Video ads outside of a video player

While in-stream video ads serve within a video player, the following formats allow video ads to be serve outside of a player, within the content of a site or app.

Jump to: Interstitial video ads | Rewarded video ads | Native video ads | In-article and in-feed video ads

Interstitial video ads

An interstitial video ad is a full-screen video ad that appears in between experiences in an app.

• Placement: Interstitial
• Platform: mobile app, mobile web
• Initiation: Auto-play, sound on or off

Benefits of interstitial video ads

• Clicks are only counted if the user clicks the "Learn more" button. This prevents inflated click through rates, and protect from accidentally exiting the app.
• Ads are highly viewable since they are full screen. Active View can also be used to measure viewability.
• When in an app, interstitial video ads are only served in between experiences, never interrupting the user or content.

Buying best practices

Interstitial video ads are only served on mobile app, and follow all mobile video buying recommendations. See below for key signals specific to interstitials:

Field name	Description
placement	Describes where the video ad will play. Be sure to include interstitial in targeting. Do not only target in-stream or pre-roll.
width height	Multiple width/height pairs are passed in the bid request. However the first width/height pair is always identical to the screen size, which is important as these are full screen placements.
allowed_video_formats	Describes the allowed video technologies for ads served in response to this request. Note that VPAID is not accepted for mApp requests
screen_orientation	The screen orientation of the device when the ad request is sent. Because interstitials are full screen, it's recommended that a portrait video creative is returned when the user is holding their phone vertically.
video_ad_skippable	A lot of interstitial inventory is skippable. Do not target non-skip only.
viewability	Authorized Buyers measures viewability using Active View across mApp inventory. Third-party viewability vendors do not currently work in app environments.

Rewarded video ads

Rewarded video ads give users an option to watch a video to receive a reward from the publisher (in other words, wifi access, additional lives in a game, and so forth).

• Placement: Interstitial
• Platform: mobile app, mobile web, desktop
• Initiation: Click to play, sound on

Benefits of rewarded video ads

• Users make a conscious choice to watch the ad, inventory is explicitly opt-in "click to play".
• Improved performance from engaged users, high completion rates, and end cards with clear call to actions.
• Full screen video ad, can use Active View to measure viewability.
• User first experience:
  • User can close the ad at any time, they will be prompted to choose forfeiting the reward if they want
  • Countdown timer to show user how long the ad is
• Policies to ensure a great user experience and advertiser value, including these as well as others:
  • Rewards may not be converted into actual currency
  • No encouraging users to click on ads or misleading context

Buying best practices

Rewarded ads are mobile app inventory. Follow all mobile video buying recommendations. See below for key signals and best practices specific to rewarded video ads:

Field name	Description
is_rewarded	Whether the user receives a reward for viewing the ad
placement	Describes where the video ad will play. Rewarded ads are interstitial placements: make sure to include interstitial in targeting. Do not only target in-stream or pre-roll.
playback_method	click_to_play
width height	Multiple width/height pairs are passed in the bid request. However, the first width/height pair is always identical to the screen size, which is important as these are full screen placements.
allowed_video_formats	Describes the allowed video technologies for ads served in response to this request. Note that VPAID is not accepted for mApp requests.
screen_orientation	The screen orientation of the device when the ad request is sent. Because interstitials are full screen, it's recommended that a portrait video creative is returned when the user is holding their phone vertically.
viewability	Authorized Buyers measures viewability using Active View across mApp inventory. Third-party viewability vendors do not currently work in app environments.

Native video ads

Native video ads are styled like the surrounding app or page content.

• Placement: N/A (no video message)
• Platform: mobile app, mobile web, desktop
• Initiation: Auto-play (when in view), sound off (tap for sound)

Benefits of native video ads

• Matches look and feel of the site or app, is a more seamless viewing experience for the user.
• There are many policies in place to make sure in-feed creatives are a good user experience.

Buying best practices

For native video ads, follow all creative specifications and bidder recommendations.

Native Video ads will not include a video message in the bid request at this time.

In-article video ads

In-article video ads appear between paragraphs of editorial content, existing as a standalone branded message.

• Placement: In-article
• Platform: Mostly mobile web and desktop
• Initiation: Auto-play (when in view), sound off (tap for sound)

In-feed video ads

In-feed video ads appear in content, social, or product feeds, and are often native ads.

• Placement: In-feed
• Platform: Mostly mobile app
• Initiation: Auto-play (when in view), sound off (tap for sound)

Benefits of in-article and in-feed video ads

• Gives buyers the opportunity to reach audiences in more moments throughout the day, even when the user is not necessarily watching video content
• Valuable on mobile where there is scarce real estate on the screen
• Bid with the same VAST response that you use to buy video on all other inventory
• There are many policies in place to make sure outstream video creatives are a good user experience. Including, but not limited to:
  • Ad attribution: all creatives will be clearly marked as such
  • The video cannot cause the page to reflow its layout before, during, or after the video ad renders
  • Creative only plays when in view; protects advertiser from false views and completion rates

Buying best practices

Most in-feed video ads are served on mApp and most in-article video ads are served on mWeb and desktop. Follow all mobile video buying recommendations for mobile placements. See below for key signals and best practices specific to in-article and in-feed video ads: 

Field name	Description
OpenRTB: mimes Authorized Buyers RTB: allowed_video_formats allowed_ad_type	The allowed video formats should support at least one video ad format and ad type. Flash (FLV) and VPAID are not supported.
placement	Target in_article and in_feed. Do not target in-stream, above the fold, pre-roll, mid-roll, or post-roll.
OpenRTB: devicetype Authorized Buyers RTB: device_type	To determine if the creative is mWeb, Desktop, or mApp.
OpenRTB: w h Authorized Buyers RTB: width height	If appropriate, read the player size for targeting.
OpenRTB: ifa Authorized Buyers RTB: advertising_id	Web placements have cookies, app placements have IDFA and ADID.

 

In-article and in-feed video ads auto-play for up to 30 seconds while in view, or longer if there was user interaction with the video such as tap or unmute. Videos that are significantly longer than 30 seconds will likely receive fewer completed views.

Advertisers looking for higher completion rates should provide videos that are 30 seconds or less. The recommended video length is 15-30 seconds.