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Required tasks by protocol

Each AdCP protocol defines tasks that agents implement depending on their role. This page consolidates the requirements from each protocol specification into a single reference. Legend: Required — the specification mandates implementation. Conditional — required when the agent has a specific capability. Optional — the specification recommends but does not mandate. Some tasks span protocols. For example, list_creative_formats and sync_creatives are defined in the Creative Protocol but also implemented by Media Buy sales agents. These appear under both protocols with a note indicating the source.

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Shared

Every AdCP agent, regardless of protocol, implements:
TaskRequirementReference
get_adcp_capabilitiesRequiredCapability discovery
Caller-scope RBAC introspection is not a standalone task. Sellers that support scope introspection return a per-account authorization object on sync_accounts and list_accounts responses. See Accounts Protocol — Caller authorization. AdCP task lifecycle state is application-layer state, not MCP-native or A2A-native task state. 3.x sellers MAY advertise non-colliding AdCP aliases for polling and reconciliation: get_task_status for legacy tasks/get, and list_tasks for legacy tasks/list. These aliases are optional compatibility surfaces in 3.x; callers MUST continue to support the legacy names through the 3.x line.

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Media Buy Protocol

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Sales agent (seller)

TaskRequirementNotes
get_productsRequiredInventory discovery
list_creative_formatsRequiredFormat specifications (Creative Protocol task)
create_media_buyRequiredCampaign creation and order confirmation
update_media_buyRequiredBudget, targeting, pause, cancel
get_media_buysRequiredOperational state retrieval
get_media_buy_deliveryRequiredDelivery metrics at the package level; reporting_capabilities MUST be included on every product
provide_performance_feedbackRequiredAccept buyer optimization signals
sync_creativesConditionalRequired when the sales agent hosts a creative library (Creative Protocol task)
list_creativesOptionalCreative catalog browsing (Creative Protocol task)
sync_catalogsOptionalProduct/inventory catalog sync
sync_event_sourcesOptionalConversion tracking setup
log_eventConditionalRequired when event sources are configured
sync_audiencesOptionalFirst-party CRM audience upload
Sales agents MUST also support at least one transport (MCP or A2A) and declare media_buy in supported_protocols. Reference: Media Buy Specification · Seller integration guide

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Orchestrator (buyer)

Orchestrators are not MCP/A2A servers — they call sales agent tasks. Conformant orchestrators MUST:
  1. Authenticate with sales agents
  2. Include required fields per request schemas
  3. Handle asynchronous task-level responses (submitted, working, input-required) and webhook delivery of completion artifacts
  4. Use media_buy_id for all subsequent operations
  5. Respect creative_deadline for creative uploads
Reference: Media Buy Specification — Orchestrator conformance

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Creative Protocol

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Creative agent

TaskRequirementNotes
list_creative_formatsRequiredFormat discovery with technical specs
list_transformersConditionalRequired when the agent advertises creative.supports_transformers: true
build_creativeOptionalGeneration, transformation, or library retrieval
preview_creativeOptionalPreview rendering
list_creativesConditionalRequired when has_creative_library: true
sync_creativesConditionalRequired when the agent accepts creative uploads
get_creative_deliveryOptionalVariant-level delivery metrics
Creative agents MUST return authoritative format definitions only for formats they own. Reference: Creative Specification

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Signals Protocol

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Signal agent

TaskRequirementNotes
get_signalsRequiredSignal discovery
activate_signalRequiredSignal activation on decisioning platforms
Signal agents MUST enforce access control for private signals and activation keys. Reference: Signals Specification

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Brand Protocol

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Brand agent

TaskRequirementNotes
get_brand_identityRequiredCore identity is public; authorized callers get deeper data
get_rightsConditionalRequired when the agent manages brand rights
acquire_rightsConditionalRequired when the agent manages brand rights
update_rightsConditionalRequired when the agent manages brand rights
creative_approvalConditionalRequired when the agent reviews AI-generated content
Brand agents MUST declare brand in supported_protocols. Reference: Brand Protocol · Building a brand agent

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Accounts Protocol

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Any agent accepting accounts

TaskRequirementNotes
sync_accountsConditionalBuyer-declared accounts (require_operator_auth: false) — buyer declares brand/operator pairs; account-id namespaces may use this only for settings updates unless a future explicit capability declares provisioning
list_accountsConditionalAccount-id namespaces (require_operator_auth: true) — buyer discovers seller-assigned accounts; singleton credentials SHOULD still return one row so SDKs can auto-select
sync_governanceConditionalRequired when the buyer uses campaign governance
report_usageConditionalRequired when the agent charges for services
get_account_financialsOptionalFinancial summary per account
Agents MUST implement at least one of sync_accounts or list_accounts depending on their account model. An agent MAY implement both (e.g., ad networks that use buyer-declared accounts on the buyer side and account-id namespaces with underlying platforms). Reference: Accounts Protocol

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Governance: Campaign

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Governance agent

TaskRequirementNotes
sync_plansRequiredPlan creation and amendment
check_governanceRequiredValidation at purchase, modification, and delivery phases
report_plan_outcomeRequiredOutcome reporting and budget commitment
get_plan_audit_logsRequiredAudit trail retrieval
Reference: Campaign Governance Specification

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Governance: Property

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Governance agent

TaskRequirementNotes
create_property_listRequiredList creation with filters
get_property_listRequiredResolved property retrieval
update_property_listRequiredList modification
delete_property_listRequiredList removal
list_property_listsRequiredList enumeration
validate_property_deliveryOptionalPost-campaign compliance validation
Reference: Property Governance Specification

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Governance: Collection

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Governance agent

TaskRequirementNotes
create_collection_listRequiredList creation with collection sources and filters
get_collection_listRequiredResolved collection retrieval
update_collection_listRequiredList modification
list_collection_listsRequiredList enumeration
delete_collection_listRequiredList removal
Reference: Collection Governance

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Governance: Content Standards

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Content standards agent

TaskRequirementNotes
create_content_standardsRequiredStandards creation
get_content_standardsRequiredStandards retrieval
list_content_standardsRequiredStandards enumeration
update_content_standardsRequiredStandards modification
calibrate_contentOptionalSeller calibration against standards
validate_content_deliveryOptionalPost-delivery content compliance
get_media_buy_artifactsOptionalArtifact retrieval for validation
Reference: Content Standards

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Governance: Creative

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Creative governance agent

TaskRequirementNotes
get_creative_featuresRequiredSecurity scanning, content categorization
Reference: Creative Governance

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Brand agent

TaskRequirementNotes
si_get_offeringOptionalPre-session offering lookup
si_initiate_sessionRequiredSession creation with consent
si_send_messageRequiredConversational messaging
si_terminate_sessionRequiredSession cleanup
Brand agents MUST declare sponsored_intelligence in supported_protocols. Reference: Sponsored Intelligence Specification

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Trusted Match Protocol

TMP uses a different communication model (direct HTTP, not MCP/A2A tasks). See the TMP Specification for message types and conformance requirements.