Learn more about quality with Sellers.json and OpenRTB Supply Chain Object, the two new specs introduced by IAB Tech Lab for public comment with Smart Adserver (www.smartadserver.com) The IAB Tech Lab has recently introduced two new complementary market initiatives in the continuity of ads.txt: Sellers.json and the OpenRTB SupplyChain Object. Both come as a package and are designed to give ad buyers more confidence in the multiple vendors involved in the reselling of an impression throughout the digital ad supply chain — not just the first reseller. For more information: https://smartadserver.com/quality/sellers-json/

1. Let’s Talk Sellers.json and SupplyChain Object
August, 2019

2. The industry will take a $44 billion
hit due to ad fraud in 2020.
Quality issues are still plaguing the ad tech ecosystem
Source: “Ad Fraud to Cost Advertisers $19 Billion in 2018, Representing 9% of Total Digital Advertising Spend”, Juniper
Research, September, 2017.

3. But a global commitment will help
us eliminate these bad actors.

4. These strict standards aim to grow
transparency and increase trust in
the programmatic ecosystem
The IAB is committed to creating specifications to reduce fraud
and improve quality

5. Phases of IAB Quality Initiatives
2017 2019
ads.txt app-ads.txt Sellers.json
+
SupplyChain
Object

6. What is it?
A .txt file on a publisher’s site that names
authorized resellers. For desktop and mobile
web
+
Who is it for?
Ads.txt => desktop / mobile web publishers
App-ads.txt => app developers
ADS.TXT / APP-ADS.TXT
First Two Initiatives
What do publishers need to do?
Post the file on the root domain of their
corporate website
+
+

7. The goal
Boost
marketplace
quality
Prevent
domain/bundle
spoofing
Increase
buyer
confidence

8. SELLERS.JSON + SUPPLYCHAIN OBJECT
Latest Initiatives
Sellers.json
SupplyChain
Object
What is it? .json file on publishers’s site
Who is it for? “Indirect” publishers
What must be done? Placement of file on
root domain of site
Publisher
Goal: Reveals all the sellers the
SSP / ad network is working with
Package
Deal
Package
Deal

9. SELLERS.JSON + SUPPLYCHAIN OBJECT
Latest Initiatives
Sellers.json
SupplyChain
Object
What is it? A set of nodes where each
represents an entity that participates in the
selling of a bid request
Is Smart compliant? We have a 1st version
How to become compliant? IAB specs in
progress. Details coming.
Package
Deal
Goal: Identifies all sellers who were
paid for an individual bid request

10. Who’s who?
Publisher vs. Intermediary
Publisher
Seller owns the site/app
Direct Publishers
Publishers doing client-side
header bidding
Intermediary
Seller doesn’t own the site/app
but is authorized to sell
Inventory 100% from
Google EB / Amazon TAM
Premium Sales houses
Ad network
Aggregator

11. Publisher Compliance: The Numbers
*Of 1,000 most-trafficked websites that sell advertising programmatically
**In Appstore (iOS only)
ads.txt 100%
Of Smart publishers
78%*
worldwide
App-
ads.txt
4,000
Apps worldwide**

12. Publisher Compliance: The Numbers
57
Publishers worldwide have
a sellers.json. Smart was
one of the first!
Sellers.json
+
SupplyChain
Object

13. THANK
YOU!