> ## 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.

# Creative Formats

> Canonical creative format contracts in AdCP 3.2: publisher acceptance, product deliverability, creative-agent capabilities, and portable manifests.

AdCP 3.2 uses canonical creative declarations end to end. A declaration answers what assets and constraints a delivery surface accepts. It is not the identity of the creative agent that produced the assets.

Named `format_id` objects and `list_creative_formats` are deprecated compatibility surfaces. New implementations use the model below. Fields named exactly `format_ids` are removed in AdCP 4.0; singular `format_id`, named-format definitions, and the task follow separate schedules.

## The three authorities

| Question                                               | Source of truth                                      |
| ------------------------------------------------------ | ---------------------------------------------------- |
| What does a publisher surface accept?                  | Publisher `adagents.json.formats[]`                  |
| What can a sales agent deliver for this product?       | `Product.format_options[]` from `get_products`       |
| What can a creative agent build, validate, or preview? | `get_adcp_capabilities.creative.supported_formats[]` |

These declarations share the same canonical shape so buyers can compare them, but they are independent claims. A creative agent does not become publisher-authoritative by copying a publisher identity, and a sales product does not enumerate approved creative vendors.

## Canonical declaration

```json theme={null}
{
  "publisher_domain": "shorts.streamhaus.example",
  "format_option_id": "vertical_video",
  "format_kind": "video_hosted",
  "params": {
    "width": 1080,
    "height": 1920,
    "duration_ms_range": [5000, 60000],
    "video_codecs": ["h264"],
    "slots": [
      { "asset_group_id": "video_main", "asset_type": "video", "required": true },
      { "asset_group_id": "landing_page_url", "asset_type": "url", "required": true }
    ]
  }
}
```

* `format_kind` selects the canonical vocabulary.
* `params` narrows that canonical with dimensions, durations, codecs, slots, and other structural constraints.
* `{publisher_domain, format_option_id}` identifies an exact publisher-owned option when applicable.
* Product-local options omit `publisher_domain` and use `format_option_id` within the product.

Commercial facts—price, floor, availability, auction mechanics, and deal eligibility—belong on the product and pricing option, not in format parameters.

## Creative-agent capability

A creative agent wraps a canonical declaration in an agent-local operation entry:

```json theme={null}
{
  "capability_id": "streamhaus_vertical_video_builder",
  "operations": ["build", "validate", "preview"],
  "format": {
    "publisher_domain": "shorts.streamhaus.example",
    "format_option_id": "vertical_video",
    "format_kind": "video_hosted",
    "params": {
      "width": 1080,
      "height": 1920,
      "duration_ms_range": [5000, 60000]
    }
  }
}
```

The buyer passes `capability_id` to that same agent as `build_creative.target_capability_id`. The returned manifest does not carry the capability ID because it must remain portable.

## Portable manifest

```json theme={null}
{
  "format_kind": "video_hosted",
  "format_option_ref": {
    "scope": "publisher",
    "publisher_domain": "shorts.streamhaus.example",
    "format_option_id": "vertical_video"
  },
  "assets": {
    "video_main": {
      "asset_type": "video",
      "url": "https://cdn.acmeoutdoor.example/vertical-launch.mp4",
      "width": 1080,
      "height": 1920,
      "duration_ms": 30000
    },
    "landing_page_url": {
      "asset_type": "url",
      "url": "https://acmeoutdoor.example/trail-pro"
    }
  }
}
```

Use `format_option_ref` when the receiving product has multiple options of the same kind or needs an exact publisher/product option. Otherwise `format_kind` plus the manifest assets may be sufficient.

## Matching and satisfaction

Canonical compatibility is directional. A creative capability or manifest satisfies a target only when it meets every target constraint:

* Exact dimensions and durations must match.
* A requested range must be contained within the accepted range; overlap is insufficient.
* Required slots must be present with compatible asset types.
* An exact publisher claim must match both `publisher_domain` and `format_option_id`.
* Equal `format_kind` values alone do not prove compatibility.

For a product with multiple included placements, the selected format set must cover every placement. A seller must reject or refine a package with an uncovered placement; it must not silently remove inventory. If a multi-publisher product omits `placements[]`, each `publisher_properties[]` selector is an eligibility slice: product-local options apply to every slice, publisher-scoped options only to their publisher, and an indeterminate slice fails closed until the seller supplies placements or a refined product.

## Discovery flow

1. Call `get_products` and read the selected product's `format_options[]`.
2. Resolve publisher-backed options from the publisher's `adagents.json.formats[]` when needed.
3. Query the registry by canonical kind or exact publisher option to find creative agents.
4. Call the selected creative agent's `get_adcp_capabilities` directly.
5. Pass its local `capability_id` to `build_creative`.
6. Submit the returned canonical manifest through `sync_creatives`.

The impression-time renderer is the seller/publisher delivery runtime behind `sync_creatives`. It is not discovered as a creative-agent endpoint merely because it composes the ad at serve time.

## Related

* [Canonical formats specification](/dist/docs/3.2.0-beta.0/creative/canonical-formats)
* [Creative manifests](/dist/docs/3.2.0-beta.0/creative/creative-manifests)
* [`get_adcp_capabilities`](/dist/docs/3.2.0-beta.0/protocol/get_adcp_capabilities)
* [`build_creative`](/dist/docs/3.2.0-beta.0/creative/task-reference/build_creative)
* [Deprecated `list_creative_formats`](/dist/docs/3.2.0-beta.0/creative/task-reference/list_creative_formats)