IAB Tech Lab has announced the release of the CoMP (Content Monetisation Protocol) Specification v1.0 for public comment, introducing a standardised framework designed to ensure that large language models and other AI systems establish commercial agreements with publishers before crawling or using their content.
The specification will remain open for public comment until April 9, 2026, allowing the industry to provide feedback and support wider adoption. IAB is the global digital advertising technical standard-setting body.
“AI systems require chips, power and information. Information is the only input in that equation that does not yet have a consistent commercial infrastructure around it,” said Anthony Katsur, CEO of IAB Tech Lab. “If we expect high-quality content to continue fuelling AI-driven products, we need clear terms of engagement and a mechanism that supports compensation, accountability and long-term sustainability. CoMP is designed to help the industry move in that direction.”
Publishers have seen significant traffic declines in recent years, including drops in search referral traffic exceeding 50% in some cases. The CoMP framework aims to create a foundation for a global information market that unlocks new revenue opportunities tied to AI usage while supporting fair compensation for quality and timely content. At the same time, the framework is designed to reduce risks for AI systems that rely on consistent access to reliable and well-structured information.
The protocol is designed to work across both direct licensing arrangements and third-party marketplaces. This allows content owners and AI systems to adopt a single standardised protocol instead of building separate proprietary integrations for each platform. By establishing a consistent way to signal permissions and commercial terms before content is accessed, CoMP reduces bespoke technical work, lowers operational overhead and supports scalable adoption across the ecosystem.
CoMP is not intended to replace strong access controls. The framework assumes that publishers have implemented robust blocking strategies at the delivery layer, such as through edge computing infrastructure or their Content Delivery Network (CDN). With that foundation in place, the protocol creates a structured pathway from access restrictions to a formal commercial marketplace.
The specification reflects collaboration from the CoMP Working Group and is expected to evolve through industry feedback during the public comment period. Input from publishers, marketplaces, technology providers and AI developers will inform updates before the framework is finalised.
