> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.didomi.io/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://docs.didomi.io/regulations-manager/frameworks/iab-tcf.md).

# IAB TCF

The IAB Transparency and Consent Framework (TCF) is an industry standard created by IAB Europe that gives publishers, advertisers, and technology vendors a common way to collect, record, and communicate end-user consent and privacy choices in digital advertising. When a visitor interacts with a privacy widget, the TCF encodes their decisions into a standardized string, known as the TC String, which is passed along to every vendor involved in serving ads so each one can see what the end-user has agreed to and for which purposes.&#x20;

It is intended for publishers that monetize their sites and apps through advertising, the ad tech vendors that buy, sell, and measure that advertising, and the Consent Management Platforms (CMPs) that sit between them and manage the consent experience.&#x20;

* [Resources](#resources)
* [Benefits](#benefits)
* [Global Vendor List (GVL)](#global-vendor-list)
* [TC String](#tc-string)

{% hint style="warning" %}
The IAB TCF is only available for regulations the utilize vendor as the data collection scope.
{% endhint %}

***

### Resources

Additional information regarding the IAB Transparency and Consent Framework (TCF) can be found in the links below:

* [IAB Europe Transparency & Consent Framework policies](https://iabeurope.eu/iab-europe-transparency-consent-framework-policies/)
* [IAB TCF user interface requirements](https://iabeurope.eu/iab-europe-transparency-consent-framework-policies/#:~:text=and%20Publisher%20restrictions.-,Appendix%20B%3A%20User%20Interface%20Requirements,-A.%20Scope)
* [IAB TCF repository](https://github.com/InteractiveAdvertisingBureau/GDPR-Transparency-and-Consent-Framework)

### Benefits

The IAB Transparency and Consent Framework (TCF) gives publishers, advertisers, and technology vendors a shared standard for collecting and communicating end-user consent. Using it delivers four main benefits:

<table><thead><tr><th width="254.66668701171875">Benefit</th><th>Description</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>Consistent and interoperable approach to compliance</td><td><p>The TCF defines a standard set of purposes, features, and vendors, and encodes each end-user's choices in a TC String that is passed to every vendor involved in an ad request. Every participant reads consent the same way, so there is no need for custom integrations or proprietary signal formats between partners.</p><p></p><p>This common language supports compliance with regulations such as the GDPR and the ePrivacy Directive across the whole advertising supply chain, not just within a single company.</p></td></tr><tr><td>Clearer transparency for end-users</td><td><p>Gives end-users a consistent way to see which purposes their data may be used for and which vendors are involved, and to accept or refuse each one. </p><p></p><p>Since the wording and controls are standardized, end-users encounter a familiar experience across websites and apps. This makes it easier for them to understand and exercise their choices, which helps build trust in the publishers and brands they interact with.</p></td></tr><tr><td>Reduced legal and operational risk</td><td><p>Consent is recorded in a verifiable, standardized format, which gives businesses a clearer audit trail of what end-users agreed to and when. </p><p></p><p>IAB Europe maintains the specifications, policies, and Global Vendor List, so organizations can follow a shared governance model rather than interpreting regulatory requirements alone. Operationally, a single CMP-captured signal replaces many bespoke integrations, which lowers development and maintenance effort. </p></td></tr><tr><td>Continued personalized advertising revenue, with end-user choices respected</td><td>Many ad platforms and demand partners expect a valid TCF signal before they bid on or process ad requests for end-users in regulated regions. A TCF-compliant setup lets publishers keep serving personalized advertising to end-users who consent, while honoring the choices of those who do not. This protects advertising revenue without compromising end-user privacy.</td></tr></tbody></table>

### Global Vendor List

The IAB TCF Global Vendor List (GVL) is a central, publicly available registry maintained by IAB Europe that lists every vendor that has registered to participate in the Transparency and Consent Framework. For each vendor, it records details such as a unique vendor ID, the purposes and special purposes for which the vendor processes personal data, the legal bases it relies on (consent or legitimate interest), the features it uses, and links to its privacy policy.&#x20;

IAB Europe publishes the GVL as a versioned JSON file and updates it regularly.&#x20;

* [Standard list](https://iabeurope.eu/vendor-list/)
* [JSON formatted list for vendors](https://vendor-list.consensu.org/v3/vendor-list.json)
* [JSON formatted list for purposes](https://vendor-list.consensu.org/v3/purposes-en.json)

### TC String

The Transparency and Consent String (TC String) is a compact, encoded string that records an end-user's privacy choices and carries them through the digital advertising ecosystem. It captures details such as which purposes and vendors the end-user has consented to or objected to, which legal bases apply, the version of the Global Vendor List (GVL) in use, and when the choices were made.&#x20;

Publishers' ad tags and SDKs then pass it along with ad requests to vendors. Each vendor decodes the string to check whether it has a valid legal basis to process data for a given purpose before it bids on, serves, or measures an ad. Because the format is standardized, consent signals are consistent and machine-readable across all participants. The TC String also gives businesses a verifiable record of user choices.

This string, encoded in the `euconsent-v2` cookie is generated by the Didomi SDK and shared with all scripts on the page, allowing only consented vendors to process user data.

* [Uniconsent TCF Decoder](https://www.uniconsent.com/tcf-decoder)
* [IAB TC String repository](https://github.com/InteractiveAdvertisingBureau/GDPR-Transparency-and-Consent-Framework/blob/master/TCFv2/IAB%20Tech%20Lab%20-%20Consent%20string%20and%20vendor%20list%20formats%20v2.md#about-the-transparency--consent-string-tc-string)


---

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Benefit	Description
Consistent and interoperable approach to compliance	The TCF defines a standard set of purposes, features, and vendors, and encodes each end-user's choices in a TC String that is passed to every vendor involved in an ad request. Every participant reads consent the same way, so there is no need for custom integrations or proprietary signal formats between partners. This common language supports compliance with regulations such as the GDPR and the ePrivacy Directive across the whole advertising supply chain, not just within a single company.
Clearer transparency for end-users	Gives end-users a consistent way to see which purposes their data may be used for and which vendors are involved, and to accept or refuse each one. Since the wording and controls are standardized, end-users encounter a familiar experience across websites and apps. This makes it easier for them to understand and exercise their choices, which helps build trust in the publishers and brands they interact with.
Reduced legal and operational risk	Consent is recorded in a verifiable, standardized format, which gives businesses a clearer audit trail of what end-users agreed to and when. IAB Europe maintains the specifications, policies, and Global Vendor List, so organizations can follow a shared governance model rather than interpreting regulatory requirements alone. Operationally, a single CMP-captured signal replaces many bespoke integrations, which lowers development and maintenance effort.
Continued personalized advertising revenue, with end-user choices respected	Many ad platforms and demand partners expect a valid TCF signal before they bid on or process ad requests for end-users in regulated regions. A TCF-compliant setup lets publishers keep serving personalized advertising to end-users who consent, while honoring the choices of those who do not. This protects advertising revenue without compromising end-user privacy.