The AIP bidding model uses a time-bounded asynchronous auction window rather than full broadcast fanout. When a platform sends a
PlatformRequest, the AIP Operator derives a context_request, classifies it into one or more category pools, and only brand agents and advertiser networks that have explicitly subscribed to those pools receive the request. Distribution to bidders is handled through a cloud-agnostic publish/subscribe transport, starting with Google Pub/Sub in v1.0 and extendable to AWS SNS/SQS, Azure Event Grid, Kafka, or other message buses. After publishing the context, the AIP Server opens a short auction window (typically 30–70 ms) during which bidders may submit signed bids via POST /aip/bid-response. When the window closes, the server collects all bids received within the allowed timeframe, applies the AIP selection rules (CPA > CPC > CPX), and returns the auction_result to the platform. If no bids are received before the window expires, the server returns a valid no_bid response. This design enables scalable, category-aware bidding, minimizes latency, prevents unnecessary bidder fanout, and ensures that only relevant brand agents compete for each user intent.
For Brand Agents, this means:
- subscribe only to the pools (verticals, product categories, intents) you can serve
- maintain a low-latency listener on the publish/subscribe bus you’ve configured with the Operator
- respond via
POST /aip/bid-responsewithin the configured window (default 50 ms)
1. What Brand Agents Do
A Brand Agent:- receives BidRequests from an AIP Operator
- evaluates anonymized user intent
- decides whether the advertiser wants to compete
- returns a structured BidResponse
- participates in real time auctions
- receives verified CPX, CPC, and CPA callbacks
- optimizes spend based on Operator ledger records
- SaaS or software companies
- e commerce brands
- mobile apps
- marketplaces
- agencies
- affiliate networks
- AI native advertiser bots
- third party autonomous agents
2. Normative Responsibilities
The following are MUST, MUST NOT, and MAY requirements for all Brand Agents.Brand Agents MUST
- expose a stable HTTP endpoint or another transport supported by the Operator
- respond to BidRequests within the Operator timeout
- return one BidResponse per request
- include at least one valid price field:
price_cpcand orprice_cpa
- provide a valid
landing_url - include required creative metadata
- respect the AIP event ladder: CPA overrides CPC, CPC overrides CPX
- verify serve tokens in event callbacks
- maintain spend accuracy using Operator ledger entries
Brand Agents MUST NOT
- submit malformed or incomplete bid payloads
- return bids without pricing
- manipulate or forge serve tokens
- generate artificial events or simulated traffic
- submit multiple bids for a single BidRequest
Brand Agents MAY
- use any internal logic, including rules, heuristics, ML, LTV models, or autonomous agents
- dynamically adjust pricing based on performance
- decline to bid using
no_bid: true - use contextual embeddings, RAG, or classifier models
- implement their own budget and ROAS controls
3. BidRequest (What Brand Agents Receive)
Operators send a BidRequest when a platform submits user intent.Typical fields
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
intent.text | Anonymized user query or derived summary |
session_id | Unique session identifier |
serve_token_hint | Pre auction token reference |
categories | Optional taxonomies |
timestamp | Request creation time |
policy | Operator defined bidding rules or limits |
AIP allows extensibility.
4. BidResponse (What Brand Agents Return)
A BidResponse MUST conform to the AIP bid schema.| Field | Required | Description |
|---|---|---|
price_cpc | optional | Amount willing to pay for a click |
price_cpa | optional | Amount willing to pay for a conversion |
creative | required | Text or metadata used in the recommendation |
landing_url | required | Advertiser destination URL |
ttl | required | Validity window in milliseconds |
no_bid | optional | Indicates declining the request |
price_cpc or price_cpa MUST be included for a valid bid.
CPX does not require explicit bidding because it is always settled by the Operator when no higher event occurs.
5. Event Callbacks
Once a Brand Agent wins an auction, the Operator sends event notifications tied to the serve token.Event types
| Event | Meaning |
|---|---|
| CPX | Exposure happened, settled only if no CPC or CPA occurs |
| CPC | User clicked the recommendation |
| CPA | User completed the target action |
- verify the serve token
- confirm the event order is valid per the event ladder
- use callbacks for optimization and budget management
6. Wallets, Spend, and Settlement
AIP does not dictate a specific wallet architecture.Operator responsibilities
Operators MUST:- maintain accurate spend ledgers
- settle based on CPX, CPC, CPA event ladder
- expose ledger records to Brand Agents
- guarantee no double billing
Brand Agent responsibilities
Brand Agents MUST:- track spend using Operator ledger entries
- manage advertiser budgets
- ensure funding is available for bidding
- pause bidding when caps are reached
- adjust bids dynamically using ROAS or CAC targets
- run ML pipelines that optimize by event type
7. Implementation Guidance (Non Normative)
A Brand Agent can be implemented in any technology stack.Simple rules engine
ML driven agent
- classify the query
- predict user value
- compute an optimal bid
- enforce margin and budget constraints
Fully autonomous agent
- runs continuously
- learns from verified events
- adjusts pricing in real time
- optimizes cross operator ROAS
8. Summary
Brand Agents are AI or autonomous advertiser agents that:- receive intent
- evaluate relevance
- submit structured bids
- participate in real time auctions
- receive CPX, CPC, and CPA callbacks
- manage budgets and performance
- fair auction behavior
- transparent event settlement
- consistent interaction across Operators
- interoperability between advertiser agents