Follow these instructions to complete the transition from AFV to AdX Video.
On this page:
- Technical migration steps
- Migration checklist: AdSense to Ad Manager
- Special consideration: Moving from IMA Adapter to IMA SDK
- Update your ad tags
- Final checklist
- Helpful resources
Technical migration steps
- Verify your ads.txt and app-ads.txt implementation.
Confirm your ads.txt file is implemented on your root domain and includes the necessary authorization for Google (e.g.,
google.com, pub-xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx, DIRECT, f08c47fec0942fa0).For details, see Create ads.txt/app-ads.txt in Ad Manager and Validate ads.txt/app-ads.txt syntax.
- Enable AdX Video demand using yield groups (recommended).
Yield groups are the standard and recommended approach for managing AdX and third-party yield partners in Ad Manager. For more information, see Create and manage yield groups.
- Sign in to Google Ad Manager.
- Navigate to Delivery, then Yield groups.
- Add relevant ad units to existing yield groups. Or, create a new yield group targeting your video inventory.
- Translate blocking controls to Protections.
To maintain brand safety, manually replicate your AdSense blocks within Ad Manager Protections. For details, see Protections overview.
AdSense blocking control Ad Manager Protection equivalent Advertiser URLs "Ad content" Protection: "Advertiser URLs" block. For details, see Block advertiser URLs.
Copy the list of blocked URLs from your AdSense settings directly into a new or existing "Ad content" Protection in Ad Manager.
General categories "Ad content" Protection: "General categories" block. For details, see Block general categories.
Review the general categories blocked in AdSense and apply the same blocks within an "Ad content" Protection in Ad Manager.
Sensitive categories "Ad content" Protection: "Sensitive categories" block. For details, see Block sensitive categories.
Mirror your AdSense choices for both standard and restricted sensitive categories. Remember, restricted categories (e.g., alcohol, gambling) are opt-in (blocked by default) in both systems.
Ad review center (ARC) Use Ad Manager ARC. For details, see Ad review center overview.
Navigate to Delivery, then Creatives, and then click Ad review center.
Ad networks "Ad content" Protection: "Buyers" block. For details, see Buyers block.
Ad Manager offers direct blocking of specific Buyers. Review your AdSense network blocks and implement corresponding Buyer blocks in Ad Manager if necessary.
Ad serving settings "Ad content" Protection: "Ad experiences" blocks and "Ad technologies" opt-ins. For details, see Update ad experiences controls and Allow ad technologies.
Map your AdSense preferences for user-based ads and technology vendors to the more detailed options within Ad Manager Protections.
N/A Advertiser/Brand blocking. For details, see Block advertisers and brands.
New opportunity: Ad Manager allows you to block specific Advertisers and their Brands, offering more precision than URL blocks alone.
N/A Competition Protection. For details, see Prevent competitors from serving together.
New opportunity: Prevent competitors from appearing together on the same page. This feature is unique to Ad Manager.
- Add, review, or update your pricing rules.
Pricing rules allow you to centralize the management of auction floor prices for your non-guaranteed demand. Incorrectly configured pricing rules can sometimes lead to ad delivery issues, such as low fill rates or deals not serving.
To find pricing rules: Navigate to Inventory, then click Pricing rules. For more information, see Pricing Rules.
Migration checklist: AdSense to Ad Manager
Follow these steps to ensure your brand safety settings are successfully migrated:
- List blocked URLs
Export or copy your list of blocked advertiser URLs from AdSense. - Document category blocks
Note all general and sensitive categories (standard and restricted) you currently block or allow in AdSense. - Create "Ad content" Protections in Ad Manager
Navigate to Protections, click New Protection, then click Ad Content and do the following:
- Add all your blocked URLs.
- Select the same general categories to block.
- Configure sensitive and restricted categories to match your AdSense settings.
- Configure Ad experiences, Ad technologies, and Buyer blocks as needed.
- Targeting
Apply these Ad Manager Protections to the specific inventory you're migrating or managing through Ad Manager (e.g., target by ad units, placements, etc.).
- Consider new features
Explore using Advertiser/Brand blocks and Competition Protections in Ad Manager for enhanced control.
- Ongoing review
Continue to use the Ad review center in both AdSense and Ad Manager to catch and block unwanted creatives.
Special consideration: Moving from IMA Adapter to IMA SDK
While the IMA Adapter allows for basic monetization in VAST/VPAID compliant players without a full SDK integration, a direct IMA SDK integration is always recommended for publishers migrating to Ad Manager.
Why upgrade?
- Advanced features: Access dynamic allocation, frequency caps, competitive separation, and ad scheduling with ad rules/VMAP.
- Reduced latency: Direct integration reduces the technical overhead associated with the adapter layer.
- Future-proofing: The IMA SDK is the primary focus for feature development and platform support.
How to migrate
Transitioning involves replacing the IMA Adapter tag in your video player with the IMA SDK implementation for your specific platform.
- Assess your player: Determine if your player owner (proprietary or third party) supports the IMA SDK. Many leading platforms already have it integrated.
- Implement the SDK: Follow the technical quick start guides for your environment:
- Update ad tags: Ensure your player is requesting the correct Ad Manager VAST tags instead of the legacy AFV/Adapter tags.
Update your ad tags
Once you've created your ad units in Ad Manager, you must replace your legacy AFV tags with Ad Manager VAST tags. This transition involves significant changes to the tag URL structure and required parameters.
Key parameter differences
Here’s the full list of VAST ad tag parameters. Use the table below to map your legacy AFV parameters to their new Ad Manager equivalents.
| Feature | Legacy AFV tag parameter | New Ad Manager VAST tag parameter |
|---|---|---|
| Base URL | googleads.g.doubleclick.net/pagead/ads |
pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/ads |
| Inventory ID | client=ca-video-pub-xxxxxxxx |
iu=/NETWORK_CODE/AD_UNIT_PATH |
| Ad size | sz=widthxheight |
sz=widthxheight |
| Request type |
N/A |
gdfp_req=1 (Required schema indicator) |
| Environment |
N/A |
env=vp (Indicates a video player request) |
| Output format |
N/A |
output=vast (For vmap use output=vmap) |
How to generate your new tags
Instead of manually editing code, we recommend using the Tag Generator in the Ad Manager interface:
- Sign in to Google Ad Manager.
- Navigate to Inventory, then click Ad units.
- Find and click the name of the ad unit you created for migration.
- Select the Tags tab.
- Select Google Publisher Tag (or Google Publisher Tag for video and audio for VAST) and click Continue.
- Configure your options (e.g., player technology, SDK version) and click Continue.
- Copy the tag and implement it in your video player.
Final checklist
- Ensure your video player uses the Google IMA SDK or is VAST/VPAID compliant.
- Confirm Pricing Rules include your newly migrated ad units. For details, see Pricing rules (Unified Pricing Rules).
- Verify a user in the "Legal Manager" role is available to sign contracts in Ad Manager. For details, see Create and edit user roles.
- Monitor the Policy center in Ad Manager for any violations. For details, see Overview of the Policy center.
Helpful resources
For more detailed information, refer to the following Ad Manager Help Center articles:
Account and billing setup
Inventory and delivery
- Create and manage yield groups
- Create ads.txt/app-ads.txt in Ad Manager
- Validate ads.txt/app-ads.txt syntax