The designation in sellers.json and ads.txt that indicates a company sells inventory it has a direct relationship with, not inventory it's reselling from someone else. In theory, it's how you identify authorized sellers. In practice, the declaration is self-reported, which means it requires verification rather than trust. Cross-referencing a direct seller declaration against the publisher's own ads.txt entry is the minimum check.
Ad tech glossary
Direct Seller Declaration
Technical definition
A specific designation in transparency files indicating that a seller has a direct relationship with the publisher rather than operating as an intermediary.
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