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 UK reinforces the Gold Standard with new updates

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

Gold standard logo

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.

Person at an event

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.

98% of respondents agree that “buying inventory in a quality media environment is important for me”

- Pan-European advertiser survey, May 2022

93% of respondents agree with the statement that “I prefer spending my advertising budget with suppliers that adhere to industry standards”

- Pan-European advertiser survey, May 2022

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

IAB UK’s Gold Standard to be Platinum Partner of LEAD 2023

IAB UK’s Gold Standard has been announced as the Platinum Partner of LEAD 2023, the advertising industry’s summit

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]

Why digital advertising works

Discover why digital advertising is effective for reaching your customers and building brands.