How TrueView video discovery ads work
TrueView video discovery ads can run on the YouTube search results and watch pages for both desktop and m.youtube.com, as well as the mobile app homepage. The ad unit consists of an image thumbnail and up to three lines of text. Clicking the ad will deliver a user to the YouTube watch or channel page to view the video rather than playing the video within the ad unit itself.
TrueView video discovery ads appear differently, depending on where they run:
TrueView video discovery ads appear on YouTube search results in alongside organic search results. The ad contains a thumbnail, headline, channel name and video view count.
The top-ranked ad may also be repeated below the organic search results
Video discovery ads can appear on watch pages in these different positions:
1. In the related video section as a unit that contains a thumbnail, headline, channel name and video view count.
2. As an overlay on the video. Overlays look the same on the YouTube watch page and on embedded players.
TrueView video discovery ads can appear on the homepage of the Android and iOS YouTube app on days when the mobile video masthead is not sold.
Android (Portrait)
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iOS (Portrait)
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Video discovery ads can appear on the YouTube mobile search and watch pages as a promoted video in the top related video slot for high end devices.
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Assets overview
| Asset name | Description |
|---|---|
| Video URL | Video must be uploaded to YouTube |
| Image | Choose from 4 auto-generated thumbnails To implement custom thumbnails, contact your Google representative |
| Headline text | 25 characters max (any more than 25 will be truncated on some devices) |
| Description | Two lines 35 characters max each Description is not shown in Suggestions |
In order to create a TrueView video discovery ad, videos must be public or unlisted. All ads must must comply with the YouTube Advertising Policies.
Video ad settings
File format: AVI, ASF, Quicktime, Windows Media, MP4, or MPEG
Preferred video codec: H.264, MPEG-2, or MPEG-4
Preferred audio codec: MP3 or AAC
Resolution:640x360 (16:9) or 480x360 (4:3) recommended
Frame rate: 30 FPS
Aspect ratio: Native aspect ratio without letter-boxing (examples: 4:3, 16:9)
Maximum file size: 1 GB
Reporting metrics
- Impressions
- Clicks
- Views