Data Provider Guide

Publish signal definitions as a data provider using adagents.json. Define signal value types, authorize signal agents, and enable AI-driven audience discovery and verification through AdCP.

Data Provider Guide

This guide explains how data providers publish signal definitions via adagents.json signals[], enabling AI agents to discover, verify authorization, and activate signals for advertising campaigns.

The Problem

Data providers (Pinnacle Data, Meridian Analytics, Apex Segments, etc.) own valuable audience and contextual data, but integrating with the growing ecosystem of AI-powered advertising agents presents challenges:

Discovery is fragmented. Each signals agent (Luminary Data, Nova DSP, etc.) needs custom integrations to know what signals you offer. There’s no standard way for an AI agent to ask “what automotive purchase intent signals does Pinnacle Data have?”

Authorization is opaque. When a buyer receives a signal from a signals agent, they can’t verify that the agent is actually authorized to resell it. They have to trust the intermediary.

Signal semantics are inconsistent. Without standardized definitions, an AI agent can’t know whether “auto_intenders” is a binary segment, a propensity score, or a multi-value category—making it impossible to construct proper targeting expressions.

Scaling requires N×M integrations. Every data provider needs custom integrations with every signals agent. This doesn’t scale.

The Solution

Published signal definitions solve these problems by letting data providers publish machine-readable descriptions of their signals at a well-known URL. This enables:

• Discovery: AI agents can find signals via natural language (“find automotive purchase intent signals”) or structured lookup
• Authorization verification: Buyers can verify authorization by checking the data provider’s domain directly
• Typed targeting: Signal definitions include value types (binary, categorical, numeric) so agents can construct correct targeting expressions
• Scalable partnerships: Authorize agents once in adagents.json; as you add signals, authorized agents automatically have access

Overview

Data providers own audience and contextual data (purchase intent, demographics, behavioral segments). The signals[] publishing model lets you publish your signals in a standardized format that:

• Enables discovery via natural language queries
• Provides authorization verification for agents
• Describes signal characteristics (binary, categorical, numeric)
• Supports tag-based grouping for efficient authorization

This follows the same pattern as publishers declaring properties - instead of “what ad placements exist,” you’re declaring “what signals exist.”

The Parallel Pattern

Publishers	Data Providers
Declare properties (websites, apps)	Declare signals (audiences, segments)
Authorize agents to sell inventory	Authorize agents to resell signals
Use property_ids / property_tags	Use signal_ids / signal_tags
Buyers verify via publisher_domain	Buyers verify via data_provider_domain

Both use /.well-known/adagents.json as the publishing mechanism. A single adagents.json file can declare both properties and signals simultaneously — see Unified declaration model.

File Location

Data providers host their published signal definitions at:

https://your-domain.com/.well-known/adagents.json

Following RFC 8615 well-known URI conventions.

Basic Structure

{
  "$schema": "https://adcontextprotocol.org/schemas/v3/adagents.json",
  "contact": {
    "name": "Pinnacle Auto Data",
    "email": "[e-mail]",
    "domain": "pinnacle-auto-data.com"
  },
  "signals": [
    {
      "id": "likely_ev_buyers",
      "name": "Likely EV Buyers",
      "description": "Consumers modeled as likely to purchase an electric vehicle in the next 12 months",
      "value_type": "binary",
      "tags": ["automotive", "green"]
    }
  ],
  "signal_tags": {
    "automotive": {
      "name": "Automotive Signals",
      "description": "Vehicle-related audience segments"
    },
    "green": {
      "name": "Green/Sustainability",
      "description": "Environmentally-conscious consumer segments"
    }
  },
  "authorized_agents": [
    {
      "url": "https://signals-agent.example.com",
      "authorized_for": "All automotive signals",
      "authorization_type": "signal_tags",
      "signal_tags": ["automotive"]
    }
  ],
  "last_updated": "2025-01-15T10:00:00Z"
}

Signal Definition

Each signal in the signals array describes a targetable segment:

The signal definition is not itself a signal_ref. In adagents.json, the hosting domain supplies the namespace, so the definition only needs its local id. A media-buy product that makes this provider-published signal selectable points back to it with signal_ref: { "scope": "data_provider", "data_provider_domain": "<this adagents.json domain>", "signal_id": "<signals[].id>" }. If a seller publishes its own signals[], the seller can be the data-provider domain for these references; scope: "data_provider" means adagents.json-resolved, not necessarily third-party.

Required Fields

Field	Type	Description
id	string	Unique identifier within your published signals[]. Pattern: ^[a-zA-Z0-9_-]+$
name	string	Human-readable signal name
value_type	enum	Data type: binary, categorical, or numeric

Optional Fields

Field	Type	Description
description	string	Detailed description of what this signal represents
tags	array	Tags for grouping (lowercase, alphanumeric: ^[a-z0-9_-]+$)
allowed_values	array	For categorical signals: valid values
range	object	For numeric signals: { min, max, unit }
restricted_attributes	array	Restricted attribute categories this signal touches (e.g., ["health_data"]). Enables structural governance matching.
policy_categories	array	Policy categories this signal is sensitive for (e.g., ["children_directed"]). Enables structural governance matching.
taxonomy	object	External taxonomy metadata for discovery, review, and translation. Does not change value_type or package targeting grammar.
data_sources	array	IAB Data Transparency Standard-aligned source categories used to compile the signal.
methodology	enum	How membership or attribute values were determined: observed, declared, derived, inferred, or modeled.
modeling	object	Required when methodology is modeled or audience_expansion is true. Includes seed source, training jurisdictions, AI risk class, and disclosure notes.
countries	array	ISO 3166-1 alpha-2 countries where the signal is applicable.
consent_basis	array	GDPR Article 6 lawful basis or consent basis for processing this signal’s data. Use countries, policy_categories, and disclosure fields for non-GDPR obligations.
data_subject_rights	object	Per-signal rights-routing channels for access, erasure, objection, and related requests.

Definition Enrichment

Use enrichment fields when buyers, sellers, governance agents, or regulators need more than a name and value type:

Purpose	Fields	When to use
Discovery and taxonomy	taxonomy, taxonomy.values, taxonomy.value_mappings, taxonomy.parent_match_behavior	The signal maps to an external audience, content, retail-media, or provider-owned taxonomy. For categorical signals, value_mappings maps each package-targeting allowed_values[] string to a stable taxonomy node; each mapping value should match an allowed_values[] entry.
Source and methodology	data_sources, methodology, segmentation_criteria, criteria_url, refresh_cadence, lookback_window, onboarder	The provider wants DTS-style transparency. onboarder is required for offline or public-record sources.
Modeling and disclosure	modeling, audience_expansion, device_expansion	Required when methodology is modeled or audience_expansion is true. device_expansion is for deterministic cross-device expansion; probabilistic cross-device inference should use modeling. modeling.training_data_jurisdictions must be non-empty. If modeling.disclosure.required is true, modeling.disclosure.jurisdictions is required.
Privacy and governance	countries, consent_basis, restricted_attributes, policy_categories, art9_basis	The signal may be jurisdictionally limited, policy-sensitive, or subject to special-category review.
Rights routing	data_subject_rights	Rights requests route differently by signal or upstream source. Each routing block must include a channel supporting at least one of access, erasure, or objection.

{
  "id": "vehicle_ownership",
  "name": "Current vehicle ownership",
  "description": "Declared or inferred current household vehicle ownership.",
  "value_type": "categorical",
  "allowed_values": ["luxury_ev", "luxury_non_ev", "mid_range", "economy", "none"],
  "taxonomy": {
    "ref": "https://taxonomy.example.com/audience/v1",
    "version": "1.0",
    "values": [
      { "id": "auto.vehicle_ownership", "path": "Automotive > Vehicle ownership" }
    ],
    "value_mappings": [
      {
        "value": "luxury_ev",
        "taxonomy_value_id": "auto.vehicle_ownership.luxury_ev",
        "path": "Automotive > Vehicle ownership > Luxury EV"
      }
    ],
    "parent_match_behavior": "exact_only"
  },
  "data_sources": ["online_survey", "transaction"],
  "methodology": "derived",
  "subject_type": "household",
  "resolution_method": "mixed",
  "countries": ["US"],
  "consent_basis": ["consent"],
  "data_subject_rights": {
    "channels": [
      {
        "rights": ["access", "erasure", "objection"],
        "url": "https://privacy.pinnacle-data.example/requests",
        "countries": ["US"]
      }
    ],
    "response_sla_days": 30
  }
}

Taxonomy parent nodes do not imply targeting expansion by themselves. If parent_match_behavior is descendants_supported, the seller may expand known, version-pinned parent nodes internally, typically by ORing children in its execution system. Package targeting still uses the signal’s declared value_type.

Publishing large definition resources

Provider-published adagents.json is the authoritative definition surface, but large external resources do not need to be duplicated in every get_signals listing. For large taxonomies, long segmentation criteria, or jurisdiction-specific disclosure text, publish stable pointers such as taxonomy.ref, criteria_url, and modeling.disclosure.jurisdictions[].disclosure_url; use taxonomy.etag when the taxonomy has its own freshness validator. Signal agents can then return compact discovery listings while buyers fetch and cache the full definition only when they need the deeper review context.

Signal Value Types

Binary Signals

User either matches or doesn’t. Most common type.

{
  "id": "likely_ev_buyers",
  "name": "Likely EV Buyers",
  "value_type": "binary",
  "tags": ["automotive", "purchase_intent"]
}

Targeting: Include or exclude users matching this signal.

Categorical Signals

User has one of several possible values.

{
  "id": "vehicle_ownership",
  "name": "Current Vehicle Ownership",
  "value_type": "categorical",
  "allowed_values": ["luxury_ev", "luxury_non_ev", "mid_range", "economy", "none"]
}

Targeting: Target users with specific values (e.g., “users who own a luxury EV or luxury non-EV”).

Numeric Signals

User has a score or measurement within a range.

{
  "id": "purchase_propensity",
  "name": "Auto Purchase Propensity",
  "value_type": "numeric",
  "range": {
    "min": 0,
    "max": 1,
    "unit": "score"
  }
}

Targeting: Target users within a value range (e.g., “propensity score > 0.7”).

Authorization Patterns

Pattern 1: Signal IDs (Direct References)

Authorize specific signals by ID:

Here signal_ids means local catalog IDs from this adagents.json signals[] array, not the deprecated SignalId object used by older Signals Protocol payloads.

{
  "authorized_agents": [
    {
      "url": "https://premium-agent.example.com",
      "authorized_for": "Premium automotive signals only",
      "authorization_type": "signal_ids",
      "signal_ids": ["likely_ev_buyers", "luxury_auto_intenders"]
    }
  ]
}

Best for: Specific, limited signal sets. Fine-grained control.

Pattern 2: Signal Tags (Efficient Grouping)

Authorize all signals with certain tags:

{
  "authorized_agents": [
    {
      "url": "https://full-signal-agent.example.com",
      "authorized_for": "All automotive signals",
      "authorization_type": "signal_tags",
      "signal_tags": ["automotive"]
    }
  ]
}

Best for: Large signal sets. As you add signals with the tag, agents automatically get access.

Signal Tags

The signal_tags object provides metadata for tags used in signals:

{
  "signal_tags": {
    "automotive": {
      "name": "Automotive Signals",
      "description": "Vehicle ownership, purchase intent, and service signals"
    },
    "premium": {
      "name": "Premium Signals",
      "description": "High-value segments with enhanced pricing"
    }
  }
}

Why define tags?

• Human-readable context for buyers exploring your signal definitions
• Enables efficient authorization (“all premium signals”)
• Groups related signals for easier discovery

How Buyers Use Your Signal Definitions

1. Discovery

Buyers call get_signals on a signals agent. The agent may use your published definitions for:

• Natural language matching (“find automotive purchase intent signals”)
• Structured lookup by signal_ref

2. Authorization Verification

When a buyer receives a signal, they can verify authorization:

{
  "signal_ref": {
    "scope": "data_provider",
    "data_provider_domain": "pinnacle-auto-data.com",
    "signal_id": "likely_ev_buyers"
  }
}

The buyer fetches https://pinnacle-auto-data.com/.well-known/adagents.json and checks:

1. Does the signal exist in the signals array?
2. Is the signals agent in authorized_agents?
3. Does the authorization cover this signal (by ID or tag)?

3. Targeting

Based on value_type, buyers construct targeting expressions:

// Binary targeting
{
  "signal_ref": { "scope": "data_provider", "data_provider_domain": "pinnacle-auto-data.com", "signal_id": "likely_ev_buyers" },
  "value_type": "binary",
  "value": true
}

// Categorical targeting
{
  "signal_ref": { "scope": "data_provider", "data_provider_domain": "pinnacle-auto-data.com", "signal_id": "vehicle_ownership" },
  "value_type": "categorical",
  "values": ["luxury_ev", "luxury_non_ev"]
}

// Numeric targeting
{
  "signal_ref": { "scope": "data_provider", "data_provider_domain": "pinnacle-auto-data.com", "signal_id": "purchase_propensity" },
  "value_type": "numeric",
  "min_value": 0.7
}

Local and External Signal References

Not all signals come from third-party data providers. Sellers and publishers can also define their own signals - custom models, first-party data, or composite segments - the same way they define other named resources in adagents.json. When those signals are meant to be portable and externally referenceable, publish them in the signals array and reference them from products with scope: "data_provider" using the seller’s own publishing domain. When they are only meaningful within one product/package context, expose them only as product-local signal_targeting_options with scope: "product".

Use signal_ref for get_signals, media-buy product targeting, and package-level buy-time targeting:

Reference	Meaning
{ "scope": "product", "signal_id": "high_intent_shoppers" }	Product-local signal option, meaningful inside the selected product/package context
{ "scope": "data_provider", "data_provider_domain": "pinnacle-data.example", "signal_id": "auto_intenders" }	Signal defined in a data provider’s published adagents.json signals[]
{ "scope": "signal_source", "signal_source_url": "https://signals.example/.well-known/adcp/signals", "signal_id": "custom_model_run_123" }	Source-native signal not published in upstream adagents.json signals[]

{
  "signal_ref": { "scope": "product", "signal_id": "custom_auto_intenders" },
  "value_type": "binary",
  "value": true
}

{
  "signal_ref": {
    "scope": "data_provider",
    "data_provider_domain": "pinnacle-data.example",
    "signal_id": "auto_intenders"
  },
  "value_type": "binary",
  "value": true
}

The older signal_id.source shape is deprecated and retained only for backwards compatibility with older Signals Protocol clients. New discovery, activation, and media-buy targeting surfaces use signal_ref. For product-local signals exposed on both get_products and a product-contextual get_signals response, signal_ref.signal_id MUST match across both surfaces.

Complete Example

A full adagents.json signal definition set for an automotive data provider:

{
  "$schema": "https://adcontextprotocol.org/schemas/v3/adagents.json",
  "contact": {
    "name": "Pinnacle Auto Data",
    "email": "[e-mail]",
    "domain": "pinnacle-auto-data.com"
  },
  "signals": [
    {
      "id": "likely_ev_buyers",
      "name": "Likely EV Buyers",
      "description": "Consumers modeled as likely to purchase an electric vehicle in the next 12 months based on vehicle registration, financial, and behavioral data",
      "value_type": "binary",
      "tags": ["automotive", "premium"]
    },
    {
      "id": "vehicle_ownership",
      "name": "Current Vehicle Ownership",
      "description": "Current vehicle category owned by the consumer",
      "value_type": "categorical",
      "allowed_values": ["luxury_ev", "luxury_non_ev", "mid_range", "economy", "none"],
      "tags": ["automotive"]
    },
    {
      "id": "purchase_propensity",
      "name": "Auto Purchase Propensity",
      "description": "Likelihood score of purchasing any new vehicle in the next 6 months",
      "value_type": "numeric",
      "range": { "min": 0, "max": 1, "unit": "score" },
      "tags": ["automotive"]
    }
  ],
  "signal_tags": {
    "automotive": {
      "name": "Automotive Signals",
      "description": "Vehicle-related audience segments"
    },
    "premium": {
      "name": "Premium Signals",
      "description": "High-value premium audience segments with enhanced pricing"
    }
  },
  "authorized_agents": [
    {
      "url": "https://luminary-data.com/.well-known/adcp/signals",
      "authorized_for": "All Pinnacle automotive signals via Luminary Data",
      "authorization_type": "signal_tags",
      "signal_tags": ["automotive"]
    },
    {
      "url": "https://nova-dsp.com/.well-known/adcp/signals",
      "authorized_for": "Pinnacle premium signals only",
      "authorization_type": "signal_ids",
      "signal_ids": ["likely_ev_buyers"]
    }
  ],
  "last_updated": "2025-01-15T10:00:00Z"
}

Location data provider example

A geo/mobility provider’s published signal definitions use the same structure but with location-specific signals. Here’s the signals array for a provider publishing foot traffic and mobility data:

{
  "signals": [
    {
      "id": "store_visitors",
      "name": "Store Visitors",
      "description": "Consumers who visited a specified retail location in the past 30 days based on opted-in mobile device data",
      "value_type": "binary",
      "tags": ["geo", "foot_traffic"]
    },
    {
      "id": "visit_frequency",
      "name": "Location Visit Frequency",
      "description": "Monthly visit count to a specified location category",
      "value_type": "numeric",
      "range": { "min": 0, "max": 30, "unit": "visits_per_month" },
      "tags": ["geo", "frequency"]
    },
    {
      "id": "commute_pattern",
      "name": "Commute Pattern",
      "description": "Categorized daily commute behavior based on observed travel patterns",
      "value_type": "categorical",
      "allowed_values": ["urban_transit", "suburban_driver", "remote_worker", "hybrid"],
      "tags": ["geo", "behavioral"]
    }
  ]
}

Note how the three value types map to different geo concepts: binary for yes/no store visitation, numeric for visit frequency with a meaningful range, and categorical for classified mobility behavior.

Identity / demographic provider example

An identity company’s published signal definitions can include consumer segments derived from financial records, surveys, and public data. Note: these are targeting segments, not raw data. Credit-derived signals may carry regulatory obligations (FCRA) — consult your compliance team before publishing.

{
  "signals": [
    {
      "id": "household_income",
      "name": "Household Income Tier",
      "description": "Modeled household income bracket based on financial and demographic indicators",
      "value_type": "categorical",
      "allowed_values": ["under_50k", "50k_75k", "75k_100k", "100k_150k", "150k_250k", "over_250k"],
      "tags": ["demographic", "income"]
    },
    {
      "id": "life_stage",
      "name": "Life Stage",
      "description": "Life stage classification derived from demographic and behavioral indicators",
      "value_type": "categorical",
      "allowed_values": ["young_adult", "early_career", "established_family", "empty_nester", "retired"],
      "tags": ["demographic", "life_stage"]
    },
    {
      "id": "credit_active",
      "name": "Active Credit Seeker",
      "description": "Consumer has actively applied for new credit products in the past 90 days",
      "value_type": "binary",
      "tags": ["financial", "in_market", "credit"]
    }
  ]
}

Identity companies often also provide cross-device identity graphs, but identity resolution as a service (matching Device A to Person B) is not yet part of the AdCP protocol. See the signals ecosystem guide for more on this boundary.

Retail media provider example

Retailers have first-party purchase data that doubles as high-value targeting signals. A retail media network can publish signals alongside its properties in the same adagents.json:

{
  "signals": [
    {
      "id": "category_buyer",
      "name": "Category Buyer",
      "description": "Purchased in the specified product category within the past 90 days",
      "value_type": "categorical",
      "allowed_values": ["electronics", "home", "beauty", "grocery", "fashion"],
      "tags": ["retail", "purchase"]
    },
    {
      "id": "purchase_frequency",
      "name": "Monthly Purchase Frequency",
      "description": "Number of purchases in a product category over the trailing 90 days",
      "value_type": "numeric",
      "range": { "min": 0, "max": 50, "unit": "purchases" },
      "tags": ["retail", "frequency"]
    },
    {
      "id": "new_to_brand",
      "name": "New to Brand",
      "description": "Consumer has no prior purchase history with the specified brand in the trailing 12 months",
      "value_type": "binary",
      "tags": ["retail", "conquest"]
    }
  ]
}

Retail signals are especially valuable because they’re deterministic — based on actual purchases, not modeled behavior. See the signals ecosystem guide for the dual-role pattern (publisher + data provider).

Validation

Use the AdAgents.json Builder to validate your published signal definitions, or validate programmatically:

curl -X POST https://adcontextprotocol.org/api/adagents/validate \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"domain": "your-domain.com"}' | jq '.data.validation'

The validator checks:

• Required fields (id, name, value_type for each signal)
• ID patterns (alphanumeric with underscores/hyphens)
• Tag consistency (tags used in signals should be defined in signal_tags)
• Authorization references (signal_ids/signal_tags should reference existing signals/tags)

Best Practices

1. Use Descriptive IDs

// Good
{ "id": "likely_ev_buyers" }
{ "id": "household_income_150k_plus" }

// Avoid
{ "id": "seg_12345" }
{ "id": "a1b2c3" }

2. Provide Complete Metadata

Include description so buyers understand what each signal represents.

3. Use Tags for Scalability

As your signal set grows, tags enable efficient authorization without listing every signal ID.

4. Document Value Types Clearly

For categorical signals, always include allowed_values. For numeric signals, include range with unit.

5. Keep Files Updated

Update last_updated timestamp when signals change. Buyers cache these files - stale data causes authorization failures.

Declaring governance metadata

Signal definitions support two optional fields that enable structural governance matching: restricted_attributes and policy_categories. When declared, governance agents can match signals against a campaign plan’s restrictions deterministically instead of relying on semantic inference from signal names.

restricted_attributes

Declare which GDPR Article 9 special categories of personal data a signal touches. Values: racial_ethnic_origin, political_opinions, religious_beliefs, trade_union_membership, health_data, sex_life_sexual_orientation, genetic_data, biometric_data.

{
  "id": "chronic_condition_hh",
  "name": "Chronic Condition Households",
  "description": "Households with modeled indicators of chronic health conditions",
  "value_type": "binary",
  "tags": ["health", "demographic"],
  "restricted_attributes": ["health_data"]
}

When a campaign plan declares restricted_attributes: ["health_data"], a governance agent blocks this signal without needing to interpret the description.

policy_categories

Declare which policy categories a signal is sensitive for. Policy categories group related regulatory regimes — children_directed covers COPPA, UK AADC, and GDPR Article 8. Values are registry-defined category IDs.

{
  "id": "kids_cartoon_fans",
  "name": "Kids Cartoon Fans",
  "description": "Children aged 6-12 who watch animated content",
  "value_type": "binary",
  "tags": ["entertainment", "children"],
  "policy_categories": ["children_directed"]
}

Combining both fields

A signal can declare both when it touches restricted personal data and is relevant to a specific regulatory regime:

{
  "id": "fertility_intent",
  "name": "Fertility Intent",
  "description": "Consumers researching fertility treatments",
  "value_type": "binary",
  "tags": ["health", "life_stage"],
  "restricted_attributes": ["health_data"],
  "policy_categories": ["pharmaceutical_advertising"]
}

Without governance metadata, a governance agent must infer sensitivity from signal names — this is fragile and produces false positives. Declared attributes enable deterministic matching.

Relationship to the Policy Registry

Signal definitions declare policy_categories and restricted_attributes using the same vocabulary as the Policy Registry. These fields enable governance agents to match signal metadata against policy entries during campaign validation.

Signal field	Registry equivalent	Purpose
policy_categories	policy_categories on policy entries	Declares which regulatory regimes the signal touches (e.g., children_directed, health_wellness)
restricted_attributes	restricted_attributes on policy categories	Declares which GDPR Article 9 special categories the signal touches (e.g., health_data, racial_ethnic_origin)

Values MUST match the canonical definitions in the Policy Registry. See policy category definitions for the full list of valid policy_categories values and restricted attribute definitions for valid restricted_attributes values.

Integration with get_adcp_capabilities

Signal agents advertise available data providers via get_adcp_capabilities:

{
  "signals": {
    "data_provider_domains": ["pinnacle-auto-data.com", "meridian-analytics.com", "apex-segments.com"]
  }
}

This tells buyers which data providers’ published signal definitions the agent can access.

Next Steps

1. Create your adagents.json with your published signal definitions
2. Host at /.well-known/adagents.json on your domain
3. Validate using the AdAgents.json Builder
4. Partner with signals agents who will resell your data
5. Add agents to authorized_agents as partnerships are established

Related Documentation

• Signals Protocol Overview - How signals work in AdCP
• get_signals Task - Signal discovery API
• activate_signal Task - Signal activation API
• adagents.json Tech Spec - Full adagents.json reference (property-focused)