- Natural Language First: Describe campaigns in plain English instead of navigating complex catalogs
- AI-Powered Matching: Advanced algorithms match briefs to relevant inventory
- Format-Aware Discovery: Products include creative format compatibility
- Principal-Specific Results: See inventory based on your access and negotiated deals
The Discovery Process
1. Write Your Brief
Start with a natural language description of your campaign objectives: “Mike’s Plumbing Services needs to reach homeowners in the Denver, Colorado area who might need plumbing services. We have $8,000 USD to spend from October 15-31, 2024. Looking for display and native formats to drive phone calls.”2. Discover Products
Useget_products to find matching inventory based on your brief and promoted offering.
3. Evaluate Results
Review returned products for:- Audience alignment with your target customers
- Format compatibility with your creative assets
- Pricing model (fixed CPM vs auction-based)
- Delivery type (guaranteed vs non-guaranteed)
4. Refine and Iterate
Adjust your brief or add structured filters to find the perfect inventory match.Key Concepts
Natural Language Briefs
AdCP accepts campaign descriptions in conversational English rather than requiring:- ❌ Product catalog navigation
- ❌ Technical targeting syntax
- ❌ Platform-specific terminology
- ✅ “Premium sports fans for energy drink launch”
- ✅ “Local restaurant targeting dinner rush commuters”
- ✅ “B2B software for marketing managers”
Product Model
Products represent sellable advertising inventory with:- Audience targeting built into the product definition
- Creative format requirements for asset compatibility
- Pricing structure (fixed rates or auction guidance)
- Delivery characteristics (guaranteed reach vs best-effort)
Format Discovery Integration
Product discovery works hand-in-hand with creative planning:- Products return format IDs for required creative specifications
- Use
list_creative_formatsto get detailed format requirements - Plan creative production based on discovered format needs
Brief Examples & Patterns
Real-world examples of effective briefs for different campaign types:- Local Business: Service area, customer demographics, business outcomes
- E-commerce: Product categories, shopping behaviors, conversion goals
- B2B: Job titles, company characteristics, lead generation
- Brand Awareness: Lifestyle attributes, media consumption, reach objectives
Discovery Best Practices
Effective Brief Writing
- Be specific about your business and what you’re promoting
- Describe your ideal customer rather than demographic codes
- Include geographic scope and any location relevance
- Mention format preferences if you have creative constraints
- State business objectives (calls, visits, sales, awareness)
Iterative Discovery
- Start with a broad brief to explore available inventory
- Use structured filters to narrow results by delivery type or pricing
- Experiment with different customer descriptions to find new opportunities
- Save successful brief patterns for future campaigns
Working with Results
- Review all returned products for unexpected opportunities
- Check format requirements before creative production
- Consider mix of guaranteed and non-guaranteed inventory
- Evaluate pricing guidance for budget planning
Response Times
Product discovery operations:get_products: ~60 seconds (AI processing)list_creative_formats: ~1 second (database lookup)
Next Steps
After discovering products:- Create Media Buy - Build campaigns from selected products
- Creative Planning - Prepare assets matching format requirements
- Task Reference - Detailed API documentation for implementation
Related Documentation
- Brief Expectations - Comprehensive guide to brief structure
- Example Briefs - Real-world campaign brief patterns
- Media Products - Understanding product model and attributes
get_productsTask - Complete API reference