Product spectrum

The four Sponsored Intelligence product types — sponsored responses, AI search results, generative display, and SI Chat Protocol brand experience handoffs — with JSON examples and pricing models.

Product spectrum

Sponsored Intelligence is advertising on AI surfaces — AI assistants, AI search engines, and generative AI experiences. Sellers offer several distinct product types, each with different creative generation patterns, pricing models, and measurement capabilities.

Product type	Creative model	Pricing	Key differentiator
Sponsored responses	Platform generates from catalog + brand data	CPC	Contextual relevance to user conversation
AI search results	Platform generates from catalog + keywords	CPC	Keyword targeting via targeting_overlay
Generative display/video	Buyer provides via build_creative	CPM	Standard format IDs; buyer controls the creative
SI Chat Protocol handoffs	Brand agent converses directly	Per session	Multi-turn brand experience via SI Chat Protocol

The first three product types are bought and served entirely through the media buy protocol. SI Chat Protocol handoffs additionally use the si_* session tasks. See protocol architecture.

Sponsored responses in AI assistants

The flagship Sponsored Intelligence product. When a user’s conversation is relevant to the brand, the platform generates a sponsored response using the brand’s catalog and identity. Pricing is typically CPC.

{
  "product_id": "sponsored_response_assistant",
  "name": "Sponsored responses - AI assistant",
  "description": "Contextually relevant sponsored responses generated from brand catalog data when users ask related questions. Creative is generated by the platform using brand identity and product catalog.",
  "channels": ["sponsored_intelligence"],
  "publisher_properties": [
    { "publisher_domain": "ai-platform.example.com", "selection_type": "all" }
  ],
  "format_ids": [
    { "agent_url": "https://ads.ai-platform.example.com", "id": "sponsored_response" }
  ],
  "delivery_type": "non_guaranteed",
  "pricing_options": [
    {
      "pricing_option_id": "sr_cpc",
      "pricing_model": "cpc",
      "floor_price": 0.50,
      "price_guidance": { "p50": 2.00, "p75": 3.50 },
      "currency": "USD",
      "min_spend_per_package": 500
    }
  ],
  "delivery_measurement": {
    "provider": "Platform analytics",
    "notes": "Engagement tracked per platform methodology. Clicks measured on outbound links and action buttons."
  },
  "metric_optimization": {
    "supported_metrics": ["clicks", "engagements"],
    "supported_targets": ["cost_per"]
  },
  "creative_policy": {
    "co_branding": "none",
    "landing_page": "any",
    "templates_available": true
  },
  "catalog_types": ["product", "offering"]
}

Key characteristics:

• CPC pricing with auction-based bidding on contextual relevance
• templates_available: true — the platform generates creative from catalog and brand data
• catalog_types declares which catalog types feed the generative creative — product feeds for e-commerce brands, offering feeds for services
• metric_optimization with engagements and clicks — buyers can set cost-per-engagement targets

AI search sponsored results

Sponsored results within AI-powered search experiences. Similar to traditional search ads but rendered within an AI’s synthesized response. Keyword targeting is the primary relevance signal.

{
  "product_id": "ai_search_sponsored",
  "name": "Sponsored results - AI search",
  "description": "Sponsored results appearing within AI search responses. Targeted by keyword relevance to user queries.",
  "channels": ["sponsored_intelligence"],
  "publisher_properties": [
    { "publisher_domain": "ai-platform.example.com", "selection_type": "all" }
  ],
  "format_ids": [
    { "agent_url": "https://ads.ai-platform.example.com", "id": "search_result_native" }
  ],
  "delivery_type": "non_guaranteed",
  "pricing_options": [
    {
      "pricing_option_id": "search_cpc",
      "pricing_model": "cpc",
      "floor_price": 0.75,
      "price_guidance": { "p50": 2.50, "p75": 5.00 },
      "currency": "USD",
      "min_spend_per_package": 500
    }
  ],
  "delivery_measurement": {
    "provider": "Platform analytics",
    "notes": "Click tracking on sponsored result links. Query-level reporting available."
  },
  "metric_optimization": {
    "supported_metrics": ["clicks"],
    "supported_targets": ["cost_per"]
  },
  "creative_policy": {
    "co_branding": "none",
    "landing_page": "any",
    "templates_available": true
  }
}

AI search products typically support keyword targeting. Sellers declare this in get_adcp_capabilities under media_buy.execution.targeting.keyword_targets, and buyers provide keywords on packages via targeting_overlay.

Generative display and video

Display and video ads generated from brand assets for placement within AI experiences — sidebars, interstitials between conversation turns, or visual responses. The platform uses build_creative to generate visual creative from the brand’s assets and guidelines.

{
  "product_id": "ai_generative_display",
  "name": "Generative display - AI experience",
  "description": "Display ads generated from brand assets, placed within AI experience surfaces.",
  "channels": ["sponsored_intelligence"],
  "publisher_properties": [
    { "publisher_domain": "ai-platform.example.com", "selection_type": "all" }
  ],
  "format_ids": [
    { "agent_url": "https://creative.adcontextprotocol.org", "id": "display_300x250" },
    { "agent_url": "https://creative.adcontextprotocol.org", "id": "display_native" }
  ],
  "delivery_type": "non_guaranteed",
  "pricing_options": [
    {
      "pricing_option_id": "display_cpm",
      "pricing_model": "cpm",
      "floor_price": 6.00,
      "currency": "USD",
      "min_spend_per_package": 1000
    }
  ],
  "delivery_measurement": {
    "provider": "Platform ad server",
    "notes": "Impressions per IAB guidelines."
  },
  "creative_policy": {
    "co_branding": "none",
    "landing_page": "any",
    "templates_available": false
  }
}

Unlike sponsored responses, generative display uses standard format IDs from the creative agent. Buyers provide creative via build_creative or inline on the media buy — the platform doesn’t generate creative from catalog data.

Brand experience handoffs (SI Chat Protocol)

When a user shows high purchase intent, the AI platform can hand off the conversation to the brand’s own AI agent via the SI Chat Protocol. This enables rich, multi-turn brand experiences — product recommendations, comparisons, configuration, and even transaction completion — without leaving the AI assistant.

Brand experience handoffs are unique to Sponsored Intelligence. The brand syncs offerings via sync_catalogs with type: "offering", and the platform triggers handoffs when user intent aligns with an offering. See the SI Chat Protocol for the session lifecycle and capability model.