IAB releases draft digital advertising invoice API specifications

The IAB released its Digital Advertising Invoice API Specifications today. The specifications aim to fix long-standing payment problems in the digital advertising supply chain. They are open for public comment until Aug. 11, 2025.

“Despite the digital nature of our industry, the way we handle invoices is still largely manual and outdated,” Angelina Eng, VP of measurement, attribution & data center, IAB, said in a statement. “This effort reflects our commitment to modernizing digital advertising infrastructure, which will enable scalable, tech-forward solutions that work across platforms and stakeholders.”

The new specifications aim to establish a unified, system-agnostic framework for exchanging invoice data and documentation that eliminates fragmentation and manual interventions.

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The specifications were developed with Mediaocean, using its Prisma platform’s API. The goal is a consistent, machine-readable format for invoice data transmission that can accelerate payment cycles and enhance data accuracy and reconciliation.

Adopting the specifications should bring key operational benefits:

• Interoperability: A flexible and interoperable solution that easily integrates with existing seller-side finance systems.
• Standardization: A common language and structure to improve invoice processing and data reconciliation, reducing errors and discrepancies.
• Efficiency: A foundation for faster, more accurate, transparent payments, ultimately improving cash flow management.

Click here to review the proposed specifications and provide feedback. The comment period closes on August 11. Finalized specifications are expected to be released later this year.