Glossary/Adtech & Programmatic/Supply Chain Object (schain)
Adtech & Programmatic
Supply Chain Object (schain)
An OpenRTB field listing every company that handled a bid request, letting buyers verify each hop against sellers.json.
By Brandon Mina·CEO, BrandPilot AI·Updated November 2026
Appears in Lesson 7 of Programmatic 101
Short answer
The supply chain object (schain) is an OpenRTB field that lists every company that handled a bid request on its path from the publisher to the buyer. Each participant appends its own entry. Buyers cross-check these entries against sellers.json and ads.txt to verify legitimacy and identify unnecessary or unauthorized resellers.