In AON, a Public Offer is the AI-product-facing projection returned in an Offer Query response.
It contains the public identity, offer information, merchant context, executable action, and declared Goals an AI product can use to decide whether and how to present the option. It supports discovery and handoff; the merchant or downstream provider confirms live transaction terms.
At a glance
| Step | Caller → receiver | Artifact / result | Identity owner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Query request | AI product → AON | Offer Query request | Caller may supply request_id; otherwise AON assigns it |
| Public response | AON → AI product | Public Offer | AON owns offer_id + offer_instance_id |
| User handoff | AI product → Merchant | Tracked action | Merchant owns order / booking ID |
Public Offers in AON
AON returns Public Offers after it evaluates the current Query against available supply and applicable eligibility behavior. The AI product controls presentation, while the tracked action preserves the handoff to the merchant or downstream provider.
Read the Offer Query contractHow a Public Offer reaches an AI product
Receive eligible supply
AON receives Partner-authored supply through the applicable OfferProvider contract and evaluates the fields needed for public delivery.
Resolve public identity
AON separates stable offer identity from the identity of this particular dispatch and adds the public response fields owned by AON.
Return structured data
The Query response carries the Public Offer with offer information, merchant data, an action, and any declared Goals.
Let the product present it
The AI product evaluates the result and chooses an appropriate native surface, disclosure, and next action.
Implement Public Offer safely
Keep
offer_id,offer_instance_id, merchant context, declared Goals, and the returned action URL.- The distinction between a discovery-time Public Offer and merchant-confirmed checkout.
- Any disclosure required by the active delivery contract and the product's surface.
Do not
- Rewriting the action URL or presenting discovery-time price as a binding transaction price.
- Treating
source_offer_idas the public identity or exposing Partner-only fields as public facts. - Implying that AON confirms inventory, checkout, order acceptance, or fulfillment.
What a Public Offer contains
The Public Offer combines AON-owned delivery identity with offer and merchant information that an AI product can interpret.
| Concept | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Public identity | offer_id identifies the stable public Offer, while offer_instance_id identifies the particular delivery that can anchor attribution. |
| Offer information | The payload describes the commercial option using the current public Offer schema and its supported fields. |
| Merchant context | The response can identify the merchant or commercial entity associated with the offer without making AON the merchant of record. |
| Action and Goals | The action describes the supported next step and Goals describe declared outcome events and pricing under the applicable contract. |
- A Public Offer is not the same artifact as a Partner Offer; Partner-only source identity, targeting, and conversion rules are not silently exposed.
- An Offer action is a tracked handoff, not a checkout confirmation or payment authorization.
- The merchant or downstream provider confirms live price, availability, eligibility, order acceptance, and fulfillment.
Public Offer vs Partner Offer
A Partner Offer is the supply-side input a Partner returns to AON. A Public Offer is the separate AI-product-facing projection AON creates from eligible supply. See the Partner Offer definition.
| Dimension | Public Offer | Partner Offer |
|---|---|---|
| Direction | AON returns it to an AI product. | A Partner returns it to AON. |
| Identity | Uses AON-owned offer_id and offer_instance_id. | Uses the Partner-owned source_offer_id. |
| Visible fields | Contains the public offer, merchant, action, and Goal fields defined by the Query contract. | Can include supply-side targeting and conversion configuration that does not enter the public response. |
Example in practice
An AI travel assistant receives a Public Offer for a Tokyo hotel with a public offer_id, a per-dispatch offer_instance_id, merchant information, a declared booking Goal, and a tracked action. The assistant presents the option in its own interface; the booking provider confirms the current rate, room availability, guest details, and final booking state.
Common questions about public offer
Who creates an AON Public Offer?
AON creates the public projection from eligible Partner supply and adds the public delivery identity and response fields defined by the applicable contract.
What can an AI product do with an AON Public Offer?
An AI product can validate the Public Offer, evaluate its relevance, and present it in an appropriate surface while preserving the returned action, disclosure, and attribution context.
How is a Public Offer different from a Partner Offer?
A Partner Offer is the supply-side artifact a Partner returns to AON. AON creates a separate, AI-product-facing Public Offer after resolving source identity and applying eligibility rules. Partner-only fields do not become public response fields.
What is the difference between an AON Offer ID and an offer instance ID?
offer_id identifies the stable public Offer. offer_instance_id identifies the particular dispatch received in one Query response and helps preserve the correct attribution context.
Sources
- AON Offer Query APIAON documentation
- AgentOffer Protocol Offer schemaAON specification
- AgentOffer Protocol field semanticsAON specification
- JSON Schema specificationPrimary standard