#United States #New York #IAB Tech Lab #OpenRTB #Protocol Buffers

IAB Tech Lab Introduces Standardized Protocol Buffers for OpenRTB

The IAB Tech Lab, a leading authority in setting digital advertising standards, has recently released a new proposed standard aimed at enhancing the OpenRTB protocol. Announced on September 16, 2025, this initiative seeks to improve how programmatic advertising ecosystems communicate by introducing a standardized Protocol Buffers (protobuf) representation. The public comment period is open until October 15, 2025, allowing industry stakeholders to provide their feedback.

The Need for Standardization

In the rapidly evolving world of digital advertising, the demand for efficiency is paramount. As Anthony Katsur, CEO of IAB Tech Lab, pointed out, the ongoing technical debt in the industry has been a hindrance to innovation. By standardizing the way OpenRTB attributes are structured using Protocol Buffers, the organization aims to streamline operations and promote faster, easier adaptations across the advertising supply chain.

OpenRTB, a crucial piece of technology for real-time bidding in digital advertising, has seen various implementations and adaptations within different companies. By providing a single, standardized method for how these attributes are encoded, IAB Tech Lab intends to mitigate the complexities and overhead that result from using multiple, disparate systems.

Advantages of Protocol Buffers

The introduction of a unified Protocol Buffers standard offers significant benefits. This format is designed to optimize data exchange, allowing for quicker parsing and reducing integration times by as much as 50% compared to traditional JSON formats. Hillary Slattery, Senior Director of Programmatic Product Management at IAB Tech Lab, emphasized that the absence of a standardized approach previously diminished the full potential of Protocol Buffers, which is widely adopted yet inconsistently applied across the industry.

The standardized approach seeks to enhance performance and modularity, making it easier for companies to deploy new services without facing the existing challenges of integration and maintenance.

Industry Responses

Prominent figures in the industry have come together to support this initiative. Trent Underwood, an engineer at Google, articulated that a common Protocol Buffers standard would alleviate friction in programmatic supply chains, allowing firms to focus on performance enhancements rather than technical upkeep. Similarly, Neal Richter, Director at Amazon DSP, noted that moving towards open industry standards would foster greater interoperability and address the complexity of programmatic advertising.

The Road Ahead

The development of this draft specification was a collaborative effort spearheaded by the Programmatic Supply Chain Commit Group within IAB Tech Lab. A GitHub repository and an in-depth technical blog post will accompany the release to support further discussions and contributions from developers, platforms, and publishers interested in refining the proposed standard.

IAB Tech Lab invites participants from every facet of the advertising ecosystem to contribute to the conversation during the public comment period. This engagement is crucial for ensuring that the new standards meet the diverse needs of advertisers and publishers alike.

The initiative represents a significant step toward bringing efficiency and consistency to the programmatic advertising space, empowering companies to redirect their resources from infrastructure maintenance to innovation, ultimately benefiting the entire industry.

Conclusion

As IAB Tech Lab continues to champion industry standards, the release of a new standardized Protocol Buffers representation for OpenRTB holds promise for transforming digital advertising practices. This initiative will not only streamline operations but will also set the foundation for future advancements in programmatic advertising, paving the way for a more agile and effective ecosystem.