Skippable video ads

Skippable video ads allow users to skip a video ad after a specific duration. Depending on your network settings, VAST version, where your creatives are hosted, and the type of demand, the duration may be configurable. #skippable

Skippable ads may provide a better user experience for viewers, demonstrate reduced content abandonment rates, and provide you with the opportunity to allow longer ads on more inventory (for example, 60+ second ads) by allowing users to skip.

See which environments and platforms support skippable video ads.

Requirements and specifications

• Requires IMA SDK 3 for implementation
• Displays a skip button after 5 seconds, by default*
• Counts as an engaged view after 30 seconds, by default, or to the end of the ad, whichever comes first*
• Provides additional metrics that can measure the effectiveness of creatives

* If your Ad Manager network uses VAST 3, the "Skippable skip time" and "Skippable view time" are customizable for reservation campaigns under Admin  Video and audio.

For any programmatic demand, Ad Manager uses the skippable offset set in the buyer's VAST, which allows for a value of 5 seconds.

Configure skippable video creatives

Skippable video is configured in the settings for video creatives when you traffic a video creative type.

Ad Manager hosted or externally hosted video

Video creatives that use Ad Manager hosted or externally hosted video files can set the Skippable video setting to either Enabled or Disabled.

YouTube hosted video

Publishers that use Cross-sell for YouTube and video creatives that use YouTube hosted video files set the Skippable video setting to In-stream select (rather than "Enabled").

In-stream select is a YouTube skippable creative format used in Ad Manager reservation (guaranteed) campaigns and sold on a CPM basis. There is a 30 second maximum duration for in‑stream select creatives.

In-stream select shouldn't be confused with TrueView in-stream ads, which are used in auction (non-guaranteed) campaigns and sold on a CPV (cost per completed view) basis. TrueView ads have no maximum duration. Only in-stream select is trafficked in Ad Manager; the auction for TrueView is handled by YouTube.

Serve only short or skippable ads for short-form video 

You can configure your Ad Manager network to serve only short or skippable ads for short-form video. For video content of less than 8 minutes, Ad Manager doesn't serve skippable ads with over 5 seconds of non-skip time or non-skippable video ads longer than 31 seconds to the environments you choose.

This is a beta feature. The setting relies on the video duration parameter (vid_d). If the vid_d parameter is not present, the content duration information from content ingestion can be used. The vid_d parameter takes precedence over the content ingestion duration.

1. Sign in to Google Ad Manager.
2. Click Admin  Video and audio.
3. Locate the "Serve only short or skippable ads for short-form video" setting, and choose the environments where this should apply: Chrome, All web, App, and CTV.
4. Click Save.

Learn more about the skippable creative option and reporting metrics.