The Gold Standard

The Gold Standard is a certification for buyers and sellers of digital media to improve the digital advertising experience, help compliance with the GDPR and ePrivacy law, tackle ad fraud, uphold brand safety, and strengthen supply chain transparency.

As an advertiser, working with buyers and sellers who are Gold Standard certified benefits both your consumers and your business by improving the digital ad experience.

Aims of the Gold Standard

Reduce ad fraud

By implementing or supporting IAB Tech Lab's ads.txt, sellers.json and OpenRTB Supply Chain Object

Uphold brand safety

By obtaining TAG Brand Safety Certification

Improve the experience

By adhering to The Coalition for Better Ads advertising standards

Help compliance with the GDPR and ePrivacy law

By adopting IAB Europe’s Transparency Consent Framework (TCF)

Strengthens supply chain transparency

By implementing IAB Tech Labs’ Buyers.json and DemandChain Object, as well as Open Measurement SDK (OMSDK)

IAB Gold Standard goes up a gear: what’s changed?

All Gold Standard companies now have to comply with the latest criteria - further cracking down on ad fraud and scam ads - in order to keep their certification. Find out why and who’s already upgraded

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How to become Gold Standard certified

The Gold Standard is open to IAB UK members who buy and sell digital media. The certification process has been audited by ABC, an independent third-party, to ensure it is both robust and effective, and will be audited again every 12 months.

You can register your company in less than two minutes, then we’ll contact you to confirm eligibility and take further details. Register now or find out more about getting certified.

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Who is certified?

Nearly 100 IAB UK members across the supply chain are Gold Standard certified, spanning platforms, agency groups, media owners and ad tech.

See how many of your downstream partners are certified or find out where certified companies sit across the digital landscape with our handy chart.

"A big focus for the ASA is working closely with companies in the digital advertising supply chain to enhance our regulation and to help us to secure responsible advertising online. The IAB Gold Standard complements that work and is an important initiative in driving transparency, safety and, ultimately, increasing consumer trust in online ads."

- Guy Parker, Chief Executive, Advertising Standards Authority

"The Gold Standard now requires certified companies to use the FCA’s Financial Services register when working with an advertiser who provides a financial service or product. Embedding this into the initiative is an important step when it comes to cracking down on financial scam ads – helping to make the online ecosystem safer and more effective for everyone."

- Miten Patel, Head of Marketing Campaigns, Financial Conduct Authority

Latest Gold Standard News

James Chandler

IAB UK reinforces the Gold Standard with new updates

Following a five week public consultation on the changes, the Gold Standard has been updated to further crack down on scam ads and ad fraud

Learn more
People speaking

The Gold Standard is part of the OAT Action Plan

Our Head of Policy & Regulatory Affairs explains more about the Online Advertising Taskforce's Action Plan and how the Gold Standard fits into it

Learn more
person on stage

New ad campaign urges advertisers to demand the Gold Standard

IAB UK has launched its first advertising campaign calling on marketers to only work with digital advertising suppliers that adhere to the GS

Learn more
FAQs

FAQs on Gold Standard

From what it means to be Gold Standard certified to the registration process, we’ve compiled some essential FAQs to get you kick-started on your journey.

Appeals and complaints

If you have concern over non-compliance or would like to seek rebuttal over allegations of non-compliance, please email [email protected]

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