Media Channel Taxonomy

Status: Draft Specification Version: 1.0.0-draft Last Updated: 2026-01-23

This specification defines a standardized taxonomy for advertising media channels. It is designed for interoperability across media planning tools, ad tech platforms, and AI-powered advertising agents.

Motivation

The advertising industry lacks a standardized channel taxonomy. While IAB Tech Lab provides taxonomies for content, audience, and ad products, no equivalent exists for media channels. This leads to:

Inconsistent channel naming across platforms
Difficulty aggregating cross-channel campaign data
Confusion between channels, formats, and buying models
Friction in automated media planning workflows

This specification addresses these gaps by defining:

Media Channels - How buyers allocate budget (planning abstractions)
Property Types - Addressable inventory surfaces with verifiable ownership
Clear distinction between channels, property types, and formats

Design Philosophy

Channels represent how buyers plan and allocate budget, not where ads technically render. This is a deliberate design choice. Buyers don’t say “I have

500K for web" — they say "I have

500K for display” or “I have $300K for OLV.” The channel taxonomy reflects this reality.

Key Principles

Planning-oriented: Channels match how agencies structure media plans
Lightweight tags: Channels help buyers express intent, not enforce precise classification
Multi-channel support: Properties may align with multiple channels (YouTube = olv, social, ctv)
Publisher-declared: Publishers indicate which channels their inventory supports
Agent-reconciled: Sales agents match buyer intent with publisher claims

Channels vs Technical Substrates

Channels deliberately avoid substrate-level concepts like “web” or “mobile app” because:

Buyers don’t plan that way
Most digital inventory would fall into both categories
The same placement can be bought different ways

Instead, channels describe buying contexts: display, OLV, social, search, CTV, etc.

Terminology

The key words “MUST”, “MUST NOT”, “REQUIRED”, “SHALL”, “SHALL NOT”, “SHOULD”, “SHOULD NOT”, “RECOMMENDED”, “MAY”, and “OPTIONAL” in this document are to be interpreted as described in RFC 2119.

Definitions

Media Channel

A media channel describes how buyers allocate budget. It represents a planning abstraction that encodes assumptions about audience, environment, and buying approach. Channels are defined by buying context, not by:

Technical substrate (web vs app)
How the ad looks (that’s a format)
The specific technology serving the ad

Property Type

A property type describes a specific addressable inventory surface where:

Ownership can be verified (e.g., via adagents.json)
Ads can be programmatically served
Identifiers exist for the property (domains, app IDs, device IDs)

Property types are technical classifications, distinct from channels. The same property may support multiple channels.

Format Category

A format category describes HOW an ad renders - its creative unit type. Examples: video, audio, display, native. Formats are orthogonal to channels.

Understanding Channels vs Property Types

Concept	Question It Answers	Determined By	Example
Channel	How do buyers allocate budget?	Planning context	`retail_media`
Property Type	Where does the ad technically render?	Addressable inventory surface	`website`

Why This Matters

Consider retail media: when a buyer allocates budget to “retail media,” they’re buying:

Sponsored products on retailer websites
Display ads on retailer apps
Off-site ads using retailer data
In-store digital screens

All of these are retail_media channel, but the property types vary (website, mobile_app, dooh).

Multi-Channel Properties

Properties can align with multiple channels. Examples:

Property	Channels	Reasoning
YouTube	`olv`, `social`, `ctv`	Different buying contexts on same platform
ESPN App	`olv`, `display`	Supports video and display inventory
Amazon	`retail_media`, `search`, `display`	Multiple ad products

When to Use Each

Use channel when:

Filtering products by budget allocation category
Reporting on media mix
Expressing buyer intent in product discovery

Use property_type when:

Validating inventory ownership via adagents.json
Technical ad serving decisions
Platform-specific targeting

Media Channels

Channel Enum

The following 19 channels MUST be supported. Implementations MAY extend with additional channels using the ext field.

Channel	Description
`display`	Digital display advertising (banners, native, rich media)
`olv`	Online video outside CTV (pre-roll, outstream, in-app video)
`social`	Social media platforms
`search`	Search engine advertising
`ctv`	Connected TV and streaming on television screens
`linear_tv`	Traditional broadcast and cable television
`radio`	Traditional AM/FM radio broadcast
`streaming_audio`	Digital audio streaming services
`podcast`	Podcast advertising
`dooh`	Digital out-of-home screens
`ooh`	Classic out-of-home (billboards, transit)
`print`	Newspapers, magazines, print publications
`cinema`	Movie theater advertising
`email`	Email advertising and newsletters
`gaming`	In-game advertising
`retail_media`	Retail media networks and commerce marketplaces
`influencer`	Creator and influencer partnerships
`affiliate`	Affiliate networks and performance-based partnerships
`product_placement`	Product placement and branded content

Channel Definitions

`display`

Digital display advertising including banners, native units, and rich media across web and app environments. Includes:

Display banners on websites
Display ads in mobile apps
Native content units
Rich media ads
Interstitials (non-video)

Excludes:

Video ads (use olv or ctv)
Social platform ads (use social)
Search results (use search)
Retail media placements (use retail_media)

Typical Formats: display, native, rich_media

`olv`

Online video advertising delivered outside of CTV/television environments. Includes:

Pre-roll, mid-roll, post-roll on websites
In-app video ads
Outstream/in-feed video
YouTube video ads (when not on TV screens)
Video on news sites, sports sites, etc.

Excludes:

CTV/streaming on TV screens (use ctv)
Social platform video (use social)
Linear TV (use linear_tv)
Retail media video (use retail_media)

Typical Formats: video Note: OLV (Online Video) is a distinct planning bucket from CTV. Agencies commonly budget separately for “OLV” and “CTV” campaigns. Social media platform advertising, regardless of technical delivery surface. Includes:

Meta platforms (Facebook, Instagram, Threads)
X (Twitter)
TikTok
LinkedIn
Snapchat
Pinterest
Reddit
YouTube (when bought through social-style targeting)

Excludes:

Influencer content on social platforms (use influencer)
Video ads bought for reach, not social engagement (consider olv)

Typical Formats: display, video, native Note: Social is defined by BUYING CONTEXT (social platform ad tools) and audience engagement model.

`search`

Search engine results pages and search advertising networks. Includes:

Google Search ads
Microsoft Bing ads
DuckDuckGo ads
App store search ads
Shopping/product listing ads in search context

Excludes:

Display ads on search engine properties (use display)
Retail media search (use retail_media)

Typical Formats: text, display (shopping)

`ctv`

Connected TV advertising delivered through streaming applications on television screens. Includes:

Streaming service apps (Netflix, Hulu, Max, etc.)
Virtual MVPDs (YouTube TV, Sling, etc.)
Free ad-supported streaming TV (FAST)
Smart TV native apps
Gaming console streaming apps

Excludes:

Linear broadcast/cable (use linear_tv)
Video on phones/tablets/desktops (use olv)
YouTube on mobile (use olv or social)

Typical Formats: video

`linear_tv`

Traditional broadcast and cable television advertising. Includes:

National broadcast networks (ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox)
Cable networks (ESPN, CNN, HGTV)
Local broadcast stations
Addressable linear TV

Excludes:

Streaming on TV screens (use ctv)
TV Everywhere apps on mobile (use olv)

Typical Formats: video

`radio`

Traditional AM/FM radio broadcast advertising. Includes:

Terrestrial radio stations
Satellite radio (SiriusXM terrestrial simulcast)
HD Radio

Excludes:

Streaming audio services (use streaming_audio)
Podcasts (use podcast)

Typical Formats: audio

`streaming_audio`

Digital audio streaming services. Includes:

Music streaming (Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, Pandora)
Audio content platforms
Digital radio streams (iHeartRadio digital, TuneIn)

Excludes:

Podcasts (use podcast)
Terrestrial radio simulcast (use radio)

Typical Formats: audio, display (companion)

`podcast`

Podcast advertising, including host-read and dynamically inserted ads. Includes:

Host-read sponsorships
Dynamically inserted audio ads
Podcast network advertising

Excludes:

Music streaming (use streaming_audio)
Video podcasts on YouTube (use olv or social)

Typical Formats: audio

`dooh`

Digital out-of-home advertising on electronic screens in public spaces. Includes:

Digital billboards
Transit screens (subway, bus shelters, airports)
Retail/mall digital displays
Gas station screens
Elevator screens
Stadium/venue digital signage

Excludes:

Static billboards (use ooh)
Cinema screens (use cinema)

Typical Formats: display, video

`ooh`

Classic out-of-home advertising on physical (non-digital) surfaces. Includes:

Static billboards
Transit posters
Street furniture
Wallscapes
Wild postings

Excludes:

Digital screens (use dooh)

Typical Formats: display (static)

`print`

Newspaper, magazine, and other print publication advertising. Includes:

Newspaper display ads
Magazine display ads
Newspaper/magazine inserts
Trade publication advertising

Excludes:

Digital versions of publications (use display)
Direct mail

Typical Formats: display (static)

`cinema`

Movie theater advertising. Includes:

Pre-show advertising
On-screen trailers and ads
Lobby displays
Concession advertising

Excludes:

Streaming movie services (use ctv)

Typical Formats: video, display

`email`

Email advertising and sponsored newsletter content. Includes:

Sponsored email newsletters
Email display advertising
Dedicated email sends

Excludes:

Transactional email
CRM/owned email marketing

Typical Formats: display, native

`gaming`

In-game advertising across gaming platforms. Includes:

In-game display ads
Rewarded video ads
Playable ads
Advergames
Esports sponsorships
Gaming influencer integrations

Excludes:

Ads in non-gaming apps (use display or olv)
Gaming content on streaming platforms (use ctv or olv)

Typical Formats: display, video, native

`retail_media`

Retail media networks and commerce marketplace advertising. Includes:

Retail media networks (Amazon Ads, Walmart Connect, Target Roundel)
Grocery and delivery platforms (Instacart, DoorDash, Uber)
Travel marketplaces (Expedia, Booking.com, Kayak)
Financial services marketplaces
Sponsored product listings
On-site display and video on commerce platforms
Off-site ads using retailer first-party data

Excludes:

General display ads (use display)
Social commerce (use social)
Search ads on non-commerce platforms (use search)

Typical Formats: native, display, video Note: Retail media is distinguished by its transactional context and closed-loop attribution capabilities.

`influencer`

Creator and influencer marketing partnerships. Includes:

Sponsored content creation
Brand ambassador programs
Affiliate creator partnerships
User-generated content campaigns

Excludes:

Ads placed on creator content by platforms (use social)
Podcast host reads (use podcast)

Typical Formats: video, native, display Note: influencer describes the BUYING MODEL (creator partnership) rather than where content appears.

`affiliate`

Affiliate networks, comparison sites, and performance-based publisher partnerships. Includes:

Affiliate networks (CJ, Rakuten, Impact, Awin, ShareASale)
Comparison shopping engines (NerdWallet, Bankrate, The Points Guy)
Review and recommendation sites
Coupon and deal sites (RetailMeNot, Honey)
Content commerce (editorial with affiliate links)
Lead generation sites
Cashback and loyalty programs

Excludes:

Standard display ads on affiliate sites (use display)
Influencer partnerships (use influencer)
Retail media sponsored products (use retail_media)

Typical Formats: native, display, text Note: affiliate describes the BUYING MODEL (performance-based, CPA/CPC/rev-share) rather than where content appears.

`product_placement`

Product placement, branded content, and sponsorship integrations. Includes:

Traditional product placement (film, TV)
Virtual product placement
Branded entertainment
Event sponsorships
Naming rights
Branded content series

Excludes:

Influencer partnerships (use influencer)
Standard ad placements at sponsored events (use appropriate channel)

Typical Formats: native, video

Property Types

Property types describe addressable inventory surfaces with verifiable ownership. They are used in adagents.json for authorization validation.

Property Type Enum

Property Type	Description	Example Channels
`website`	Web properties accessible via browser	`display`, `olv`
`mobile_app`	Native mobile applications	`display`, `olv`, `social`, `gaming`
`ctv_app`	Connected TV applications	`ctv`
`desktop_app`	Desktop applications (Electron, native)	`streaming_audio`, `gaming`
`dooh`	Digital out-of-home screen networks	`dooh`
`podcast`	Podcast feeds and episodes	`podcast`
`radio`	Radio station properties	`radio`
`streaming_audio`	Digital audio streaming properties	`streaming_audio`

Channels Without Property Types

The following channels do not have corresponding property types because they lack addressable, verifiable inventory surfaces in the traditional sense:

linear_tv - Broadcast/cable inventory is managed through different authorization mechanisms
ooh - Physical inventory lacks digital identifiers
print - Physical publication inventory
cinema - Theater inventory management systems
email - Email list ownership differs from property authorization
influencer - Creator relationships rather than property ownership
affiliate - Performance-based partnerships, placements appear on partner websites
product_placement - Content/event relationships rather than properties
retail_media - Platform-managed inventory within retail ecosystems
search - Platform-managed inventory
social - Platform-managed inventory

Relationship Between Concepts

┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│                        MEDIA CHANNEL                            │
│         How buyers allocate budget (planning abstraction)       │
│                                                                 │
│   display, olv, social, search, ctv, linear_tv, podcast,       │
│   streaming_audio, radio, dooh, ooh, print, cinema, email,     │
│   gaming, retail_media, influencer, affiliate, product_placement│
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│                      PROPERTY TYPE                              │
│   Addressable inventory with verifiable ownership (technical)   │
│                                                                 │
│   website, mobile_app, ctv_app, desktop_app, dooh,             │
│   podcast, radio, streaming_audio                               │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│                      FORMAT CATEGORY                            │
│         How the ad renders (orthogonal to channel)              │
│                                                                 │
│     audio, video, display, native, rich_media, text            │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

Implementation

JSON Schema

Channels are defined in the AdCP schema at:

/schemas/v1/enums/channels.json

{
  "$schema": "http://json-schema.org/draft-07/schema#",
  "$id": "/schemas/enums/channels.json",
  "title": "Media Channel",
  "description": "Standardized advertising media channels describing how buyers allocate budget",
  "type": "string",
  "enum": [
    "display",
    "olv",
    "social",
    "search",
    "ctv",
    "linear_tv",
    "radio",
    "streaming_audio",
    "podcast",
    "dooh",
    "ooh",
    "print",
    "cinema",
    "email",
    "gaming",
    "retail_media",
    "influencer",
    "affiliate",
    "product_placement"
  ]
}

Usage in Product Discovery

When filtering products by channel:

{
  "filters": {
    "channels": ["ctv", "olv", "streaming_audio"]
  }
}

Usage in Property Definitions

Properties in adagents.json declare which channels they support:

{
  "properties": [
    {
      "property_id": "youtube_app",
      "property_type": "ctv_app",
      "name": "YouTube CTV",
      "supported_channels": ["ctv", "olv", "social"],
      "identifiers": [
        {"type": "roku_store_id", "value": "12345"}
      ]
    }
  ]
}

Extensibility

Implementations MAY support additional channels beyond this specification using the ext field pattern:

{
  "channel": "display",
  "ext": {
    "sub_channel": "native_content"
  }
}

Versioning

This taxonomy follows Semantic Versioning:

MAJOR: Removing channels, changing channel semantics
MINOR: Adding new channels (append-only)
PATCH: Clarifying descriptions, fixing typos

Adding new channels is a MINOR version change and MUST NOT break existing implementations.

Migration from Legacy Channel Values

Prior to this taxonomy, AdCP used a different set of channel values. The following table maps legacy values to the new taxonomy:

Legacy Value	New Channel(s)	Notes
`display`	`display`	No change, but now excludes video
`video`	`olv`, `ctv`	Split by viewing environment
`audio`	`streaming_audio`, `podcast`, `radio`	Split by audio type
`native`	`display`	Native is a format, not a channel
`web`	`display`, `olv`	Web is a substrate, not a planning bucket
`mobile_app`	`display`, `olv`, `gaming`	App is a substrate, not a planning bucket
`dooh`	`dooh`	No change
`ctv`	`ctv`	No change
`podcast`	`podcast`	No change
`retail`	`retail_media`	Renamed
`commerce_media`	`retail_media`	Renamed
`social`	`social`	No change
`sponsorship`	`product_placement`	Renamed and refined

Migration Guidance

Identify the planning context: Determine HOW the buyer allocates budget, not where ads technically render.
Split video by environment: If video was a single category, split into olv (desktop/mobile) and ctv (TV screens).
Remove substrate channels: If you had web or mobile_app as channels, map to planning-oriented channels (display, olv) based on buying context.
Update filters: When filtering products, use the new channel values.

Edge Cases and Ambiguities

YouTube Classification

YouTube spans multiple channels depending on context:

Scenario	Channel	Reasoning
YouTube video ad on phone/desktop	`olv` or `social`	Depends on buying approach
YouTube video ad on CTV	`ctv`	TV screen environment
YouTube Shorts	`social`	Short-form social context
YouTube Music	`streaming_audio`	Audio streaming context

Retail Media Complexity

Retail media may eventually warrant sub-channels:

Scenario	Current	Potential Future
Sponsored products on Amazon	`retail_media`	`retail_media_search`
Display on retailer site	`retail_media`	`retail_media_display`
Off-site using retailer data	`retail_media`	`retail_media_offsite`

For now, use retail_media with format filters to distinguish.

Gaming vs Display/OLV

Scenario	Channel	Reasoning
Rewarded video in mobile game via Unity Ads	`gaming`	Gaming-specific ad network
Banner in casual game via AdMob general pool	`display`	Standard mobile programmatic
Esports tournament sponsorship	`gaming`	Gaming audience context

Scenario	Channel	Reasoning
Buying promoted posts through Instagram Ads	`social`	Platform ad tools
Contracting an influencer directly	`influencer`	Creator partnership
Platform-inserted ads around creator content	`social`	Platform ad tools

Future Considerations

The following channels may be added in future versions based on market evolution:

messaging - WhatsApp Business, Telegram ads
xr - VR/AR advertising
ai_agents - AI assistant and chatbot advertising

References

IAB Tech Lab Taxonomies - Content, Audience, Ad Product
OpenRTB/AdCOM - Placement types and media objects
Planmatic Media Plan Schema - Media planning data structures
RFC 2119 - Requirement level keywords

Changelog

1.0.0-draft (2026-01-23)

Initial draft specification
19 channels defined (planning-oriented approach)
8 property types defined
Clear distinction between channel (planning abstraction), property_type (technical surface), and format
Multi-channel support for properties
Migration guide from legacy values

Getting Started

Building with AdCP

Governance Protocol

Signals Protocol

Curation Protocol

Sponsored Intelligence Protocol

Media Buy Protocol

Creative

Reference

Community

​Media Channel Taxonomy

​Motivation

​Design Philosophy

​Key Principles

​Channels vs Technical Substrates

​Terminology

​Definitions

​Media Channel

​Property Type

​Format Category

​Understanding Channels vs Property Types

​Why This Matters

​Multi-Channel Properties

​When to Use Each

​Media Channels

​Channel Enum

​Channel Definitions

​display

​olv

​social

​search

​ctv

​linear_tv

​radio

​streaming_audio

​podcast

​dooh

​ooh

​print

​cinema

​email

​gaming

​retail_media

​influencer

​affiliate

​product_placement

​Property Types

​Property Type Enum

​Channels Without Property Types

​Relationship Between Concepts

​Implementation

​JSON Schema

​Usage in Product Discovery

​Usage in Property Definitions

​Extensibility

​Versioning

​Migration from Legacy Channel Values

​Migration Guidance

​Edge Cases and Ambiguities

​YouTube Classification

​Retail Media Complexity

​Gaming vs Display/OLV

​Influencer vs Social

​Future Considerations

​References

​Changelog

​1.0.0-draft (2026-01-23)

Media Channel Taxonomy

Motivation

Design Philosophy

Key Principles

Channels vs Technical Substrates

Terminology

Definitions

Media Channel

Property Type

Format Category

Understanding Channels vs Property Types

Why This Matters

Multi-Channel Properties

When to Use Each

Media Channels

Channel Enum

Channel Definitions

`display`

`olv`

`social`

`search`

`ctv`

`linear_tv`

`radio`

`streaming_audio`

`podcast`

`dooh`

`ooh`

`print`

`cinema`

`email`

`gaming`

`retail_media`

`influencer`

`affiliate`

`product_placement`

Property Types

Property Type Enum

Channels Without Property Types

Relationship Between Concepts

Implementation

JSON Schema

Usage in Product Discovery

Usage in Property Definitions

Extensibility

Versioning

Migration from Legacy Channel Values

Migration Guidance

Edge Cases and Ambiguities

YouTube Classification

Retail Media Complexity

Gaming vs Display/OLV

Influencer vs Social

Future Considerations

References

Changelog

1.0.0-draft (2026-01-23)