Ads.txt for the agent era. Before a buyer agent spends a dime, it needs proof that the sales agent in front of it has the right to sell that inventory. This file is where the publisher says "these agents work for me." If an agent is not listed, walk away. We learned this lesson the hard way with programmatic. No reason to learn it twice.
Ad tech glossary
adagents.json
Technical definition
A file published by a publisher or data provider that declares which AI agents are authorized to sell its inventory or represent its data, and the type of relationship (direct, delegated or ad network).
The ADLINGO translation
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Related terms
- A2A (Agent2Agent Protocol)
- AAMP (Agentic Advertising Management Protocols)
- AdCP (Ad Context Protocol)
- Agent Manifest
- Agentic Advertising
- Agentic Audiences
- Agentic Commerce
- Agentic Commerce Protocol (ACP)
- Agentic Marketplace
- AgenticAdvertising.org
- Answer-Based Ads
- Approval Threshold
Where this shows up
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The RFP Oracle
The ad tech sales season is wrapping up for 2026. AI dominated everything the market responded to this year, and it was the most predictable trend ever. All we had to do was pay attention to what the agencies were asking.