How IAB categories and ad exclusions work

Programmatic audio ads are selected dynamically for each listener at the moment of download. The selection is handled by advertising marketplaces, not manually placed in advance.

To ensure brand suitability, the industry uses IAB categories.

Each ad is assigned one or more IAB categories by the advertiser or their platform. These categories describe the ad’s content, and podcast creators can choose to exclude specific categories.

You can explore the official IAB category taxonomy here: https://www.iab.com/guidelines/content-taxonomy.

A commonly used version (Content Taxonomy 2.2) is available here: https://iabtechlab.com/standards/ad-product-taxonomy.

When an ad request is made, the system:

• Reviews available ads
• Checks their assigned IAB categories
• Applies any exclusions set by the podcast
• Delivers an eligible ad

This system is highly reliable because category exclusions are consistently respected and applied at scale across all programmatic ad delivery. It follows standardized IAB classifications used across the industry and is enforced automatically during every ad decision.

It is important to understand that IAB categories are defined upstream by advertisers. Ad marketplaces rely on these classifications to determine eligibility. In the vast majority of cases, ads are categorized correctly and align with the intended filters.

In very rare situations, an ad may be assigned a category that is technically valid but not fully representative of its content.

Example:

An advertiser promoting a crypto trading platform might categorize their ad under: “Business & Finance” (IAB13)

This is technically correct. But if the ad creative focuses heavily on high-risk speculative trading and aggressive “get rich quick” messaging.

It may not align with the expectations of a creator who excluded categories like: "Gambling" or risky financial behavior.

Since the categorization is still valid at a high level, the system allows the ad, even though the nuance of the content might feel misaligned.

Continuous monitoring and improvements

RSS.com works closely with leading ad marketplaces to ensure high-quality ad delivery. If any inconsistency is identified the specific ad can be traced and reviewed and its categorization can be corrected at the source.

Edge cases are extremely uncommon, and when they occur, they can be quickly identified and resolved.