What’s inside IAB and MRC’s attention measurement guidelines

Attention is a promising metric in advertising, but its meaning, value and measurement remain widely debated. Providers have taken different approaches, separately defining and capturing attention. Marketers are left to navigate the differences and determine what aligns with their objectives. With so many methodologies in play, the industry has lacked a standard foundation.

That’s why the IAB’s Attention Measurement Guidelines were developed — to establish a common language and baseline expectations. They clarify how different approaches define and capture attention, making it easier for marketers to interpret results and evaluate and compare solutions.

In May, the IAB and Media Rating Council (MRC) released a draft of the guidelines, the result of a year-long, cross-industry effort led by the IAB/MRC Attention Task Force. The goal was to establish a set of metrics that marketers, publishers and measurement companies could align on. Not to dictate a single method, but to provide a set of building blocks from which can be drawn on by different approaches to measure attention more consistently.

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“Our goal was to bring clarity to a concept that’s been interpreted in dozens of ways,” said Ron Pinelli, SVP at the MRC.  “The guidelines establish a foundation and validation framework for more consistent and transparent attention measurement — with flexibility to allow innovation.”

The draft is now open for public comment through July 12, 2025. It’s the industry’s opportunity to weigh in — whether you’re a brand, agency, publisher, platform, or measurement provider — and help ensure the final guidelines reflect real-world needs.

Not just if they looked — but why

These guidelines clarify what attention means to the industry via three lenses influencing attention. The goal is to find the primary drivers: the content, its placement or the creative execution. This distinction allows more accurate assessment of when context truly enhances attention and when other factors, like creative or placement, are the actual drivers.

This added layer of understanding helps marketers move beyond surface-level metrics and ask more informed questions: What are we measuring? How does it tie back to business goals? And which signals matter?

The guidelines are a flexible way to assess and compare the methods, whether behavioral modeling and time-in-view metrics, eye tracking, biometrics and panel-based recall or emotional response studies.

“Different solutions measure attention in different ways — and there’s still debate about what attention should represent and how it’s defined,” said Dr. Karen Nelson-Field, founder of Amplified. “What these guidelines do well is provide clarity on which metrics matter, based on how a solution works, so we can judge the quality of the data and whether it delivers on what it claims.”

Multiple methods, one set of guidelines

The aim isn’t to enforce uniformity. It’s to help marketers evaluate each method’s rigor, relevance and suitability for their objectives.

The guidelines make one thing clear: attention is not a single metric. It’s a collection of metrics that reflect how someone processes and responds to an ad.

They are built on foundational methods like validated impressions, viewability, presence of person, fraud filtration and transparent methodology. Their true value comes from understanding the richer layers of attention.

These include:

• Cognitive load: How mentally demanding was it to process the message? That data gets captured through indicators like eye movement patterns or neurological signals.
• Emotional response: What did the viewer feel while engaging with the ad? Tools like facial coding and biometrics help uncover emotional resonance.
• Behavioral interaction: How did the person respond — did they click, scroll, skip, or engage in some other way?

Signals that tell the full story

“These guidelines are a big step forward because they move beyond surface-level engagement and acknowledge the deeper layers of how attention forms,” said James Brooks, CEO of GlassView.  “By factoring in how people feel and process what they see — not just whether they saw it — we’re getting closer to understanding real impact, not just opportunity.”

Each of these elements provides a distinct insight. Together, they help marketers move from simply tracking whether an ad was served to understanding how it was received — and why it mattered.

Despite their different approaches, vendors are beginning to align. Many are refining their methodologies to reflect the guidelines and, in some cases, collaborating to offer broader, more integrated solutions.

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“No single solution captures every aspect of attention,” said Ram Padmanabhan, managing partner, CSA, Havas Media Network North America and board member of IAB’s Measurement, Addressability & Data Center, “But with a shared framework, we have a powerful opportunity to elevate quality, foster collaboration and establish attention as a critical input in both planning and performance. These guidelines provide the foundation to better understand, test and align diverse solutions, ultimately helping us deliver a more complete, consistent and actionable view of what truly drives impact.”

The existence of the Attention Task Force reflects this shift. Companies that once operated in silos are now aligning around shared goals. While methods still vary, there’s growing consensus about how attention should be approached, evaluated and improved.

Opportunity ahead

The guidelines won’t solve every measurement problem overnight — and they’re not meant to. But they offer something the industry badly needs: a shared starting point.

The final version is expected later this year and will play a key role in shaping future MRC accreditation audits for attention measurement. That’s a critical next step in building consistency, trust and accountability.

It’s not about chasing a shiny new KPI. It’s about maturing an entire category — and understanding how people engage with media.