AdCP stands for Ad Context Protocol and refers to an open standard, developed to enable the automation and execution of digital advertising processes by AI agents.
What is AdCP?
In brief, AdCP is a proposed open, MCP-native standard, aimed at automating and streamlining the online ad supply chain, particularly in programmatic advertising, which enables AI agents to explore & discover audience data, plan, negotiate and measure digital advertising campaigns across the fragmented ecosystem though a common interface.
In such a way, the implementation of AdCP can potentially help:
- increase publisher revenue in the AI-driven market verticals;
- achieve higher transparency across the programmatic supply chain, i.e. by reducing duplicated workflows;
- improve interoperability;
- reduce ad fraud, and more.
How it Works
AdCP enables the continued communication between AI agents on the advertiser and publisher sides, ensuring the non-stop, always-on media buying process.
In plain words, using a so-to-speak, common language through AdCP, a buy-side AI agent will be able to continuously send queries in search of the potentially relevant inventory, based both on the brand’s long-term goals, and its ongoing campaigns performance (e.g. discover middle-aged men in the U.S., who enjoy hiking and prefer buying high-quality, yet sustainable hiking gear), whereas supply-side AI agents can dynamically package their inventory opportunities and adjust pricing, based on real-time demand, to maximize their revenue outcomes.
The key AdCP components, which are already available for testing and implementation, include:
- Media buy protocol (inventory exploration/discovery, ad budget & campaign management)
- Signals protocol (audience segment compilation, first-party data activation for targeting purposes)
- Creative protocol (cross-format AI-generated ad asset production)
Potential Challenges & Perspectives of Adoption
Some of the initial participants of the AdCP initiative include the world-known industry players, like PubMatic, Scope3, OpenAds, Adgent, Optable, etc., and more companies are planning to join it in the coming months.
At the same time, even though the implementation of AdCP implies numerous significant benefits for the global digital advertising market, a few serious challenges remain, creating barriers to its industry-wide adoption.
Namely, one of such challenges is the lack of the universal AI agent verification mechanisms (handled by IAB Tech Lab or other digital governance bodies), which poses risks of sophisticated AI-driven fraud.
As of November 2025, no such mechanism has been introduced yet.