The Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) announced the release of a new HTML5 ad validator from its tech lab. It calls this a “first-of-its-kind” online tool for quick and easy testing of mobile and desktop creative. It tests against the IAB Display Creative Guidelines, which you can peruse here.

The tool takes multiple inputs (zipped ad packages or JavaScript ad tags) for validating ads and examines recommendations for guidelines for file weights, file requests, shared libraries, progressive video, and ad load (including sub-load criteria).

The tool also gives insights into what the IAB considers additional factors that are relevant to optimizing creative. These include things like file types in the creative (images, JavaScript, HTMLS, etc.); breakdown of file types by weight; all URLs accessed by the ad; snapshots of how the ad displays at one-second intervals (to show progression over time); click tags or links (to specific landing pages/redirects); and CPU usage.

“As the industry rallies around the need for optimal user experience, the HTML5 Ad Validator will play a vital role,” said Scott Cunningham, GM at the IAB Tech Lab. “Ads that are designed with load time, file weight and other key elements top-of-mind will break through the clutter across digital screens.”

“HTML5 is at the foundation of today’s cross-screen creative,” said Anna Bager, SVP and GM, Mobile and Video at the IAB. “The combination of the HTML5 Ad Validator and the update to the HTML5 for Digital Advertising paper will prove to be powerful assets for the industry, as consumers demand better user experience across screens and advertisers require seamless creative to support that demand.”

The validator is now available here.