Skip to main content
A creative manifest supplies concrete assets that satisfy a canonical format declaration. It does not identify the creative agent that produced those assets. A canonical declaration defines required slots, a manifest fills them with concrete assets, and the seller renders the result

​
Basic structure

  • format_kind names the canonical creative shape.
  • assets is keyed by asset_group_id from the matched declaration’s params.slots[].
  • Every asset carries its asset_type discriminator.
  • Brand, provenance, rights, and industry identifiers may be included when applicable.
Compound format_id references are deprecated in 3.2. New manifests use the canonical branch.

​
Exact option routing

When a product accepts multiple declarations of the same kind, or when the creative must target an exact publisher format, add format_option_ref. Publisher option:
Product-local option:
A product-scoped reference resolves only with the enclosing product/package context.

​
Capability identity does not travel

build_creative.target_capability_id selects a route on one creative agent. The resulting manifest carries the output contract, not that local route ID:
This keeps manifests portable across compatible sellers and prevents a production vendor’s namespace from becoming part of the delivery contract.

​
Validation

Validate a manifest against the selected product or publisher declaration:
  1. Resolve format_option_ref when present; otherwise select the unambiguous compatible format_kind declaration.
  2. Confirm all required slots are present.
  3. Validate each asset against its declared type and technical constraints.
  4. Check fixed dimensions, durations, codecs, file-size limits, and required disclosures.
  5. Reject unknown or uncovered selections; do not silently relax the target contract.
Creative agents can advertise validate in creative.supported_formats[].operations. Sellers perform final acceptance during sync_creatives because product-, account-, and placement-specific constraints remain seller-authoritative.

​
Libraries and trafficking

Store reusable manifests with sync_creatives on agents that advertise creative.has_creative_library: true. A buyer may reuse its creative_id and concept_id across sellers, but each destination validates the manifest against its own selected product and may require a different format_option_ref. Approval state is seller-specific. A valid manifest can still enter review, be rejected for policy, or require replacement independently at each destination.

​
Deprecated compatibility branch

Older 3.x peers may still send a manifest with a compound named format_id. A 3.2 implementation may read it, normalize it to a canonical declaration, and project it back when negotiating with that peer. It must not author new manifests from the legacy shape or mix format_id and format_kind in one manifest.