Standard Header Container Integration with an Ad Server


In 2016, the Header Tag Task Force assembled within the IAB Tech Lab to determine appropriate scope for standards development in header bidding. Considering the recent growth of header bidding yield management strategies, the IAB Tech Lab Board of Directors determined a need for baseline open protocol for integrating header tag technology with an ad server.

The “Standard Header Container Integration with an Ad Server” draft, in public review until July 28, 2017, standardizes how header tags and containers interact with ad servers. This will allow for header bidding to scale with industry consensus on process within the ad server. Expected audience for this standard includes technical leads and product owners at sell side and at intermediary partner companies. Non-standard setups, yield management strategies, and current market adoption rates are outside the scope of this document.

The “Standard Header Container Integration with an Ad Server” document is available for public review here.

As header bidding innovation continues, there may be additional technology or implementation standardization opportunities.