A proposed update to the OpenRTB SupplyChain object could reshape how advertisers track programmatic transactions. The change aims to give buyers deeper insight into both technical and payment participants. Public comment is open until August 2026.
Media buyers and publishers could soon gain unprecedented visibility into the programmatic ad supply chain, as IAB Tech Lab has proposed a significant update to the OpenRTB SupplyChain (schain) object. The proposed SupplyChain v1.1 would, for the first time, allow buyers to see not only the companies involved in the financial flow of a bid request, but also those handling the technical routing and custody of the request as it moves through the ad ecosystem.
This update is designed to help buyers optimize their supply paths, reduce redundant bid requests, and identify every company participating in a programmatic transaction. Anthony Katsur, CEO of IAB Tech Lab, said the change represents one of the most important transparency improvements in digital advertising in recent years. He emphasized that advertisers should be able to understand both the financial and technical participants in each transaction before a bid reaches the buyer.
Historically, supply-path optimization (SPO) has focused on finding the shortest route between publisher and buyer, largely because buyers lacked insight into how bid requests were created and routed. The new SupplyChain v1.1 framework would enable buyers to distinguish between entities tracking payments and those managing data and file routing. This means advertisers could evaluate inventory quality based on transparency and accountability, rather than simply counting the number of intermediaries.
The update could shift the focus of SPO from rewarding the shortest path to prioritizing the most transparent and fully disclosed route. IAB Tech Lab is seeking public feedback on the proposal through August 21, 2026.
The Programmatic Supply Chain Working Group, with guidance from the Programmatic Supply Chain Commit Group, developed the update to expand schain's role beyond just payment flow. The new model would let companies identify those taking technical custody of bid requests as they pass through systems like Prebid, ad servers, SSAI platforms, SDKs, wrappers, and other infrastructure. The group recommended adding custody-taking entities directly to the main schain, using the hp=0 designation for those not part of the payment flow, to maintain the model's integrity while giving buyers a complete view of technical participation.
This move toward greater transparency in programmatic advertising echoes other recent industry efforts to automate and clarify the ad buying process, such as DoubleVerify's launch of its AI-powered DV Neura engine, which connects ad-verification data directly to campaign execution. For more on how automation is shaping ad buying, see this report on DoubleVerify's new AI-driven platform.
