> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.adcontextprotocol.org/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# AI ad networks

> How AI ad networks aggregate inventory across multiple AI platforms using AdCP — product modeling, account chains, catalog forwarding, governance, delivery reporting, and Sponsored Intelligence routing.

# AI ad networks

AI ad networks sit between buyer agents and AI platforms, aggregating inventory across multiple platforms into a single seller interface. The protocol supports this topology natively — an ad network is a seller agent that represents multiple publisher properties it doesn't own.

## How a network appears

To **buyer agents**, the network is a standard seller agent. Buyers connect to the network's MCP server, push catalogs and data in via standard tasks, and execute buys. To the **underlying AI platforms**, the network is an operator — it holds accounts on each platform and forwards the buyer's catalog data, brand identity, and content standards.

## Product modeling for networks

A network's products can span multiple AI platforms using `publisher_properties`:

```json theme={null}
{
  "product_id": "sponsored_response_ai_network",
  "name": "Sponsored responses - AI assistant network",
  "description": "Sponsored responses across multiple AI assistants. The network routes to the best-matching platform based on user context and brand relevance.",
  "channels": ["sponsored_intelligence"],
  "publisher_properties": [
    { "publisher_domain": "assistant-alpha.example.com", "selection_type": "all" },
    { "publisher_domain": "assistant-beta.example.com", "selection_type": "all" },
    { "publisher_domain": "search-gamma.example.com", "selection_type": "all" }
  ],
  "format_ids": [
    { "agent_url": "https://ads.ai-network.example.com", "id": "sponsored_response" }
  ],
  "delivery_type": "non_guaranteed",
  "pricing_options": [
    {
      "pricing_option_id": "network_cpc",
      "pricing_model": "cpc",
      "floor_price": 0.75,
      "price_guidance": { "p50": 2.50, "p75": 4.00 },
      "currency": "USD",
      "min_spend_per_package": 1000
    }
  ],
  "metric_optimization": {
    "supported_metrics": ["clicks", "engagements"],
    "supported_targets": ["cost_per"]
  },
  "creative_policy": {
    "co_branding": "none",
    "landing_page": "any",
    "templates_available": true
  },
  "catalog_types": ["product", "offering"]
}
```

The network decides which platform serves each impression based on context, relevance, and performance. The buyer doesn't need to know which platform was selected — they see unified delivery reporting from the network.

## Account model for networks

Networks typically use implicit accounts (`require_operator_auth: false`). The buyer agent is trusted and declares brands via `sync_accounts`. The network then manages its own accounts with each underlying AI platform:

```
Buyer agent → Network (implicit accounts, agent-trusted)
Network → AI Platform A (explicit accounts, operator auth)
Network → AI Platform B (explicit accounts, operator auth)
```

Declare capabilities accordingly:

```json theme={null}
{
  "adcp": { "major_versions": [3] },
  "supported_protocols": ["media_buy", "creative"],
  "account": {
    "require_operator_auth": false,
    "supported_billing": ["operator", "agent"],
    "required_for_products": false,
    "sandbox": true
  }
}
```

## Catalog forwarding

Networks receive catalogs from buyers via `sync_catalogs` and forward them to the relevant AI platforms. The same task works on both legs — the network acts as a buyer when syncing catalogs to each platform. This is the core data pipe: brand catalog data flows from buyer → network → platform, giving each platform the raw material to generate ads.

## Governance and content standards

Networks can enforce [governance policies](/dist/docs/3.0.0-rc.2/governance/overview) at the routing layer before forwarding to platforms. When a buyer pushes content standards, the network applies them when selecting which platforms and contexts are eligible — then forwards the policies to each platform so they're also enforced at creative generation time. This gives brands two layers of suitability enforcement: the network's routing decisions and the platform's generation constraints.

## Delivery reporting

Networks aggregate delivery data from underlying platforms and present unified reporting to buyers via `get_media_buy_delivery`. The buyer sees a single delivery report per media buy — the network handles the per-platform breakdown internally. Networks that want to offer platform-level transparency can use `reporting_dimensions` to expose placement-level breakdowns.

## adagents.json for networks

A network's [`adagents.json`](/dist/docs/3.0.0-rc.2/governance/property/adagents) lists the publisher properties it represents, even though it doesn't own them:

```json theme={null}
{
  "version": "1.0",
  "properties": [
    {
      "domain": "assistant-alpha.example.com",
      "agents": [{
        "agent_url": "https://ads.ai-network.example.com",
        "relationship": "direct",
        "supported_protocols": ["media_buy", "creative"]
      }]
    },
    {
      "domain": "assistant-beta.example.com",
      "agents": [{
        "agent_url": "https://ads.ai-network.example.com",
        "relationship": "direct",
        "supported_protocols": ["media_buy", "creative"]
      }]
    }
  ]
}
```

Each underlying AI platform authorizes the network in its own `adagents.json`. Buyer agents discover the network through the platforms' authorization chains.

## Sponsored Intelligence through networks

When an ad network sells [Sponsored Intelligence](/dist/docs/3.0.0-rc.2/sponsored-intelligence/overview) on behalf of brands, it acts as an intermediary in the SI session flow. The brand syncs offerings to the network via `sync_catalogs` with `type: "offering"`, and the network forwards them to underlying platforms. When a platform triggers a session, the network routes it to the correct brand agent.

```
AI Platform → Network → Brand Agent

1. Platform calls si_initiate_session with the network's media_buy_id
2. Network maps media_buy_id to the brand's offering_id
3. Network forwards to the brand agent's SI endpoint
4. Brand agent responds; network relays back to the platform
```

The key fields at each leg:

| Field          | Platform → Network                | Network → Brand          |
| -------------- | --------------------------------- | ------------------------ |
| `media_buy_id` | Network's media buy ID            | May differ or be omitted |
| `offering_id`  | Not set (platform doesn't know)   | Brand-specific offering  |
| `context`      | User intent from the conversation | Forwarded as-is          |
| `identity`     | User identity (if consented)      | Forwarded as-is          |

The network handles attribution correlation across the two legs. It knows which platform triggered the session (`placement`), which media buy funded it (`media_buy_id`), and which brand responded (`offering_id`). This lets the network provide unified delivery reporting to buyers via `get_media_buy_delivery` while each brand agent only sees its own sessions.

Networks should forward `identity` and `supported_capabilities` unchanged — the brand agent needs accurate host capabilities to negotiate modalities, and the user's consent was granted for the brand, not the network.

<Note>
  For the SI session lifecycle and capability negotiation details, see the [SI overview](/dist/docs/3.0.0-rc.2/sponsored-intelligence/overview) and [implementing SI hosts](/dist/docs/3.0.0-rc.2/sponsored-intelligence/implementing-si-hosts).
</Note>