The IAB, as a trade body for the online industry, works with its various members to compile best practice guidelines to encourage more efficient workflow practices, tackle barriers to trade and to continuously raise professionalism.

The IAB does not police the industry, as such these standards and guidelines are voluntary, but we are committed to maintaining the integrity of the internet as an advertising medium. Therefore, we strongly advise that the marketing community adhere to a policy of self-regulation.

IAB standards and guidelines

• Display and rich media standards
• Infrastructure and systems
• Late copy policy
• Counting, measurement and auditing
• Creative, design and usability standards

Display and rich media standards

Traditional display banners and rich media banners offer great potential to advertisers but a lack of standardised ad formats and best practice has, in the past, complicated the planning, buying and implementation process.

In response to this, the IAB in conjunction with the Ad Ops Council (consisting of media owners and media agencies) has designed a package of standard advertising formats to cover both traditional banner advertising and rich media advertising. These standards will be updated as the medium grows.

• Downloads Available

• IAB Display banner and rich media standards (22k)
  a quick reference chart showing recommended standards

Infrastructure and systems

Best Practice Workflow guidelines

Assets to deadline helps your campaign launch on time. Online assets are software that needs to be tested before they can run and can require extensive scheduling and ‘tagging’ which takes time to implement and more time to test. Only by approaching the workflow and scheduling of campaigns with these timescale in mind can agencies and media owners confidently plan timely launches.

• Downloads Available

• *IAB Best Practice Workflow Guidelines (750k)
  a guide to help you plan and time the workflow and delivery of your creative assets

Late copy policy

Following a period of consultation with media owners and agencies, members of the Association of Online Publishers (AOP) and the Internet Advertising Bureau (IAB) have agreed an industry policy for charging where there is late delivery of online advertising creative, effective from 1 April 2006.

• Downloads Available

• AOP IAB Late Copy Policy (508k)
  the full policy document for creative agencies and publishers to adhere to
• Guidance for the industry: late copy (544k)
  a document offering help and advice around the late copy policy
• Overview of late copy policies by media owner (164k)
  a breakdown of each media owner and their own adoption of the late copy policy

Counting, measurement and auditing

Global interactive measurement guidelines

The IAB Global Measurement Guidelines solve one of the most critical issues for interactive marketers, agencies, ad-servers and publishers by establishing a clear definition of an online advertising impression in the context of ad-serving technology.

• Downloads Available

• IAB Global Measurement Standards (1240k)
  guidelines launched by a global consortium of leading bodies, spearheaded by IABs around the world

Creative, design and usability standards

DDA act compliance

The Disability Discrimination Act 1995 (DDA) aims to end discrimination towards people with disabilities in a number of areas, including access to goods, services and facilities (services including the internet). Service providers need to consider making reasonable adjustments to the way they deliver their services so that disabled people can use them. Back in 2004, the IAB produced a set of tips to producing accessible adverts along with a briefing to members on this matter to help them comply with the act.

• Downloads Available

• Ten Top Tips for creating accessible ads (411k)
  guidelines produced in association with The Usability Company
• W3C Compliancy Checklist_member briefing (61k)
  Member briefing from 2004
• Compliance with DDA act_member briefing (40k)
  Member briefing from 2004

For further guidelines on industry standards please visit the website of IAB Europe