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Core glossary term

What is a Partner Offer in AON?

A Partner Offer is the structured offer a supply-side Partner sends to AON. It carries Partner-owned source identity and supply fields; AON then evaluates and projects eligible entries into Public Offers for AI products.

By AON Editorial Team · Published September 18, 2026

A Partner Offer moving through a signed supply exchange into an AON projection
Partner Offer
Source · supply · projectPartner-authored supply entering AON
Definition

A Partner Offer is a Partner-authored offer artifact returned to AON through the OfferProvider and Offer Fetch contract.

It carries the Partner's source_offer_id and the supply-side fields AON needs to evaluate, resolve, and project the offer. AON then owns the public offer_id, creates offer_instance_id for delivery, and keeps Partner-only targeting or conversion configuration outside the public response.

At a glance

StepCaller → receiverArtifact / resultIdentity owner
Fetch requestAON → PartnerSigned Offer Fetch requestAON supplies request_id
Supply responsePartner → AONPartner Offer responsePartner owns source_offer_id and echoes request_id
AON projectionAON → AI productPublic OfferAON creates offer_id + offer_instance_id
Later outcome (separate contract)Partner → AONPostbackEvent / attribution fields follow the separate postback contract
Agent Offer Network (AON) context

Partner Offers in AON

AON uses Partner Offers to connect merchant or supply-side inventory to the public discovery layer. This separation lets Partners own their source data while AON provides a consistent AI-product-facing projection and attribution path.

Read the Partner Offer Fetch guide
Partner supply flow

How a Partner Offer becomes public supply

Register the supply endpoint

The approved Partner configures the exact HTTPS Offer Fetch URL and the credentials required for signed AON requests.

Validate the request

The Partner verifies the request identity and signature before selecting supply or applying business logic.

Return source-owned offers

The Partner returns a valid response envelope and stable source_offer_id values for the eligible entries it supplies.

Let AON project the result

AON resolves source identity, applies its projection and eligibility behavior, and creates the public identity used by the AI-product-facing Query response.

Implementation

Implement Partner Offer safely

Keep

  • source_offer_id and only the fields permitted by the active Partner Offer schema.
  • The separation between Partner-authored supply data and AON-owned public projection identity.
  • The distinction between a valid Fetch response and production approval or live delivery health.

Do not

  • Returning offer_id, offer_instance_id, match_reason, or display_price as Partner-owned public fields.
  • Treating a successful Fetch response as proof that supply is live, approved, or checkout-ready.
  • Using a Partner Offer as a checkout confirmation or merchant guarantee.
Term anatomy

Partner Offer identity and ownership

The supply contract keeps Partner-owned source identity separate from AON-owned public delivery identity.

ConceptMeaning
Source identitysource_offer_id comes from the Partner and lets AON reconcile the returned supply with the Partner's catalog or source system.
Partner-authored fieldsThe Partner supplies the offer content, entity data, action information, and declared Goals allowed by the Partner schema.
AON projectionAON adds public offer_id and offer_instance_id only while producing the public AI-product-facing projection.
Separate outcome reportingA later Partner postback reports an outcome into AON through a separate trust boundary; it is not part of Offer Fetch response identity.
A structured comparison of the concepts that define partner offer.
Important boundaries
  • A Partner Offer is not a Public Offer and should not contain AON-owned offer_id, offer_instance_id, or match_reason fields.
  • A successful Offer Fetch response proves response compatibility, not Partner approval, production availability, or downstream delivery health.
  • A Partner Offer does not authorize checkout or guarantee the merchant's current price, inventory, or transaction terms.
Applied definition

Example in practice

A hotel marketplace returns a Partner Offer with source_offer_id for a room package, its merchant and action data, and a declared booking Goal. AON evaluates the entry, resolves it into a Public Offer with AON-owned identities, and returns it to an AI travel assistant for possible presentation.

Common questions about partner offer

What ID should a Partner return in an AON Partner Offer?

The Partner returns its stable source_offer_id. AON resolves the public offer_id and creates offer_instance_id for a particular public dispatch.

Can a Partner return an offer instance ID in an AON Partner Offer?

No. offer_instance_id is AON-owned delivery identity. A Partner Offer must remain within the supply-side schema and must not invent public projection fields.

Is Offer Fetch the same as a Partner postback?

No. Offer Fetch supplies eligible offers from the Partner to AON. A Partner postback reports a later downstream event from the Partner into AON.

Does an AI product receive a Partner Offer directly?

No. A Partner sends a Partner Offer to AON through Offer Fetch. AON creates a separate Public Offer for an AI product after resolving source identity and applying eligibility rules. Partner-only fields do not become public response fields.

Sources

  1. AON Partner Offer Fetch guideAON documentation
  2. AgentOffer Protocol OfferProvider specificationAON specification
  3. AgentOffer Partner Offer schemaAON specification
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