Creative optimization

When you assign more than one creative to a line item, you can choose how to optimize between the available creatives to fill an impression. This is called creative optimization or creative rotation. Creative optimization is applied before bidding begins.

You can select which type of creative optimization to use for a line item at any time, however, it will only take effect when you assign:

• More than one video creative to a video line item
• More than one display creative of the same size to a display line item
• A data-driven creative with more than one variant to a display line item

The types of optimization available depend on the type of line item (display or video). Learn more about each below.

Creative optimization is only available for creatives assigned to display or video line items. It's not available for creatives with their own line item types (for example, YouTube, audio, or mobile app install).

Display optimization types

• Even: Creatives of the same size rotate evenly in the display line item. How it works
• Clicks: The creatives expected to attract the most clicks are delivered more often into the ad auction or to your guaranteed deal. How it works
• Conversions: The creatives expected to attract the most conversions are delivered more often into the ad auction or to your guaranteed deal. A conversion tracking pixel is required for this type. How it works
• Custom (Tag Guaranteed only): Set your own weights to deliver certain creatives more often. How it works

Video optimization types

• Match bidding strategy: Optimize based on the line item's bidding strategy. How it works
• Completions: The video creatives expected to attract the most impressions that were audible and viewable upon completion are delivered more often into the ad auction or guaranteed deal. How it works
• Time on screen: The video creatives more likely to stay on screen for 10 seconds or longer are delivered more often into the ad auction or guaranteed deal. How it works
• Custom (Tag Guaranteed only): Set your own weights to deliver certain creatives more often. How it works

How each optimization type works

Even

Select "Even" to deliver your creatives more evenly into the ad auction. This setting does not apply any optimization.

Keep in mind
With even rotation, the percentage of impressions for creatives served in the line item will be more even than the other options. However, if your line item uses using automated bidding, Display & Video 360 will automatically include creatives in the bid optimization algorithm, along with many other attributes of the line item. Because of this, you may see a preference for the best performing creative over time.

Match bidding strategy

Select "Match bidding strategy" to apply the optimization that best matches the video line item's bidding strategy.

Optimizations applied for each bidding strategy

Bidding Strategy	Optimization
Fixed	Completions
Clicks	Completions
Active View	Completions
Completions (Audible and Viewable On Completion)	Completions
Time on Screen	Time on screen

In the coming months, new rotation algorithms will be added to better match each bidding strategy.

Clicks or conversions

As performance data is gathered, ad serving is weighted more heavily in favor of the creatives that appear statistically likely to perform better. Creatives expected to attract more clicks (or conversions, depending on your choice) are delivered more often into the ad auction than other creatives of the same size assigned to a line item. These creatives show more often, resulting in higher ad-served percentages. However, it's possible for ad serving to remain relatively even with this setting, if creatives assigned to a line item have similar performance, or if the line item does not receive a substantial amount of impressions and clicks over a period of time.

Keep in mind
Ad Rank considers landing page experience and ad relevance (among other factors) when determining your ad’s position and whether it will show at all. A more relevant ad with a better landing page experience could lead to overall better performance.

Video completions

As video creative playback data is gathered, ads that are expected to be on screen and audible when playback completes are delivered more often into the ad auction than other video creatives of the same aspect ratio assigned to a line item. This is also known as Audibility and Viewability On Completion (AVOC).

Time on screen

As video creative playback data is gathered, ads that are expected to be on screen for at least 10 cumulative seconds are delivered more often into the ad auction than other video creatives of the same aspect ratio assigned to a line item.

Custom

Custom optimization is only available for line items that target Tag Guaranteed deals. This optimization type allows you to assign weights to each creative assigned to your line item.

Set weights using whole numbers. Creatives with higher weights are served more often than creatives with lower weights.

Weights are proportional

If a creative has twice the weight of the other creatives of the same size assigned to your line item, it will serve twice as often. For example, let's say you assigned two 300 x 250 creatives to your line item. You set a weight of 2 for Creative A. Then you set a weight of 1 for Creative B. Each creative will serve as a percentage of the total weight assigned (3). Creative A will serve 66.6% (2/3) of the time. Creative B will serve 33.3% (1/3) of the time.

To make it easier to see how often one creative will serve versus another, you can use weights that add up to 100. This will make the weight match the rough serving percentage. If you apply this to the example above, you'd set a weight of 67 for Creative A and a weight of 33 for Creative B. The result is roughly the same (67%), but may be easier to visualize.

Weights apply separately to each creative size or duration

When you assign creatives of more than one display size or video duration, weights will apply separately to each size group or duration group. For example, let's say you assign two 300 x 250 creatives and two 320 x 480 creatives. You set up the weights for the two 300 x 250 creatives the same as the example above (67 and 33). You also weight the two 320 x 480 creatives, setting the first creative to 75 and the second to 25. The first serves 75% of the time, and the second serves 25% of the time.

Edit creative optimization settings

1. Open a line item.
2. In the left menu, click Creatives.
3. Scroll down to the Creatives section of the line item page.
4. Select an option from the Creative optimization drop-down menu.
5. (Optional) If you selected Conversions, select the conversion pixel that will be used to measure these conversions in the Conversion tracking section.
6. Save your changes.