• by Laurie Sullivan  @lauriesullivan, December 6, 2024

IAB Tech Lab has opened its Ad Creative ID Framework (ACIF) Validation API to a 45-day public comment period.

The tool aims to help ensure that video and TV ads are correctly identified and registered across different platforms. It automates the process of checking whether an ad’s ID is valid and provides the metadata associated with the ad.

The idea is for the API to save time, reduce mistakes, and make it easier for advertisers, publishers and platforms to work together.

An IAB Tech Lab spokesperson said the “metadata is key to offering all the benefits of ACIF, since it can be used for ad decisioning use cases such as cross-platform frequency capping and competitive separation.”

It should create a “smoother system” to deliver and measure ads, as well as a better consumer experience, especially for connected and streaming TV.

Ryan McConville, executive vice president of ad platforms and operations at NBCUniversal Advertising & Partnerships, believes the framework represents a “practical and much-needed step in addressing inefficiencies across the supply chain,” and that it standardizes and makes advanced TV operations more achievable.

In addition to McConville, representatives from the Association of National Advertising (ANA), Paramount, XR Extreme Reach, among others support the API, highlighting its potential to simplify operations and enhance advertising return on investments (ROI).

The framework integrates with third-party registries like AD-ID for seamless validation, with the goal of benefiting publishers, platforms, and advertisers.

The public comment period will remain open until January 18, 2025. The ACIF Validation API is part of a broader effort to normalize the tech stack across TV and video platforms.