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A1: Why AdCP

Free module — No account required. ~15 minutes with Addie.

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Learning objectives

By the end of this module, you should be able to:
  • Explain why agentic advertising is a paradigm shift from programmatic
  • Describe what AI agents are and how they differ from traditional APIs
  • Articulate the fragmentation problem AdCP solves
  • Recognize AdCP’s breadth: 20 channels from display to local radio to cinema
  • Explain how campaign governance provides always-on compliance for autonomous agent transactions

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Reading list

Review these pages before starting the module with Addie. They provide the conceptual foundation for everything in the certification program.

Introduction to AdCP

What AdCP is, how it works, and the protocol domains. Start here if you’re completely new.

Why AdCP

The strategic vision: allocation vs day trading, the fragmentation problem, and why agents need a shared protocol.

Protocol comparison

How AdCP compares to OpenRTB, platform APIs, and direct IO. Understand where agentic advertising fits in the landscape.

Quickstart

See AdCP in action with a 5-minute code example. Optional but helpful for building intuition.

Campaign governance

How campaign governance ties campaigns to media plans and validates every transaction autonomously.

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Key terms

For the full glossary, see the AdCP glossary.

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What you’ll do with Addie

This module is grounded with a live agent query — you’ll see a real get_products response from @cptestagent, not a slide deck. Addie will guide you through:
  • What makes an AI agent different from a traditional API?
  • Why does a shared protocol matter for AI-powered advertising?
  • What problems arise if every ad tech company builds their own agent protocol?
  • How does the “allocation vs day trading” framing change how you think about media buying?
  • How do you trust AI agents to spend your money? (Always-on compliance: every transaction validated against the plan)
  • 20 channels: display, social, search, CTV, linear TV, radio, podcast, DOOH, OOH, print, cinema, gaming, retail media, influencer, affiliate, product placement, AI media

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Assessment

Addie evaluates your understanding across four dimensions: Passing threshold: 70%. This is a conversation, not a test — Addie will help you get there.

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Start this module

Start A1 with Addie

Open Addie and say “I’d like to start certification module A1.” Addie will take it from there.
Next: A2: Your first media buy