Today, the IAB released a long-anticipated update to its General Terms for Digital Advertising Agreements, opening a 60-day public comment period through July 21, 2025.
The draft is the first significant overhaul of the standard terms in nearly 25 years and aims to simplify and modernize the execution of digital advertising deals across the industry.
The new terms result from more than a year of collaboration among 276 IAB member companies, including global holding companies, independent agencies, major brands, publishers, ad tech firms and legal experts.
According to the IAB, the goal is to create a practical, widely usable framework that aligns with digital advertising practices and prepares the industry for future changes.
Preparing for what comes next
“This initiative brought together brands, agencies, publishers, ad tech and legal experts to create something that truly reflects how the digital advertising business operates today — and prepares us for where it’s headed next,” Michael Hahn, EVP and general counsel of IAB and IAB Tech Lab, said in a statement.
The revised terms are designed to reduce inefficiencies, lower legal costs and support faster execution of digital advertising deals. With the rapid growth of programmatic transactions, evolving platform capabilities and increasing complexity in digital media buying, the old one-size-fits-all contracts often required extensive renegotiation and customization for each deal.
To address this, the new agreement introduces a modular framework, offering standardization and flexibility. It allows different transaction types — from direct buys to programmatic deals — to be executed under a standard foundation. It also simplifies the onboarding of related vendors, such as measurement and ad verification providers, by including provisions relevant to their roles in the ecosystem.
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The working group contributing to the update included Omnicom, Publicis, Butler/Till, Unilever, Bayer, Hearst and NBCUniversal representatives. Legal input came from various law firms familiar with the digital media space.
Shenan Reed, global chief media officer at General Motors and Chair of the IAB Board of Directors, emphasized the broader value of industry-wide standards. “What IAB has done here is give the industry a shared language. That’s how we unlock trust, creativity, and speed at scale,” she said in a statement.
IAB encourages participation in the review process and seeks input from across the digital advertising landscape. Feedback received during the comment period will inform the final version, which the organization expects to become the new industry standard for digital advertising contracts. Stakeholders can access the proposed terms and submit comments here through July 21.
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