Programmatic inventory rules for video

Google Ad Manager uses inventory rules to control duration and overlays for all programmatic indirect demand types, including Ad Exchange video and audio demand and Open Bidding. Video settings can apply to all inventory types, including ads served to in-stream, display, or mobile app inventory.

Programmatic video inventory rules in Ad Manager

Access video ad format settings in your inventory rules

1. Sign in to Google Ad Manager.
2. Click Inventory, then Inventory rules, then Video settings.

You can configure video settings that apply to specific video demand in the "Ad formats" tab.

Don't use inventory rules to block all video demand. To do this, set up protections to opt out of ads by type, including the video ad experience, or ad technologies.

Report on eligible inventory for video ad formats

You can report on the video ad formats eligible for your inventory with the Video ad formats rule dimension, available in a historical report.

Troubleshoot delivery issues with video inventory rules

To troubleshoot issues related to delivery and examine video inventory rules details:

1. Click Delivery, then Delivery tools.
2. Click Select on "In-stream video and audio ads".
3. Enter a video or audio tag and optionally select a specific line item and click Troubleshoot.

4. Click Inspect in the "Action" column of the table that appears.

5. Click the Auction details tab.

   Auction details provides the mechanics for troubleshooting video inventory rules that include:

   • Video inventory rules shows rules that were selected from the targeting expression.
   • Video inventory rule constraints shows the settings applied after the rules are merged.
   • Ad exchange creative constraints show the constraints from the legacy creative settings.

Learn more about troubleshooting issues related to delivery.

Video setting overlap

Legacy Ad Exchange line item video settings are being deprecated.

For most publishers, the legacy line item video settings will be automatically migrated to the new "Inventory rules" interface, which requires no additional action. If rules are unable to be recreated for your network, you'll be contacted via email regarding the next steps.

Deprecation has begun and is scheduled to be completed by mid-2024. After this deprecation point, legacy line item video settings will not be accessible.

AdSense line item video settings and mobile app video inventory rules are also slated to be deprecated after the Ad Exchange line item video settings migration is complete (mid-2024).

The intention of these migrations are to make the video inventory rules one centralized and easy place to control all your programmatic video related controls.

You'll receive communication in advance of these deprecations for your specific network. For more information, contact your account manager.

During the migration to using Inventory rules to control these video settings, you can still access the legacy settings to control video (for example, at the creative level for an Ad Exchange video creative). In cases where settings overlap and conflict, the most constraining setting will be applied. You can use the tables below to see some possible overlapping scenarios and the setting that would apply.

If, during or after the migration, there are cases where rules overlap (for example, a rule targeted to all inventory, and a rule targeted to a specific ad unit), the most constraining setting will be applied.

Explore overlapping video ad format rules

You can use the "Explore overlap" feature to understand how and when multiple programmatic video ad format rules configured in your network apply at the same time. Rules overlap when their targeting settings define overlapping segments of inventory.

Example

• Rule A targets "Sports content"
• Rule B targets "Canada"

Rule A and Rule B overlap when an ad request comes from Canada, viewing sports content.

To explore overlap:

1. Sign in to Google Ad Manager.
2. Click Inventory, then Inventory rules, then Video settings.
3. Either choose the rule you'd like to compare against other rules that might contain the same inventory, or click New ad format setting to initiate a new rule. 
4. Ensure that the targeting options are selected, including any optional settings to block any skippable, non-skippable, or overlay ads.

5. Locate "Explore overlapping video ad format settings and view the merged result" and click Explore overlap.

   

   The panel that opens displays:

   • Any other existing rules with overlapping inventory, including an overlapping percentage
   • Merged results showing overlapping ad format settings, or those that apply to all of the selected inventory rules
6. You can select any or all overlapping rules below to update the merged overlap, or hover over targeting  to see the targeting defined for each overlapping rule.

   

The overlap status is based on Ad Manager forecasting, which is derived from sampled historical data. You can use a historical report to view all data that applies to an inventory segment.

Compare legacy settings to inventory rule settings for video

Ad Exchange creative setting versus inventory rule video setting

	Ad Exchange creative	Inventory rule New	Applied setting
Skippable	"Skippable video" selected 30 sec max	Block skippable	Skippable doesn't serve
Standard	"Standard video" selected 60 sec max	Block standard over 30 seconds	Standard ads serve up to 30 seconds
Audio	Size is "Audio"	Not blocked	Audio ad allowed
Overlays ‑ Text	"Text" selected	Blocked	No text overlays
Overlays ‑ Image	"Image" not selected	Not blocked	No image overlays

Mobile app setting versus inventory rule video setting

	Mobile app rule	Inventory rule New	Applied setting
Skippable	"Skippable video" not selected	Not blocked	Skippable doesn't serve
Standard	"Standard video" selected 60 sec max	Block standard over 30 seconds	Standard ads serve up to 30 seconds