Media Products

A Product is the core sellable unit in AdCP. This document details the Product model, including its pricing and delivery types, and how products are discovered and structured in the system.

Pricing Models Products declare which pricing models they support. Buyers select a specific pricing option when creating media buys. See the complete Pricing Models Guide for details on CPM, CPCV, CPP, CPC, vCPM, and flat rate pricing.

The Product Model

product_id (string, required)
name (string, required)
description (string, required)
formats (list[Format], required): See Creative Formats.
placements (list[Placement], optional): Specific ad placements within this product. When provided, buyers can target individual placements when assigning creatives. See Placements.
delivery_type (string, required): Either "guaranteed" or "non_guaranteed".
pricing_options (list[PricingOption], required): Array of available pricing models for this product. See Pricing Models.
measurement (Measurement, optional): Included measurement capabilities. Common for retail media products.
creative_policy (CreativePolicy, optional): Creative requirements and restrictions.
is_custom (bool, optional): true if the product was generated for a specific brief.
expires_at (datetime, optional): If is_custom, the time the product is no longer valid.
product_card (object, optional): Visual card definition for displaying this product in user interfaces. See Product Cards.

Pricing Models

Publishers declare which pricing models they support for each product. Buyers select from the available options when creating a media buy. This approach supports:

Multiple pricing models per product - Publishers can offer the same inventory via different pricing structures
Multi-currency support - Publishers declare supported currencies; buyers must use a supported currency
Flexible pricing - Support for CPM, CPCV, CPP (GRP-based), CPA, and more

Supported Pricing Models

CPM (Cost Per Mille) - Cost per 1,000 impressions (traditional display)
CPC (Cost Per Click) - Cost per click on the ad
CPCV (Cost Per Completed View) - Cost per 100% video/audio completion
CPV (Cost Per View) - Cost per view at publisher-defined threshold
CPA (Cost Per Action) - Cost per conversion/acquisition
CPL (Cost Per Lead) - Cost per lead generated
CPP (Cost Per Point) - Cost per Gross Rating Point (TV/audio)
Flat Rate - Fixed cost regardless of delivery volume

PricingOption Structure

Each pricing option includes:

{
  "pricing_option_id": "cpcv_usd_guaranteed",
  "pricing_model": "cpcv",
  "rate": 0.15,
  "currency": "USD",
  "is_fixed": true,
  "parameters": {
    "view_threshold": 1.0
  },
  "min_spend_per_package": 5000
}

For auction-based pricing (is_fixed: false), include price_guidance:

{
  "pricing_option_id": "cpm_usd_auction",
  "pricing_model": "cpm",
  "currency": "USD",
  "is_fixed": false,
  "price_guidance": {
    "floor": 10.00,
    "p25": 12.50,
    "p50": 15.00,
    "p75": 18.00,
    "p90": 22.00
  }
}

Delivery Measurement (Required)

All products MUST declare their measurement provider:

{
  "delivery_measurement": {
    "provider": "Google Ad Manager with IAS viewability verification",
    "notes": "MRC-accredited viewability. 50% in-view for 1s display / 2s video."
  }
}

Common provider examples:

"Google Ad Manager with IAS viewability"
"Nielsen DAR for P18-49 demographic measurement"
"Geopath DOOH traffic counts updated monthly"
"Comscore vCE for video completion tracking"
"Self-reported impressions from proprietary ad server"

Measurement Object

For products that include measurement (common in retail media):

{
  "type": "incremental_sales_lift",
  "attribution": "deterministic_purchase",
  "window": "30_days",
  "reporting": "weekly_dashboard"
}

CreativePolicy Object

Defines creative requirements and restrictions:

{
  "co_branding": "required",  // "required", "optional", or "none"
  "landing_page": "retailer_site_only",  // "any", "retailer_site_only", "must_include_retailer"
  "templates_available": true
}

Placements

Products can optionally declare specific ad placements within their inventory. When placements are provided:

Buyers purchase the entire product - Packages always target the whole product, not individual placements
Placement targeting happens at creative assignment - Different creatives can be assigned to different placements
Omitting placement targeting - Creatives without placement_ids run on all placements in the package

Placement Object Structure

{
  "placement_id": "homepage_banner",
  "name": "Homepage Banner",
  "description": "Above-the-fold banner on the homepage",
  "format_ids": [
    {"agent_url": "https://creatives.adcontextprotocol.org", "id": "display_728x90"},
    {"agent_url": "https://creatives.adcontextprotocol.org", "id": "display_970x250"}
  ]
}

Example: Product with Placements

{
  "product_id": "news_site_premium",
  "name": "News Site Premium Package",
  "description": "Premium placements across news site",
  "format_ids": [
    {"agent_url": "https://creatives.adcontextprotocol.org", "id": "display_728x90"},
    {"agent_url": "https://creatives.adcontextprotocol.org", "id": "display_300x250"}
  ],
  "placements": [
    {
      "placement_id": "homepage_banner",
      "name": "Homepage Banner",
      "format_ids": [{"agent_url": "https://creatives.adcontextprotocol.org", "id": "display_728x90"}]
    },
    {
      "placement_id": "article_sidebar",
      "name": "Article Sidebar",
      "format_ids": [{"agent_url": "https://creatives.adcontextprotocol.org", "id": "display_300x250"}]
    }
  ],
  "delivery_type": "guaranteed",
  "pricing_options": [...]
}

When creating a media buy, buyers can assign different creatives to different placements:

{
  "packages": [
    {
      "product_id": "news_site_premium",
      "creative_assignments": [
        {
          "creative_id": "creative_1",
          "placement_ids": ["homepage_banner"]
        },
        {
          "creative_id": "creative_2",
          "placement_ids": ["article_sidebar"]
        }
      ]
    }
  ]
}

See Creative Assignment and Placement Targeting for more details.

Custom & Principal-Specific Products

A server can offer a general catalog, but it can also return:

Principal-Specific Products: Products reserved for or negotiated with specific clients
Custom Products: Dynamically generated products with is_custom: true and an expires_at timestamp

Product Examples

Standard CTV Product (Multiple Pricing Options)

{
  "product_id": "connected_tv_prime",
  "name": "Connected TV - Prime Time",
  "description": "Premium CTV inventory 8PM-11PM",
  "format_ids": [
    {
      "agent_url": "https://creatives.adcontextprotocol.org",
      "id": "video_15s"
    },
    {
      "agent_url": "https://creatives.adcontextprotocol.org",
      "id": "video_30s"
    }
  ],
  "delivery_type": "guaranteed",
  "pricing_options": [
    {
      "pricing_option_id": "cpm_usd_guaranteed",
      "pricing_model": "cpm",
      "rate": 45.00,
      "currency": "USD",
      "is_fixed": true,
      "min_spend_per_package": 10000
    },
    {
      "pricing_option_id": "cpcv_usd_guaranteed",
      "pricing_model": "cpcv",
      "rate": 0.18,
      "currency": "USD",
      "is_fixed": true,
      "min_spend_per_package": 10000
    },
    {
      "pricing_option_id": "cpp_usd_p18-49",
      "pricing_model": "cpp",
      "rate": 250.00,
      "currency": "USD",
      "is_fixed": true,
      "parameters": {
        "demographic": "P18-49",
        "min_points": 50
      },
      "min_spend_per_package": 12500
    }
  ],
  "delivery_measurement": {
    "provider": "Nielsen DAR for P18-49 demographic measurement",
    "notes": "Panel-based measurement for GRP delivery. Impressions measured via Comscore vCE."
  }
}

Auction-Based Display Product

{
  "product_id": "custom_abc123",
  "name": "Custom - Gaming Enthusiasts",
  "description": "Custom audience package for gaming campaign",
  "format_ids": [
    {
      "agent_url": "https://creatives.adcontextprotocol.org",
      "id": "display_300x250"
    },
    {
      "agent_url": "https://creatives.adcontextprotocol.org",
      "id": "display_728x90"
    }
  ],
  "delivery_type": "non_guaranteed",
  "pricing_options": [
    {
      "pricing_option_id": "cpm_usd_auction",
      "pricing_model": "cpm",
      "currency": "USD",
      "is_fixed": false,
      "price_guidance": {
        "floor": 5.00,
        "p50": 8.00,
        "p75": 12.00
      }
    },
    {
      "pricing_option_id": "cpc_usd_auction",
      "pricing_model": "cpc",
      "currency": "USD",
      "is_fixed": false,
      "price_guidance": {
        "floor": 0.50,
        "p50": 1.20,
        "p75": 2.00
      }
    }
  ],
  "delivery_measurement": {
    "provider": "Google Ad Manager with IAS viewability",
    "notes": "MRC-accredited viewability. 50% in-view for 1s display."
  },
  "is_custom": true,
  "expires_at": "2025-02-15T00:00:00Z"
}

Retail Media Product with Measurement

{
  "product_id": "albertsons_pet_category_offsite",
  "name": "Pet Category Shoppers - Offsite Display & Video",
  "description": "Target Albertsons shoppers who have purchased pet products in the last 90 days. Reach them across premium display and video inventory.",
  "format_ids": [
    {
      "agent_url": "https://creatives.adcontextprotocol.org",
      "id": "display_300x250"
    },
    {
      "agent_url": "https://creatives.adcontextprotocol.org",
      "id": "display_728x90"
    },
    {
      "agent_url": "https://creatives.adcontextprotocol.org",
      "id": "video_15s"
    }
  ],
  "delivery_type": "guaranteed",
  "pricing_options": [
    {
      "pricing_option_id": "cpm_usd_guaranteed",
      "pricing_model": "cpm",
      "rate": 13.50,
      "currency": "USD",
      "is_fixed": true,
      "min_spend_per_package": 10000
    }
  ],
  "delivery_measurement": {
    "provider": "Self-reported impressions from proprietary ad server",
    "notes": "Impressions counted per IAB guidelines. Viewability measured via IAS."
  },
  "measurement": {
    "type": "incremental_sales_lift",
    "attribution": "deterministic_purchase",
    "window": "30_days",
    "reporting": "weekly_dashboard"
  },
  "creative_policy": {
    "co_branding": "optional",
    "landing_page": "must_include_retailer",
    "templates_available": true
  }
}

Product Cards

Product cards provide visual representations of products for display in user interfaces. Publishers can optionally include card definitions that reference card formats and provide the assets needed to render attractive visual cards.

Card Types

Publishers should provide at least the standard card, and optionally a detailed card: Standard Card (product_card):

Compact 300x400px card for product grids and lists
Supports 2x density images for retina displays
Quick visual identification of products

Detailed Card (product_card_detailed, optional):

Responsive layout with text description alongside hero carousel
Markdown specifications section below
Full product documentation similar to media kits

Structure

{
  "product_id": "ctv_premium",
  "name": "Premium CTV Inventory",
  // ... other product fields ...

  "product_card": {
    "format_id": {
      "agent_url": "https://creative.adcontextprotocol.org",
      "id": "product_card_standard"
    },
    "manifest": {
      "display_name": "Premium CTV - Living Room Audiences",
      "hero_image_url": "https://cdn.example.com/products/ctv_hero.jpg",
      "brief_highlight": "Perfect for reaching cord-cutters and premium streaming audiences"
    }
  },

  "product_card_detailed": {
    "format_id": {
      "agent_url": "https://creative.adcontextprotocol.org",
      "id": "product_card_detailed"
    },
    "manifest": {
      "display_name": "Premium CTV - Living Room Audiences",
      "description": "Reach high-income households with premium CTV inventory during peak viewing hours...",
      "carousel_images": [
        "https://cdn.example.com/products/ctv_context1.jpg",
        "https://cdn.example.com/products/ctv_context2.jpg"
      ],
      "specifications_markdown": "# Technical Specifications\n\n..."
    }
  }
}

Rendering Cards

Cards can be rendered in two ways:

Via preview_creative: Pass the card format and manifest to generate a rendered card
Pre-rendered: Publishers can pre-generate cards and serve them directly

This flexibility allows publishers to choose between dynamic generation or static hosting based on their infrastructure.

Standard Card Formats

The AdCP reference creative agent defines two standard card formats:

product_card_standard (300x400px) - Compact card for product browsing
product_card_detailed (responsive) - Rich card with carousel and full specs

Publishers can also define custom card formats to match their branding or highlight unique product attributes. Note: Standard card format definitions are maintained in the creative-agent repository, not in this protocol specification.

When to Include Product Cards

Product cards are optional but recommended for:

Products with strong visual identity (e.g., specific shows, events, publications)
Premium products where visual presentation enhances perceived value
Complex products where visual highlights help explain capabilities
Products targeting specific audiences that benefit from visual representation

Use the detailed card variant when you want to provide comprehensive product documentation similar to media kit pages.

Client Rendering Guidelines

When displaying products in UIs, clients should follow this fallback order:

If product_card exists → Render card via preview_creative or display pre-rendered image
If neither exists → Render text-only representation (product name + description)
If card rendering fails → Gracefully fall back to text-only representation

This ensures a consistent user experience regardless of what product metadata is available.

Integration with Discovery

Products are discovered through the Product Discovery process, which uses natural language to match campaign briefs with available inventory. Once products are identified, they can be purchased via create_media_buy.

Getting Started

Protocols

Signals Protocol

Curation Protocol

Media Buy Protocol

Creative

Reference

Media Products

Media Products

The Product Model

Pricing Models

Supported Pricing Models

PricingOption Structure

Delivery Measurement (Required)

Measurement Object

CreativePolicy Object

Placements

Placement Object Structure

Example: Product with Placements

Custom & Principal-Specific Products

Product Examples

Standard CTV Product (Multiple Pricing Options)

Auction-Based Display Product

Retail Media Product with Measurement

Product Cards

Card Types

Structure

Rendering Cards

Standard Card Formats

When to Include Product Cards

Client Rendering Guidelines

Integration with Discovery

See Also

Getting Started

Protocols

Signals Protocol

Curation Protocol

Media Buy Protocol

Creative

Reference

​Media Products

​The Product Model

​Pricing Models

​Supported Pricing Models

​PricingOption Structure

​Delivery Measurement (Required)

​Measurement Object

​CreativePolicy Object

​Placements

​Placement Object Structure

​Example: Product with Placements

​Custom & Principal-Specific Products

​Product Examples

​Standard CTV Product (Multiple Pricing Options)

​Auction-Based Display Product

​Retail Media Product with Measurement

​Product Cards

​Card Types

​Structure

​Rendering Cards

​Standard Card Formats

​When to Include Product Cards

​Client Rendering Guidelines

​Integration with Discovery

​See Also

Media Products

The Product Model

Pricing Models

Supported Pricing Models

PricingOption Structure

Delivery Measurement (Required)

Measurement Object

CreativePolicy Object

Placements

Placement Object Structure

Example: Product with Placements

Custom & Principal-Specific Products

Product Examples

Standard CTV Product (Multiple Pricing Options)

Auction-Based Display Product

Retail Media Product with Measurement

Product Cards

Card Types

Structure

Rendering Cards

Standard Card Formats

When to Include Product Cards

Client Rendering Guidelines

Integration with Discovery

See Also