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Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →adagents.json establishes which sales agents are authorized for a publisher’s properties; the core OpenRTB 2.3 Imp object describes an individual impression offered for auction. It does not include a standard field that repeats AdCP’s authorization selector. The two protocols therefore address different layers, and can work together without carrying the same information in both places.
What adagents.json authorizes
A publisher hosts adagents.json at /.well-known/adagents.json on its domain. The file declares properties and the sales agents authorized to sell them. In the current AdCP overview’s v3-style example, an authorization includes an authorization_type and a corresponding selector, such as property_ids. The selector is what identifies the properties in scope; an authorization type without its matching selector does not let a resolver determine that scope. See the AdCP adagents.json overview.
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This is an agent- and property-level declaration, not an auction request for one particular impression. It helps establish which inventory an agent may represent before individual ad opportunities are handled.
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What OpenRTB 2.3 Imp describes
In OpenRTB 2.3, a BidRequest contains one or more Imp objects. Each Imp describes an offered impression or placement, including its media options and relevant auction details. The core object’s fields include items such as tagid, bidfloor, and a secure-delivery flag. The IAB’s OpenRTB API Specification v2.3 does not define AdCP’s authorization selector as a standard Imp field.
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That distinction is narrower than saying OpenRTB cannot carry authorization information. OpenRTB 2.3 provides an exchange-specific ext extension point, but the core specification does not standardize the AdCP selector there or elsewhere in Imp. Whether a particular exchange uses a private extension or another mapping is implementation-specific and cannot be inferred from the core schema.
How the two protocols fit together
| Question | AdCP and adagents.json | OpenRTB 2.3 Imp |
|---|---|---|
| Scope | Which sales agents are authorized for declared properties | An individual impression or placement offered in an auction |
| Primary purpose | Authorization discovery and agent-level workflow | Describing an auction opportunity and enabling bidding |
| Where information appears | Domain-hosted /.well-known/adagents.json |
An Imp object within a BidRequest |
| Typical timing | Workflow may span seconds to days, according to the AdCP FAQ | Real-time impression auction, as distinguished in the AdCP FAQ |
AdCP can manage a buy workflow while OpenRTB handles the impression-level auction. For example, an AdCP agent can accept a create_media_buy task and use OpenRTB internally to execute impression delivery. The AdCP FAQ describes the protocols as complementary and separately governed; one layer does not need to restate the other’s data to participate in the same workflow.
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Do not confuse authorization scope with auction fields
Fields such as tagid and bidfloor carry auction or placement information; they do not substitute for the AdCP property authorization selector. Likewise, a deal ID or buyer-seat restriction concerns transaction or bidder eligibility, not the domain-level declaration of which agent may sell a publisher’s property. Treat each field according to the layer and purpose defined by its specification.
Check the AdCP version before implementing
The current AdCP overview presents a v3-style example with authorization_type and its corresponding selector. The AdCP testing framework’s builder displays specification details labelled v2.2.0 and uses delegation_type with property_ids. These are version-specific forms, not interchangeable spellings. Consult the versioned schema you intend to implement rather than copying the builder’s older example into a current implementation. The builder’s displayed version is identified on the adagents.json builder page.
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