adcontextprotocol · bokelley · Jan 5, 2026
diff --git a/.changeset/creative-standards-protocol.md b/.changeset/creative-standards-protocol.md
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+---
+"adcontextprotocol": minor
+---
+
+Add Creative Standards Protocol for brand guideline compliance.
+
+Provides four tasks:
+- `list_creative_features`: Discover available creative compliance features
+- `get_creative_standards`: Retrieve creative execution guidelines
+- `check_creative`: Evaluate a single creative asset
+- `validate_creative_delivery`: Batch validate creatives
diff --git a/docs.json b/docs.json
@@ -101,6 +101,21 @@
               }
             ]
           },
+          {
+            "group": "Creative Standards Protocol",
+            "pages": [
+              "docs/governance/creative-standards/index",
+              {
+                "group": "Tasks",
+                "pages": [
+                  "docs/governance/creative-standards/tasks/list_creative_features",
+                  "docs/governance/creative-standards/tasks/get_creative_standards",
+                  "docs/governance/creative-standards/tasks/check_creative",
+                  "docs/governance/creative-standards/tasks/validate_creative_delivery"
+                ]
+              }
+            ]
+          },
           {
             "group": "Curation Protocol",
             "pages": [

diff --git a/docs/governance/creative-standards/index.mdx b/docs/governance/creative-standards/index.mdx
@@ -0,0 +1,114 @@
+---
+title: Creative Standards Protocol
+sidebarTitle: Overview
+description: Evaluate creative execution against brand guidelines
+---
+
+# Creative Standards Protocol
+
+The Creative Standards Protocol enables AI agents to evaluate creative assets against brand execution guidelines. Unlike Content Standards (which evaluates where ads run), Creative Standards evaluates how the creative itself adheres to brand guidelines.
+
+## Use Cases
+
+- **Logo usage compliance**: Verify logos meet size, clear space, and placement requirements
+- **Color palette adherence**: Check that creatives use approved brand colors
+- **Typography compliance**: Ensure fonts and text styling follow brand guidelines
+- **Messaging consistency**: Evaluate taglines and copy against approved messaging
+- **Visual style adherence**: Check imagery, photography style, and visual elements
+- **Co-branding requirements**: Verify partner brand usage meets guidelines
+
+## Architecture
+
+Creative Standards follows the same agent + token pattern as other governance protocols:
+
+```
+┌─────────────────┐     ┌──────────────────────────┐
+│  Orchestrator   │────▶│  Creative Standards      │
+│  (AI Agent)     │     │  Agent                   │
+└─────────────────┘     │  (Brand/Agency Service)  │
+        │               └──────────────────────────┘
+        │                         │
+        │                         ▼
+        │               ┌──────────────────────────┐
+        │               │  Brand Guidelines        │
+        │               │  (Design System, Assets) │
+        │               └──────────────────────────┘
+        │
+        ▼
+┌─────────────────┐
+│  Brand Manifest │
+│  (Discovery)    │
+└─────────────────┘
+```
+
+## Tasks
+
+The Creative Standards Protocol provides four tasks:
+
+| Task | Purpose |
+|------|---------|
+| [list_creative_features](/docs/governance/creative-standards/tasks/list_creative_features) | Discover available creative compliance features |
+| [get_creative_standards](/docs/governance/creative-standards/tasks/get_creative_standards) | Retrieve creative execution guidelines |
+| [check_creative](/docs/governance/creative-standards/tasks/check_creative) | Evaluate a single creative asset |
+| [validate_creative_delivery](/docs/governance/creative-standards/tasks/validate_creative_delivery) | Batch validate delivered creatives |
+
+## Feature Types
+
+Creative features follow the same type system as property and content features:
+
+### Binary Features
+Pass/fail checks with clear criteria:
+- `logo_present`: Is the brand logo included?
+- `approved_tagline`: Does the copy use an approved tagline?
+- `click_url_valid`: Does the clickthrough URL work?
+
+### Quantitative Features
+Numeric values within acceptable ranges:
+- `logo_clear_space_px`: Minimum clear space around logo (pixels)
+- `text_contrast_ratio`: WCAG contrast ratio compliance
+- `logo_min_size_px`: Minimum logo dimensions
+
+### Categorical Features
+Values from defined sets:
+- `color_palette`: Which approved palette is used (primary, secondary, seasonal)
+- `typography_family`: Font family from brand approved list
+- `imagery_style`: Photography style (lifestyle, product, abstract)
+
+## Integration with Brand Manifest
+
+The [Brand Manifest](/docs/creative/brand-manifest) can reference a Creative Standards agent for automated compliance checking:
+
+```json
+{
+  "brand_id": "acme_corp",
+  "governance": {
+    "creative_standards_agent": {
+      "url": "https://creative-compliance.acme.com",
+      "standards_id": "acme_global_2024"
+    }
+  }
+}
+```
+
+## Example Flow
+
+```mermaid
+sequenceDiagram
+    participant O as Orchestrator
+    participant CS as Creative Standards Agent
+    participant BM as Brand Manifest
+
+    O->>BM: Discover creative standards agent
+    BM-->>O: Return agent URL + standards_id
+    O->>CS: list_creative_features()
+    CS-->>O: Available features
+    O->>CS: check_creative(creative_asset)
+    CS-->>O: Feature results (passed/failed)
+```
+
+## Relationship to Other Protocols
+
+- **Content Standards**: Evaluates where ads run (content safety)
+- **Creative Standards**: Evaluates how creatives look (brand compliance)
+- **Property Governance**: Publisher-side inventory characteristics
+- **Brand Manifest**: Discovery layer that can link to all governance agents
diff --git a/docs/governance/creative-standards/tasks/check_creative.mdx b/docs/governance/creative-standards/tasks/check_creative.mdx
@@ -0,0 +1,174 @@
+---
+title: check_creative
+sidebarTitle: check_creative
+description: Evaluate a single creative asset against brand guidelines
+---
+
+# check_creative
+
+Evaluate a single creative asset against brand guidelines. Returns per-feature evaluation results indicating compliance status.
+
+## Request
+
+```json
+{
+  "standards_id": "acme_global_2024",
+  "creative": {
+    "creative_id": "creative_abc123",
+    "format_id": {
+      "agent_url": "https://creative.adcontextprotocol.org",
+      "id": "display_300x250"
+    },
+    "assets": [
+      {
+        "asset_id": "hero_image",
+        "url": "https://cdn.example.com/creative_abc123/hero.png",
+        "content_type": "image/png"
+      }
+    ],
+    "metadata": {
+      "headline": "Transform Your Business",
+      "tagline": "ACME - Innovation at Scale",
+      "cta_text": "Learn More"
+    }
+  },
+  "feature_ids": ["logo_present", "color_palette", "typography_family"]
+}
+```
+
+### Parameters
+
+| Parameter | Type | Required | Description |
+|-----------|------|----------|-------------|
+| `standards_id` | string | Yes | Standards configuration to evaluate against |
+| `creative` | object | Yes | Creative asset to evaluate |
+| `creative.creative_id` | string | No | Identifier for the creative |
+| `creative.format_id` | object | No | Creative format specification |
+| `creative.assets` | array | Yes | Asset files to evaluate |
+| `creative.metadata` | object | No | Text content and metadata |
+| `feature_ids` | array | No | Specific features to check (defaults to all) |
+
+## Response
+
+```json
+{
+  "summary": {
+    "total_features": 5,
+    "passed_features": 3,
+    "failed_features": 1,
+    "warning_features": 1
+  },
+  "results": [
+    {
+      "feature_id": "logo_present",
+      "status": "passed",
+      "message": "Brand logo detected in creative"
+    },
+    {
+      "feature_id": "logo_clear_space_px",
+      "status": "warning",
+      "value": 15,
+      "message": "Logo clear space is 15px, minimum recommended is 20px",
+      "suggestion": "Increase clear space around logo to at least 20px"
+    },
+    {
+      "feature_id": "color_palette",
+      "status": "passed",
+      "value": "primary",
+      "message": "Creative uses primary brand color palette"
+    },
+    {
+      "feature_id": "typography_family",
+      "status": "passed",
+      "value": "brand_sans",
+      "message": "Creative uses approved ACME Sans font family"
+    },
+    {
+      "feature_id": "approved_tagline",
+      "status": "failed",
+      "message": "Tagline 'Innovation at Scale' is not in approved tagline list",
+      "suggestion": "Use an approved tagline such as 'Innovation Delivered' or 'Scale with Confidence'"
+    }
+  ]
+}
+```
+
+### Response Fields
+
+| Field | Type | Description |
+|-------|------|-------------|
+| `summary` | object | Aggregate counts |
+| `summary.total_features` | integer | Total features evaluated |
+| `summary.passed_features` | integer | Features that passed |
+| `summary.failed_features` | integer | Features that failed |
+| `summary.warning_features` | integer | Features with warnings |
+| `results` | array | Per-feature results |
+| `results[].feature_id` | string | Which feature was evaluated |
+| `results[].status` | string | `passed`, `failed`, `warning`, or `unevaluated` |
+| `results[].value` | any | The evaluated value (type depends on feature) |
+| `results[].message` | string | Human-readable explanation |
+| `results[].suggestion` | string | Recommended action if failed/warning |
+
+## Feature Status Values
+
+| Status | Meaning |
+|--------|---------|
+| `passed` | Creative meets the requirement |
+| `failed` | Creative violates the requirement |
+| `warning` | Creative is marginally compliant |
+| `unevaluated` | Feature could not be evaluated |
+
+## Creative Asset Structure
+
+The `creative.assets` array should include all relevant files:
+
+```json
+{
+  "assets": [
+    {
+      "asset_id": "main_image",
+      "url": "https://cdn.example.com/main.png",
+      "content_type": "image/png"
+    },
+    {
+      "asset_id": "logo",
+      "url": "https://cdn.example.com/logo.svg",
+      "content_type": "image/svg+xml"
+    },
+    {
+      "asset_id": "video",
+      "url": "https://cdn.example.com/spot.mp4",
+      "content_type": "video/mp4"
+    }
+  ]
+}
+```
+
+## Metadata for Text Evaluation
+
+Include text content in `creative.metadata` for messaging checks:
+
+```json
+{
+  "metadata": {
+    "headline": "Transform Your Business",
+    "subheadline": "Enterprise solutions that scale",
+    "tagline": "Innovation Delivered",
+    "cta_text": "Get Started",
+    "legal_text": "Terms and conditions apply. See website for details."
+  }
+}
+```
+
+## Error Response
+
+```json
+{
+  "errors": [
+    {
+      "code": "ASSET_UNAVAILABLE",
+      "message": "Could not fetch asset at https://cdn.example.com/main.png"
+    }
+  ]
+}
+```