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The advertising world has officially entered the agentic era — a shift where specialized AI agents assist humans in planning, negotiating, and optimizing media buys. Yet, for all the excitement about their potential, one challenge remains: these systems don’t yet speak the same language.
AdCP, MCP, and WTF
To solve this problem, the consortium of adtech and media companies has started work on Ad Context Protocol (AdCP), an open standard that defines how AI systems communicate and collaborate across advertising platforms. AdCP gives agents the structure and context they need to work together accurately and efficiently. It is built on Model Context Protocol, or MCP, the underlying framework that allows AI models to connect to external systems securely.
Optable recently sponsored Digiday’s explainer video, which unpacks the MCP in detail. We recommend watching it to refresh your understanding of the protocol — the foundation for AdCP. Read the full article on Digiday →
What Does AdCP Mean for Publishers?
For publishers, AdCP is a gateway to participating in the next generation of digital advertising, powered by intelligent automation, transparency, and interoperability.
Those who move first gain an advantage — not only in speed and efficiency, but in access to a fast-growing ecosystem of AI-enabled buyers. Getting AdCP-ready early helps ensure your inventory and audiences are discoverable by these buyers as adoption accelerates.
AdCP enables direct, intelligent communication between publisher systems and advertiser agents. These agents assist their human directors in negotiating, planning, and executing campaigns directly — with clear rules and full auditability.
In practical terms, that means publishers can make their inventory, audiences, and packaging options discoverable to AI-driven buyers, all while maintaining control of their data.
AdCP standardizes how AI agents collaborate, serving as the connect-the-dots layer. It enables intelligent agents on both sides of the marketplace to understand and transact with each other — transforming publisher data into a dynamic source of value.
Why Did Optable Join the Initiative?
Optable joined AdCP as a founding member because the future of AI in advertising must be open, collaborative, and grounded in trust.
Our mission has always been to make it easier for the advertising ecosystem to analyze, connect, and activate its data. Through our Agentic Collaboration framework, Optable has already implemented AdCP-compatible workflows with pilot publishers.
Roll in to our beta program to implement the Optable Planner Agent — the AI-powered sales assistant that automates ad-planning workflows from RFP to activation, built on the same AdCP principles shaping the future of advertising.
We believe the advertising ecosystem only thrives when publishers retain ownership of their data and when innovation happens in the open. AdCP provides the structure to ensure a future where AI accelerates opportunity rather than creating new silos.
Why Publishers Should Get Involved
AI-driven buying is no longer theoretical; many leading companies are already experimenting with automated campaign planning and media activation. To stay visible to these new forms of demand, publishers need to ensure their inventory is accessible through AdCP.
Joining early doesn’t just provide access — it offers influence. Publishers that embrace agentic systems like Optable Planner today will be ready to support AdCP workflows as they are rolled out in the industry, enabling interoperability with buy-side agents. The benefits are tangible: improved operational efficiency, greater transparency in demand, and inclusion in the growing ecosystem of AI-native media buying.
Learn more about the initiative at: https://adcontextprotocol.org/
Becoming AI-Ready: Building on Strong Identity Foundations
AI readiness starts with data readiness. For agents to operate effectively, publishers need the right audience and identity infrastructure, along with control and compliance safeguards that keep data within trusted boundaries. Agents (almost) can’t do miracles, but they can help teams automate, streamline existing workflows, and break down silos. To do so, they require reliable data to transact. A strong identity and audience foundation are essential for benefiting from promising agentic capabilities.
That’s where Optable comes in. Our platform provides the identity solutions and safe environment publishers need to participate confidently in the agentic ecosystem.
Learn how to build an identity spine with Optable →
Key Considerations for Publishers Participating in the AdCP Initiative
Publishers using agents on the Optable platform can automate workflows while maintaining complete control over their data and decision-making.
Here’s what that looks like in practice:
- Data stays in your ownership: It never leaves your Optable tenant.
- No pooling: Your data isn’t mixed with anyone else’s.
- Secure access only: Optable Planner Agent users don't need to see or access user data directly — it builds relevant signals from marketing briefs written in natural language.
- Low sales overhead: Agentic workflows reduce manual sales effort to near zero.
- Full transparency: You can see which buyers are activating audiences and view their prompts to understand campaign intent.
- Data separation maintained: Each publisher’s data remains in its own deal; buyers receive a list of relevant opportunities to target from their DSP — never a blended dataset.
Building the Future of Agentic Advertising
Publishers are entering a new phase — one where AI agents can strengthen data value and elevate relationships with partners. Experimentation and adoption are already underway, and Optable is helping shape this transformation in the best interests of publishers.
By embedding the Ad Context Protocol within our Agentic Collaboration framework, Optable provides a secure, interoperable, and controllable environment where publisher and buyer agents can collaborate seamlessly.
In this evolving landscape, Optable serves as the identity and collaboration layer of agentic advertising, empowering publishers to turn intelligence into long-term advantage.
Reach out to our experts at sales@optable.co to learn more about agentic advertising.
