Australian Publishers Begin Testing New Global Standards for AI-Driven Ad Buying
The advertising technology landscape is undergoing a significant shift as IAB Tech Lab introduces AAMP 3.0 (Agentic Advertising Management Protocols), a new global standard designed to streamline one of the most manual and time-consuming stages of media buying: the RFP-to-proposal process. Starting in early October, IAB Australia is running a sandbox pilot with local publishers to test these standards in real-world conditions, giving Australian media and marketing professionals a voice in shaping how agentic advertising will work globally.
Automating the Manual: What AAMP 3.0 Solves
Agentic advertising represents a fundamental shift in how media buying operates. Rather than AI agents simply executing predetermined tasks, they now coordinate between buy-side and sell-side operations, discovering inventory, requesting proposals, and preparing transactions—all within human-set rules and approval frameworks. However, until now, a critical gap has existed: the process between an RFP (Request for Proposal) and an actual buy commitment has remained largely manual and disconnected from broader automation workflows.
AAMP 3.0 addresses this gap through OpenProposal, a new specification that creates a machine-readable standard for how sellers represent advertising products and respond to buyer briefs. This enables buying agents to discover, evaluate, and compare opportunities at scale—something practically impossible for human planners to accomplish manually across dozens of publishers.
A Comprehensive Lifecycle for Agentic Workflows
The new protocol connects seamlessly to existing industry standards including AdCOM, OpenDirect, and the Deals API, creating a continuous workflow from discovery through execution and reporting. The media lifecycle now includes:
- Publish: Sellers catalog public packages while retaining custom proposal options
- Discover: Buyer agents retrieve available packages or submit briefs for custom proposals
- Compare: Agents evaluate and rank opportunities against declared briefs
- Qualify: Systems assess availability and fit for specific audiences, flight dates, and requirements
- Negotiate: Buyer and seller agents can negotiate custom terms while maintaining reference to original offers
- Bind & Execute: Transactions execute using existing digital advertising infrastructure
- Report: Performance data flows back through established reporting standards
By maintaining consistency through AdCOM’s common vocabulary, information remains standardized as opportunities move from initial discovery through planning, negotiation, execution, and reporting.
Australia Takes the Lead on Testing and Governance
Rather than waiting for a globally locked-in standard, IAB Australia is taking proactive steps to shape AAMP 3.0’s future. Jonas Jaanimagi, Technology Lead at IAB Australia (pictured), is leading the local pilot effort and emphasizes the dual importance of testing commercial and governance aspects equally.
“As well as a global technology story, this is a local opportunity for the Australian media and marketing ecosystem,” Jaanimagi explains. “Testing AAMP Protocols properly now means our publishers can help shape how it works, rather than adopting a standard that’s already locked in. We’re testing the privacy and governance side just as closely as the commercial side, because getting that balance right is what will make this a real step forward for our industry as we embrace the agentic era together.”
This approach reflects a broader industry recognition that agentic advertising’s success depends not just on technical capability, but on building trust through proper privacy safeguards and governance frameworks from the outset.
Why This Matters for Your Business
For publishers, AAMP 3.0 offers a standardized way to make their ad products understandable to buying agents, expanding their reach to a broader universe of potential buyers who can now evaluate opportunities at machine speed. For agencies and brands, the broader consideration set means more informed media plans built on data from diverse publishers rather than a narrow selection.
The specification is currently in Public Comment until October 22, 2026, during which time it will be integrated into Buyer and Seller Agent SDK reference implementations. More information about the pilot and Q&A resources are available for those interested in understanding how AAMP Protocols will impact Australian media operations.
As the advertising industry transitions toward agentic workflows, having early input into these standards—rather than adopting them after they’re finalized—positions Australian publishers, agencies, and technology providers to lead this transformation rather than simply follow it.
Source: Podwires Newsletter
