Buyer / brand track (C1–C4)
Members only — Requires Basics credential (A1–A3). Four modules, ~105 minutes total.
C1: Multi-agent buying and media planning
~20 min | Prerequisite: A3 How buyer agents orchestrate across multiple sales agents simultaneously: discovery, portfolio allocation, proposals, and measuring reach across publishers.Reading list
Media buy overview
The media buy protocol: how agents discover, negotiate, and execute advertising campaigns.
get_products task
Product discovery from multiple sellers — the first step in any buying workflow.
create_media_buy task
Campaign creation: manual mode, proposal mode, validation, and approval lifecycle.
Orchestrator design
Architecture patterns for agents that coordinate across multiple sellers.
Pricing models
CPM, flat rate, performance-based — how pricing works across sellers.
Targeting
Targeting options, audience overlays, and geo-targeting.
Key concepts
- Multi-agent buying — query multiple sellers in parallel, compare, allocate, execute
- Orchestration pattern — discover, evaluate, allocate, execute, monitor
- Audience targeting —
sync_audiencesfor custom segments - Account setup —
sync_accountsto establish billing before buying
Start C1 with Addie
“I’d like to start certification module C1.”
C2: Brand identity, compliance, and safety
~20 min | Prerequisite: C1 The Brand Protocol (brand.json), content standards, and how brand agents enforce guidelines across automated buying.
Reading list
Brand protocol
Brand identity claims, brand.json discovery, brand hierarchy, and brand agents.
brand.json specification
The brand.json format: identity, logos, colors, guidelines, and agent declarations.
For advertisers
How advertisers license talent rights through the brand protocol — pricing, scopes, and what you get.
get_rights task
Search for licensable talent rights — pricing, availability, and exclusion filtering.
acquire_rights task
License talent rights: generation credentials, rights constraints, revocation, and approval workflows.
update_rights task
Extend, adjust, or pause an existing rights grant.
For rights holders
How rights holders monetize talent through the brand protocol.
Content standards
How content standards define what’s appropriate, how calibration works, and local execution.
calibrate_content task
Testing whether content meets brand standards before placement.
Policy compliance
How compliance is enforced during media buy execution.
Creative governance
Creative quality and compliance governance.
Campaign governance
Tie campaigns to media plans: budget authority, multi-party validation, and always-on compliance.
Policy registry
Community-maintained compliance policies (COPPA, GDPR, HFSS) that brands reference by ID.
Key concepts
- Brand identity protocol —
brand.jsonat/.well-known/brand.jsondeclares brand identity - Content standards — automated compliance checking via MCP-based brand agents
- The Oracle model — using AI to evaluate brand safety at scale
- Supply chain preferences — suitability, safety, and sustainability requirements
- Campaign governance — campaign plans define authorized parameters;
check_governancevalidates every transaction before execution - Policy registry — shared compliance policies (regulations and standards) referenced by ID, not written per-brand
- Governance modes — audit, advisory, enforce — a deployment path from learning to production
Start C2 with Addie
“I’d like to start certification module C2.”
C3: Creative workflows
~20 min | Prerequisite: C2 How creative assets flow through AdCP:build_creative, preview_creative, sync_creatives. Cross-platform adaptation and the Sponsored Intelligence Protocol.
Reading list
Creative overview
The creative protocol: assets, formats, manifests, creative agents.
build_creative task
Creative generation and transformation.
preview_creative task
Previewing creatives before deployment.
sync_creatives task
Synchronizing creative assets with publisher platforms.
Generative creative
AI-generated creative workflows and best practices.
Sponsored Intelligence
Conversational brand experiences in AI assistants.
SI specification
The Sponsored Intelligence protocol: sessions, messages, and offerings.
Key concepts
- Creative lifecycle —
build_creative,preview_creative,sync_creatives— callable on any agent implementing the Creative Protocol, including sales agents - Cross-platform adaptation — agents adapt assets across display, video, audio, native formats
- Seller-side generation — sales agents can generate creatives at serve time from a brief provided in the media buy
- Sponsored Intelligence — brands participate in conversational AI with transparency and user control
Start C3 with Addie
“I’d like to start certification module C3.”
C4: Build project — your first buyer agent
~45 min | Prerequisite: C3 Create a working buyer agent that discovers products and executes media buys. Use any AI coding assistant (Claude Code, Cursor, Copilot) with the adcp client library. The skill tested is orchestrating a buying workflow correctly.What you’ll build
- Account setup with
sync_accounts - Product discovery from at least 2 sellers
- Media buy creation with targeting and budget
- Creative sync with at least 1 format
- Campaign monitoring via delivery reporting
Assessment rubric
Passing threshold: 70%.
Any AI coding assistant is welcome. The build must demonstrate cross-role interaction.
Start C4 with Addie
“I’d like to start certification module C4.”
What’s next
After completing C1–C4, you’ve earned the AdCP practitioner credential. From here you can pursue specialist modules:- S1: Media buy — transaction flows, pricing, orchestration
- S2: Creative — asset workflows, format compliance
- S3: Signals — measurement, attribution, optimization
- S4: Governance — brand safety, campaign governance, compliance, policy registry
- S5: Sponsored Intelligence — conversational brand experiences