  We present a benchmark study for the adsorption of a large pi-conjugated
organic molecule on different noble metal surfaces, which is based on X-ray
standing wave (XSW) measurements and density functional theory calculations
with van der Waals (vdW) interactions. The bonding distances of
diindenoperylene on Cu(111), Ag(111), and Au(111) surfaces (2.51 A, 3.01 A, and
3.10 A, respectively) determined with the normal incidence XSW technique are
compared with calculations. Excellent agreement with the experimental data,
i.e. deviations less than 0.1 A, is achieved using the Perdew-Burke-Ernzerhof
functional with vdW interactions that include the collective response of
substrate electrons (PBE+vdW^{surf} method). Noteworthy, the calculations show
that the vdW contribution to the adsorption energy increases in the order
Au(111) < Ag(111) < Cu(111).
