Agent Attribution Protocol (AAP) vs CoMP (Content Monetization Protocols)
They answer different questions: Agent Attribution Protocol is a step 9 (Account) standard, CoMP (Content Monetization Protocols) step 3 (Permit), so they are not substitutes.
| Agent Attribution Protocol AAP | CoMP (Content Monetization Protocols) CoMP | |
|---|---|---|
| Lifecycle step | 9 Account: Prove what happened; be judged | 3 Permit: What may the agent do here? |
| Answers | When an AI agent recommends a product and a sale happens later, on another device or session, can anyone prove which agent (and which recommendation) actually drove it? | How does a licensed AI system ask a publisher or content marketplace for content, saying who it is, how it authenticates and what it will use the content for? |
| Governed by | Single vendor (Rako); the spec text is published under Apache-2.0, but issuance, verification and settlement are centrally operated by Rako, which the spec calls the 'Protocol Authority' | IAB Tech Lab; specification under CC-BY 3.0 in github.com/IABTechLab/CoMP |
| Status (issuer's words) | "The open standard for AI agent affiliate attribution" (vendor's own description); v1.0 spec published, centrally operated | CoMP v1 (Final): open for public comment until 2026-04-09 and finalized 2026-04-28, per IAB Tech Lab's initiative page |
| Version | v1.0 (2026-04-02) | CoMP v1 (Final) (2026-04-28) |
| Form / transport | endpoint | endpoint |
| Found at | none | none defined; supply discovery is explicitly out of scope, and terms are reached through a licenseurl in the response |
| Implementation | shipping | none found |
| Evidence | 3 verified | 2 verified |
| Primary use case | Attribute and measure agent traffic | Serve readable content to agents |
| Last verified | 2026-10-23 (current) | 2026-10-23 (current) |
| Specification | https://github.com/rakohq/aap-spec | https://github.com/IABTechLab/CoMP/blob/main/CoMP-1.0.md |
When to use which
- Choose Agent Attribution Protocol when your question is “When an AI agent recommends a product and a sale happens later, on another device or session, can anyone prove which agent (and which recommendation) actually drove it?” and you accept its maturity: status ""The open standard for AI agent affiliate attribution" (vendor's own description); v1.0 spec published, centrally operated", implementation shipping.
- Choose CoMP (Content Monetization Protocols) when your question is “How does a licensed AI system ask a publisher or content marketplace for content, saying who it is, how it authenticates and what it will use the content for?” and you accept its maturity: status "CoMP v1 (Final): open for public comment until 2026-04-09 and finalized 2026-04-28, per IAB Tech Lab's initiative page", implementation none found.
Read the full articles
- Agent Attribution Protocol: When an AI agent recommends a product and a sale happens later, on another device or session, can anyone prove which agent (and which recommendation) actually drove it?
- CoMP (Content Monetization Protocols): How does a licensed AI system ask a publisher or content marketplace for content, saying who it is, how it authenticates and what it will use the content for?