. | Supply Chain & Foundations | Jan 2023 | v1.1 | Programmatic Supply Chain Working Group |
| ads.txt / apps-ads.txt, sellers.json and SupplyChain object | Sell side Transparency Specs making up the OpenRTB SupplyChain object. This enables buyers to see all parties who are selling or reselling a given bid request. | Supply Chain & Foundations | Aug 2022 | v1.1 | Programmatic Supply Chain Working Group |
| Buyers.json and DemandChain Object | Buy Side Transparency Specs that help address the challenges around malvertising and nefarious ads, by providing transparency around the entities that are involved with publishing such ads. | Supply Chain & Foundations | June 2021 | v1.0 | Programmatic Supply Chain Working Group |
| Common Ad Transport Standard (CATS) | CATS aims to address gaps in OpenRTB and VAST by defining an ad request standard that can be used for both RTB and non-RTB use cases, while building on top of existing specifications like AdCOM. | Supply Chain & Foundations | June 2020 | v1.0 | Programmatic Supply Chain Working Group |
| CCPA & Other Privacy Frameworks | Earlier form of the MSPA and US State signals focused on Californias CCPA. | Privacy | Jan 2024. Deprecated and replaced by GPP | All versions | Global Privacy Working Group |
| Data Deletion Request Framework | The Data Deletion Request Framework is a specification that facilitates the handling of data deletion requests in accordance with the changing landscape of consumer privacy rights as dictated by privacy laws. | Privacy | Jul 2024. Public Comment closed | v1.0 | Global Privacy Working Group |
| The IAB Tech Lab Data Transparency standard establishes minimum disclosure requirements for audience data providers. | Privacy | April 2024 | v1.2 | Data Transparency Standards Working Group | |
| Digital Services Act (DSA) Transparency | The Digital Services Act (DSA) Transparency is an OpenRTB extension intended to provide the industry with standard data formats and transport relevant DSA transparency information so that Online Platforms can meet the obligations outlined in Article 26. This extension was designed to address a near-term regulatory requirement and is expected to evolve. | Privacy | Feb 2024 | ext | Global Privacy Working Group |
| Global Privacy Platform (GPP) | The GPP is a protocol designed to streamline the transmission of privacy, consent, and consumer choice signals from sites and apps to ad tech providers; it enables advertisers, publishers and technology vendors in the digital advertising industry to adapt to regulatory demands across markets. | Privacy | Aug 2024. Final | MSPA String | Global Privacy Working Group |
| IAB EU Transparency & Consent Framework (TCF) | The IAB Tech Lab stewards technical specifications for the IAB Europe Transparency & Consent Framework. | Privacy | Feb 2024 | v2.2 | Global Privacy Working Group |
| MRAID | MRAID, or “Mobile Rich Media Ad Interface Definitions” is the common API (Application Programming Interface) for mobile rich media ads that will run in mobile apps. | Supply Chain & Foundations | June 2018 | v3.0 | Programmatic Supply Chain Working Group |
| OpenDirect | Programmatic guaranteed API Specification | Supply Chain & Foundations | Sept 2024 | v2.1 | Programmatic Supply Chain Working Group |
| OpenRTB | Programmatic real-time bidding protocol | Supply Chain & Foundations | Sept 2024 | v2.6.x | Programmatic Supply Chain Working Group |
| Open Private Join and Activation (OPJA) | No longer actively developed. Replaced by PAIR | Addressability and Privacy Enhancing Technologies | Deprecated | v1.0 | Addressability and Privacy Enhancing Technologies (PETs) Working Group |
| PAIR (Publisher Advertiser Identity Reconciliation) | This protocol will replace the Open Private Join and Activation (OPJA) specification, as both specifications solve the same problem. Going forward PAIR will be the designated standard for secure data matching of advertiser and publisher first party data within data clean rooms and programmatic activation. | Addressability and Privacy Enhancing Technologies | Sept 2024. Public Comment | v1.0 | Addressability and PETs Working Group |
| Safe Ad Container (SHARC) | SHARC is a standardized ‘safe ad container’ API that enables interactive ads to be served across mobile-app, web, and other HTML-enabled environments, in a secure iframe which prevents the ad from being able to access sensitive page and user data. SHARC replaced the SafeFrames and MRAID standards | Supply Chain & Foundations | Dec 2022 | v1.0 | Safe Ad Container Working Group |
| Curated Audiences (former Seller Defined Audiences/SDA) | Curated Audiences (formerly Seller Defined Audiences) is an addressability specification incubated within Project Rearc. It allows publishers, DMPs and data providers to scale first-party data responsibly and reliably without data leakage or reliance on deprecated IDs and/or new, untested technologies. | Addressability and Privacy Enhancing Technologies | Feb 2022 | v1.0 | Addressability and Privacy Enhancing Technologies (PETs) Working Group |
| SIMID (VPAID vNext) | SIMID is a secure container that enables communication between the player and any ad creative. | Advanced TV | Oct 2022 | v1.2 | Advanced TV Working Group |
| US State Signals | US States Strings which can be used in conjunction with the GPP or separately enable the signaling of compliance with different US State regulations. See also the MSPA. | Privacy | Aug 2024. Final. | See each state string for version info | Global Privacy Working Group |
| OpenRTB Dynamic Native Ads API | The mission of the OpenRTB Native project is to spur standardization and greater growth in the Real-Time Bidding (RTB) marketplace for Native Ads by providing open industry standards for communication between buyers of advertising and sellers of publisher inventory | Supply Chain & Foundations | July 2017 | 1.2 | Programmatic Supply Chain Working Group |
Taxonomies
Standard taxonomies are essential for creating interoperable technology standards because they provide a common language and framework for organizing and classifying data. This consistency allows different systems to communicate effectively, reduces complexity, and ensures compatibility across platforms. By aligning on shared definitions and structures, organizations can streamline development, enhance data accuracy, and improve collaboration, ultimately driving innovation and efficiency across the ecosystem.
Tech Lab shepherds a number of Taxonomies that help stakeholders communicate more efficiently across the supply chain that can be accessed below.
| Tech Lab Taxonomy | Description | Tech Lab Pillar | Most Recent Release | Release Version | Working Group Responsible |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ad Product Taxonomy | The Ad Product Taxonomy establishes a standardized nomenclature for describing the product or service being advertised. | Supply Chain & Foundations | Oct 2022 | v2.0 | Taxonomy & Mapping Working Group |
| Audience Taxonomy | Standardized naming convention for audience attributes | Supply Chain & Foundations | Apr 2020 | v1.1 | Taxonomy & Mapping Working Group |
| Content Taxonomy | The Content Taxonomy provides a “common language” that can be used when describing content. Typical uses of the content taxonomy are contextual targeting and brand safety. | Supply Chain & Foundations | June 2022 | v3.0 | Taxonomy & Mapping Working Group |
| Privacy Taxonomy | The Privacy Taxonomy provides a standardized language for defining, classifying, and communicating personal data. | Privacy | Sept 2024. Public Comment | v1.0 | Privacy Implementation & Accountability Task Force (PIAT) |
Guidance
In addition to technical specifications, a large part of IAB Tech Lab’s works involves providing guidance on how to use the specifications defined by the industry so that all stakeholders can gain the maximum business value by implementating, or adopting new technologies.
The table below lists the various Guidance documents, Implementation Guides, and Primers issued by IAB Tech Lab to help the industry understand new technologies and implement Standards effectively.
| Tech Lab Guidance | Description | Tech Lab Pillar | Most Recent Release | Release Version | Working Group Responsible |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ad Fraud Disclosures | The Best Practices for the Disclosure of Ad Fraud Attacks develops and consolidates best practices to drive alignment and consistency across the industry when it comes to ad fraud disclosure. | Supply Chain & Foundations | May 2022 | v1.0 | Programmatic Supply Chain Working Group |
| CTV Programmatic Guide | Guide focused on the use cases involved in a programmatic campaign for connected TV (CTV), with special callouts highlight additional information for working with Server Side Ad Insertion (SSAI). | Advanced TV | Feb 2024 | N/A | Advanced TV Working Group |
| Data Clean Rooms Guidance | Providing guidance for Data Clean Room usage. Formerly encompassed OPJA which will be replaced by the PAIR standard in Q4 2024. | Addressability and Privacy Enhancing Technologies | July 2024 | v1.0 | Addressability and Privacy Enhancing Technologies (PETs) Working Group |
| Differential Privacy Guide | IAB Tech Lab developed an informational guide on Differential Privacy for decision makers, analysts and product developers working with advertisers, publishers and ad tech providers to demystify the technology, scope and application of Differential Privacy. | Addressability and Privacy Enhancing Technologies | July 2023 | v1.0 | Addressability and Privacy Enhancing Technologies (PETs) Working Group |
| ID Solutions Guidance | As the use of ID solutions grows, the industry must understand what they are, how they are integrated into the workflows and what is their utility, so this guidance aims to provide that. | Addressability & Privacy Enhancing Technologies | May 2024 | v1.0 | Addressability and Privacy Enhancing Technologies (PETs) Working Group |
| Podcast Measurement Technical Guidelines | Sets a consistent set of podcast advertising metrics so that buyers and sellers can engage in a conversation about campaign strategy with confidence. | Measurement | May 2024 | v2.2 | Podcast Technical Working Group |
| Privacy Sandbox Fit Analysis | Task for dedicated to outlining the Advertising requirements for Privacy Sandbox and other Proprietary Ad Systems built by Platforms and OS Providers. Most recent output is the Privacy Sandbox Fit Analysis. | Addressability and Privacy Enhancing Technologies | June 2024 | v1.0 | Privacy Sandbox Task Force |
| AI in Advertising Primer | This AI Primer aims to set out a baseline understanding about artificial intelligence to support discussions and documentation about how this technology will affect advertising in the future. | Supply Chain & Foundations | Oct 2024 | v1.0 | Tech Lab Board subcomittee |
| Sustainability Playbook | Created the Sustainability Playbook and plans to incorporate industry requirements around sustainability into OpenRTB as they develop. | Supply Chain & Foundations | June 2023 | v1.0 | Programmatic Supply Chain Working Group |
| Digital Video and CTV Ad Format Guidelines | Video file format details and submission guidelines | Advanced TV | Sept 2022 | N/A | Advanced TV Working Group |
| New Ad Portfolio: Advertising Creative Guidelines | The IAB New Ad Portfolio replaces all the previous creative display guidelines for mobile and desktop – including the Universal Ad Package (UAP), rich media units, and other ad units’ related guidance. | Supply Chain & Foundations | July 2017 | N/A | Ad Product Portfolio Working Group |
| GPP Implementation Guidelines | The Global Privacy Platform Implementation Guidelines provide essential resources for product and engineering teams to adopt the GPP and comply with evolving regulations like GDPR and U.S. state laws. | Privacy | Oct 2024. Public Comment | v1.0 | Global Privacy Working Group |
| ID-Less Solutions | ID-Less Solutions Guidance provides a comprehensive review on how ID Solutions and ID-Less Solutions compare, and advises on what and and is not ID-Less | Addressability and Privacy Enhancing Technologies | Nov 2024 | v1.0 | Addressability and Privacy Enhancing Technologies (PETs) Working Group |
| System Requirements for Proprietary Ad Systems | The Digital Advertising Industry Requirements for Proprietary Ad Systems built by Platforms and OS Providers grew out of the next stage of the Privacy Sandbox Requirements that were on the roadmap of the Privacy Sandbox Task Force. | Addressability and Privacy Enhancing Technologies | Oct 2024 | v1.0 | Private Ad Systems Task Force |
Software
As a Laboratory for the industry, IAB Tech Lab also creates and maintains software that can be used by the industry. This is usually open source, but it can also be tools and API that are used to validate Standards compliance.
This list is constantly evolving and being added to.
| Software Name | Description | Tech Lab Pillar | Working Group responsible | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Open Source Initiative | Initiative facilitating the governance and management of relevant open source projects that will support evolution, deployment and adoption of standards via code development, | Supply Chain & Foundations | N/A | Programmatic Supply Chain Commit Group | |
| Spiders and Bots | The IAB Spiders and Robots list helps companies identify automated traffic such as search engine crawlers, monitoring tools, and other nonhuman traffic that they don’t want showing up in their analytics and billable counts. | Measurement | April 2024 | Spiders and Bots Advisory Board | |
| Tools Portal | In the Tools Portal, you'll find resources to support IAB Tech Lab's mission including the Transparency Center, Open Measurement software and more. | All pillars are represented | Transparency Center API | None | |
| VAST Tag Validator | This tool is intended to help developers and ad operations efficiency and accurate implement VAST. | Advanced TV | Support for 4.2 | None | |
| This code helps you have better communication with your site visitors about ad blocking and to get a more consistent understanding of the scope of ad blocker usage. | Supply Chain & Foundations | None | None | ||
| Open Measurement (OM) SDK | The Open Measurement Software Development Kit (OM SDK) is designed to facilitate third party viewability and verification measurement for ads served to web video, mobile app, and CTV environments. Now on v1.5 | Measurement | June 2024 | v1.5 | Open Measurement Commit Group |
| A tool for managing and maintaining SKAdNetwork ID list. Advertisers, DSPs, and networks can register their SKAdNetwork IDs | Supply Chain & Foundations | N/A | None |