Mumbai: The IAB Tech Lab, a global leader in setting digital advertising technical standards, has unveiled new guidance and tools to transition the industry from the outdated Content Taxonomy 1.0 to advanced taxonomies such as 2.0 and 3.1. Aimed at addressing inefficiencies in the programmatic advertising ecosystem, these deliverables focus on enhancing the adoption of updated taxonomies and are open for public comment until January 24, 2025.
“We’re tackling the complexity head-on,” said Anthony Katsur, CEO of IAB Tech Lab. “This work is about simplifying the way the industry connects and operates, so businesses can spend less time dealing with friction and more time creating value. It’s a step toward making programmatic advertising smarter, faster, and more reliable for everyone.”
The updates, developed by the Taxonomy & Mapping Working Group and the Programmatic Supply Chain Working Group, include:
- New OpenRTB attributes genres and gtax.
- Minor updates to genres, released as Content Taxonomy 3.1.
- Subset of Content Taxonomy 3.1 for CTV Genres and Implementation Guidance.
- Content Taxonomy 1.0 to Content Taxonomy 2.0 Mapping and Implementation Guidance.
- Bi-directional mapping of Content Taxonomy 1.0 and Ad Product Taxonomy 2.0.
By introducing the genres and gtax fields in OpenRTB 2.6, these updates standardize content descriptions, reducing operational burdens on DSPs and enhancing contextual targeting in Connected TV (CTV) environments. This transition will facilitate curated inventory and more precise, privacy-compliant advertising strategies.
“This update builds on the foundation of our existing taxonomies, addressing opportunities to enhance efficiency and streamline processes,” said Katie Shell, Associate Product Manager, IAB Tech Lab, and co-lead of the Taxonomy & Mapping Working Group. “By introducing these new resources, we’re equipping the industry to work more efficiently and build toward the next generation of taxonomies.”
The IAB Tech Lab also offers mappings to ensure compatibility between legacy and modern systems. This flexibility supports organizations at different stages of taxonomy adoption, enabling DSPs using older frameworks to interpret updated labels effectively.
“This initiative solves a fundamental challenge for our industry—ensuring that taxonomies integrate effortlessly across platforms,” said Temese Szalai, CEO and Principal of Subtextive. “By offering these mappings and implementation guidance, we’re addressing inefficiencies and creating real, measurable impact for publishers, advertisers, and platforms alike.”
Stakeholders are invited to review and comment on the guidance until January 24, 2025. Feedback will help refine these tools, ensuring they align with industry needs.
For more information and to participate in the public comment process, visit IAB Tech Lab’s official page.
