The Google Interactive Media Ads (IMA) enables publishers to display linear and non-linear ads in interactive media content such as videos and games. Video and gaming publishers can use Google IMA products (i.e., AdSense for video and games, and DoubleClick Ad Exchange for video) to earn revenue using relevant, non-intrusive ad placements from Google's advertiser network. To monetize your interactive media content with Google ads, you must comply with the AdSense program policies and all policies listed below:
Content requirementsFlash players and games implementation
Ad serving guidelines
Ad format guidelines
Video-specific guidelines for AdSense and Ad Exchange for video
Games-specific guidelines for AdSense for games
Content requirements
- Publishers can only use AdSense for video and games, and DoubleClick Ad Exchange for video with content that adheres to the AdSense program policies and the DoubleClick Ad Exchange program policies.
- Publishers must own legal rights to monetize the video and games content using Google ads.
- Publishers are responsible for ensuring that pages embedding their player/game are compliant with AdSense program policies. If publishers cannot guarantee this, we recommend that they don’t request ads on those sites.
- Content and sites displaying Google ads should exclude all of the following:
- Pornographic, adult, or any mature content not deemed family safe.
- Content that is illegal, promotes illegal activity, or infringes on the legal rights of others.
- Violence, racial intolerance, or advocacy against any individual, group, or organization.
- Copyrighted content, unless given the necessary legal rights to display that content.
Please see our DMCA policy for more information.
- Content descriptions and metadata
- High quality and accurate metadata or a description URL must be provided and maintained for all monetizable content.
- All parameters passed to Google at the time of the ad request must be accurate.
Flash players and games implementation
- Flash-based players and games must meet basic requirements to request and display ads:
- Players and games must maintain an aspect ratio of 4:3 or 16:9.
- Overlay ads need to be larger than 450 x 50 pixels (i.e., a supported overlay ad size).
- Video ads may not be smaller than the playable area or 240 x 200 pixels, whichever is larger.
- Players and games must accommodate all appropriate types of user interaction with ads. For example, all links within an ad must remain functional (i.e., clickable links).
- Publishers may not obscure, hide, or remove any elements of the ad unit under any circumstances.
- Publishers cannot alter code provided by Google or manipulate standard ad behavior, targeting, or delivery of ads in any ways that aren’t explicitly permitted by Google.
- Players and games that auto-play on page load need to be above-the-fold of the page (1024 x 768 pixels from the top left corner).
- Video playlists (loops) that auto-play may only serve video ads once every fifth video.
- Players and games must pause the video and games content when a user clicks on an ad (ad may continue to run). Video and games content may not resume until the user clicks play or unpause after an ad click.
Ad serving guidelines
- When an ad request is made and returned, the ad must always be displayed unless a user abandons the content. Ads may not be hard-coded into your content stream or game environment.
- Ads (i.e., text, image, Flash) may not be used as template backgrounds for players or games.
- Video ads may not be muted by default by the video player or game (i.e., keep sound on by default).
- Ads must not be placed in close proximity to or obstruct in any way your game or video player's controls (play, pause, volume, etc.).
- Only one ad can be displayed within the player or game at any given time.
- Ads must display until the user navigates away from the page or content, unless otherwise noted for specific ad formats (see Ad format guidelines below).
- All ad serving policies also apply to any third-party ads you choose to display in players with Google ads.
Ad format guidelines
- Video ads (linear):
- Pre-roll, mid-roll, and post-roll standard video ads must persist in the player and game until completion of the ad.
- TrueView skippable video ads (Beta) are only available to AdSense and DoubleClick Ad Exchange for video publishers that meet additional policies (see Video-specific guidelines for AdSense and Ad Exchange for video below).
- Overlay ads (non-linear):
- Ads may start at any time during the video stream (starting in first 10 seconds of video content is highly recommended and effective).
- Ads must display for at least 15 seconds or until minimized by the user.
- Ads must persist until the completion of the content either in a displayed or minimized environment.
- Full-slot ads (linear):
- Ads must display for at least 10 seconds or until a user closes the ad, whichever comes first.
- Companion ads (optional):
- Publishers utilizing companion ads must place these ads close enough to the corresponding video ads for easy association by users.
Video-specific guidelines for AdSense and Ad Exchange for video
- Video content must adhere to the following length requirements:
- To display full-slot ads, the content clip must be 15 seconds in length or longer.
- To display an overlay ad, the content clip must be 30 seconds in length or longer.
- To display one video ad, the content clip must be one minute in length or longer.
- To display more than one video ad, the content clip must have two additional minutes of content per additional video ad (i.e., three video ads for five minutes of content).
- TrueView video ads (Beta)
- TrueView video ads are only eligible to serve in pre-roll video ad positions.
- Video players must be user-initiated (i.e., click-to-play, watch pages).
- Click-to-play: The user clicks play to start playing videos in the video player.
- Watch page: The user visits the page exclusively to watch video content through search results or links received via email, etc.
- Watch pages are not allowed to be the main landing pages of sites, as such pages are considered navigational.
- Auto-playing video players are allowed on watch pages.
- Video players must be above-the-fold.
- Only one video player is allowed per watch page.
- Auto-playlist video players may only display TrueView ads prior to the first video content.
Games-specific guidelines for AdSense for games
- Full-slot ads must include proper ad labeling (i.e., “Ads by Google”) and a countdown timer.
- Ads may not be altered with skip or partial-view functions that aren’t explicitly permitted by Google.
- Ads should be entirely visible, not covered or partially covered.
- Make clear distinctions between the displayed ad and gaming content.
- Publishers must adhere to additional policies for AdSense for content ads on game play pages.