Operations
Part of Out of home advertising operations explained for UK media teams
What should an out of home advertising quality checklist record?
An out of home advertising quality checklist for UK teams: creative approval, site condition at posting, proof of play and records kept for campaign plus 24 months.
What to take away
- Online Safety Act duties on illegal content and fraud advertising took effect from 25 July 2025, so buyers ask outdoor sites for the same written evidence as online placements.
- A quality checklist is a sign-off record, not a site survey. It names the creative approver, the site condition and the date proof of play arrived.
- Three checks catch most failurescreative clearance, illumination and panel damage, and a dated photograph of the posted copy.
- Keep records for the campaign plus 24 months. The ASA can act on a complaint after the poster comes down.
- Use the checklist inside the process in our out of home advertising operations and delivery guide, from briefing to reconciliation.
Who owns each quality check
Creative approval before the artwork leaves the studio
Name one person who signs the artwork off against the CAP Code. That person confirms the claim is substantiated, the price accurate and any comparison fair.
Who signs off each check
- Creative clearancenamed signatory vs CAP Code
- Second signature for alcohol or gambling
- Site conditioncontractor confirms four points
- Faultsremedy line with owner and deadline
- Record approver name and approval time
The work carried out by the ASA and CAP includes rulings on outdoor complaints. A poster that overstates a saving can be challenged by a competitor or a member of the public.
Record the approver's name and the time of approval. If the same person buys the space, add a second signature for regulated categories such as alcohol or gambling.
Site condition at the point of posting
A contractor should confirm four things: the panel is clean, the illumination works, the structure is undamaged and the correct copy is displayed. Ask for a timestamped photograph for each face.
Where a site fails, the checklist needs a remedy line with an owner and a deadline.
Our guide to out of home advertising service standards sets out typical response times. They are 24 hours for a missed posting or dark digital screen, 48 hours for an illumination fault and five working days for structural repairs. Check the contract for exact times. The OAA and Outsmart service standards can vary by media owner.
What the delivery evidence has to show
Proof of play and audience records
For digital sites, proof of play is a log showing the creative ran when booked. For classic sites, it is the posting photograph and the contractor's completion note. File both against the campaign reference rather than a shared inbox.
Evidence and retention by check
Check
- Creative clearance
- Signed approval note
- Site condition
- Timestamped photograph
- Illumination and faults
- Remedy note with deadline
- Proof of play
- Play log or posting note
- Audience or reach claim
- Source named with date
Evidence required
- Creative clearance
- Brand signatory
- Site condition
- Contractor
- Illumination and faults
- Media owner
- Proof of play
- Media owner
- Audience or reach claim
- Planner
Owner
- Creative clearance
- Site condition
- Illumination and faults
- Proof of play
- Audience or reach claim
Reference links for online comparison: solutions to ad blocking for publishers and LinkedIn ad best practices.
Copyable checklist template and sign-off record
Copyable checklist template
| Check | Evidence required | Owner | Retention |
|---|---|---|---|
| Creative clearance | Signed approval note | Brand or agency signatory | Campaign plus 24 months |
| Site condition | Timestamped photograph | Contractor | Campaign plus 24 months |
| Illumination and faults | Remedy note with deadline | Media owner | Campaign plus 24 months |
| Proof of play | Play log or posting note | Media owner | Campaign plus 24 months |
| Audience or reach claim | Source named with date | Planner | Campaign plus 24 months |
Print this page or copy the row template into your own file.
| Check | Evidence required | Owner | Retention |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| [check] | [evidence] | [owner] | Campaign plus 24 months |
Worked example for a completed sign-off entry: Campaign ref PB-2025-041, site High Street 48-sheet. Creative clearance: signed by brand signatory on 3 June 2025. Site condition: timestamped photo at 14:20 on 4 June 2025.
Illumination and faults: none. Proof of play: posting photo and completion note on 4 June 2025. Audience claim: source named and dated 12 May 2025. Retention: campaign plus 24 months.
Digital-only and classic-only variants
Digital-only campaigns add a play log, screen uptime record and frequency report. Classic-only campaigns add a posting photograph, contractor completion note and illumination check. Both variants use the same owner and retention columns.
How to run the checklist week to week
Before posting week
Confirm clearance, book the contractor and check that the site list matches the signed schedule. Any substitution needs a written note before the copy goes out. If a site is withdrawn, log the reason and the replacement face so the reach figure in the post-campaign report still holds.
After posting week
Chase photographs within five working days. Reconcile the invoice against the posted faces, not the booked ones. Where a face ran short, raise a credit note and record it. Close the file only when every line in the table has an entry.
Common questions
Is a quality checklist the same as a site audit?
No. An audit inspects the physical estate, while a checklist records approvals and evidence for one campaign. Most buyers need the checklist; only larger advertisers commission audits.
Who should sign the creative off?
The brand owns the claim, so a brand-side signatory should approve it. Agencies can prepare the artwork and check format, but the advertiser carries responsibility for content under the CAP Code. The IPA and ISBA publish contract guidance for agencies and advertisers.
How long should records be kept?
Keep them for the campaign plus 24 months. Complaints and invoice queries can arrive months after the posters come down, and a filed photograph is cheaper than reconstructing the buy.
What happens if proof of play is missing?
Treat it as a delivery failure. Ask the media owner for a replacement log, and if none exists, negotiate a credit against the affected faces before signing off the invoice.
