Implementation Guidance and Reverse Mappings Included to Support Transition Across Platforms

IAB Tech Lab, the global digital advertising technical standards-setting body, announced the release of two new mappings and implementation guidance that connects Content Taxonomy 2.1 — a classification system initially designed to categorize webpage and app content — to Ad Product Taxonomy 2.0, which is used to accurately describe the products being advertised.

This effort aims to help companies refrain from using inappropriate content-based labels to describe products in ads. Content categorizations weren’t designed to represent the actual ad creative or product, and relying on them can lead to enforcement failures — allowing ads to slip through when they should be restricted. The new mappings provide a clearer and more accurate way to label what’s being advertised. The release is open for a 30-day public comment period, which will close on September 10, 2025.

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“A lot of companies are still using content-based labels to describe ads, which leads to confusion, mismatches across systems, and limits interoperability,” said Anthony Katsur, CEO, IAB Tech Lab. “These mappings help clear that up and give the industry a straightforward path to align with the current Ad Product Taxonomy. We’ve also included implementation notes to explain why certain categories were matched and how to handle areas without a perfect fit.”

The mappings illustrate how categories from Content 2.1 align with Ad Product 2.0. They also include notes explaining how specific connections were made and where edge cases exist. A reverse mapping from Ad Product 2.0 back to Content 2.1 is also included, recognizing that different platforms are transitioning at various speeds.

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“It’s critical that we make taxonomies easier to use and more aligned with how ad products are actually defined,” said Adam King, Manager, AI Team, GumGum.

“It’s also about enabling better communication between platforms,” added Sabine Schmidt, Senior Manager, Data, Axel Springer. “Having both forward and reverse mappings is a practical solution to where the industry is right now.”