IAB Unveils Updated Digital Ad Terms, Seeks Public Input Before Final Adoption
Major Overhaul of 2001 Agreement Aims to Eliminate Friction and Legal Bottlenecks
The Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) has published a long-awaited overhaul of its standard General Terms for Digital Advertising Agreements, launching a 60-day public comment window through July 21, 2025. The release follows more than a year of collaboration with hundreds of agencies, brands, publishers, adtech platforms, and legal advisors.
The goal? Faster deal-making, less legal overhead, and a consistent structure for modern digital ad buys—something the industry has been asking for since the dot-com era.
Why It Matters Now
The previous terms, written in 2001, have long been out of sync with how deals are made today. In a digital economy shaped by programmatic auctions, evolving privacy rules, and platform integrations, trying to use the old agreement was like forcing a square peg into a round hole.
For years, media buyers and sellers have worked around the outdated framework by renegotiating from scratch—often adding weeks of back-and-forth between legal teams. That process slowed deals, increased costs, and drained resources.
This new framework replaces that patchwork with a more workable standard.
What’s Different This Time
The update features a modular structure. It gives everyone a common foundation while allowing for flexibility across transaction types. Instead of redlining the same boilerplate language over and over, companies can rely on a shared starting point and plug in specific terms—such as cancellation policies or inventory delivery rules—through separate documents.
The new structure was built by a task force of 276 IAB member companies. That group includes giants like Omnicom and Publicis, brands like Unilever and Bayer, and publishers such as NBCUniversal and Hearst. It also includes law firms and measurement vendors, each bringing their own practical knowledge of where deals tend to break down.
“This is the framework the industry has been missing,” said Angelina Eng, Vice President of Measurement, Addressability & Data Center at IAB. “It creates consistency without locking everyone into a one-size-fits-all contract.”
Why It Has Broad Support
Rob Beeler, CEO of Beeler.Tech, has heard complaints from publishers for years. “They wanted a standard that reflected the deals they’re actually doing—not just what looked good on paper in 2001,” he said. “This version is finally catching up to how things really work.”
Others echoed the sentiment. Christy Loftus, SVP of Data Logistics at Canvas Worldwide, emphasized that this update gives teams a baseline for what to expect. “It means fewer legal slowdowns and more clarity across the board,” she said.
And according to Shenan Reed, Global Chief Media Officer at General Motors and Chair of the IAB Board, the timing couldn’t be better. “Right now, we’re dealing with too many disconnected systems and ad hoc agreements. IAB is giving us a shared language that helps build trust and move faster.”
What Happens Next
The proposed terms are now available for public review. Anyone involved in the digital advertising supply chain—brands, agencies, adtech vendors, publishers, law firms—is invited to weigh in.
IAB expects to finalize the terms later this year. Once adopted, the new framework could become the go-to starting point for digital advertising agreements across the industry.
Feedback must be submitted by July 21, 2025.
How to Participate
To review the full text and submit feedback, industry professionals can visit the IAB website. The Terms & Conditions Task Force continues to develop additional addenda that will address specific use cases and transaction types in more detail.
This update may not solve every pain point in digital media contracting. But by reducing legal friction and giving everyone a clearer playbook, it could significantly speed up how deals get done. In a business that moves fast but negotiates slow, that’s long overdue.
