Q4 2023
Traffic and deliver ads
Side rail anchor ads (Beta)
We're excited to announce the launch of side rail anchor ads, a format that appears on the side of desktop pages, remaining in view as the user scrolls. To enable side rail anchor ads, please refer to the Help Center instructions.Report and Optimize
New "Identity insights" card on the Overview Home dashboard
We’ve added a new card called Identity insights to the Overview Home dashboard. The card shows how user consent and privacy restrictions may impact performance, and provides insights on ad request coverage by identifier type. For example, you can review the card for a breakdown of PPID and first-party identifiers on your ad requests, and compare that to the presence of third-party cookies. With the coming deprecation of third-party cookies, use the card to understand how such changes may affect overall performance.Data Transfer update
On November 13, 2023, we changed all Data Transfer files to increase the size of the KeyPart, BackfillKeyPart, and EventKeyPart fields from 9 to 20 bytes. This update eliminates the need to use both the KeyPart and TimeUsec2 fields to identify a unique query or event. Going forward, you’ll only need the KeyPart.
New Data Transfer fields Beta
The following fields are now available in Data Transfer reports:The related Data Transfer sample files have been updated. The fields are meant to give publishers a better understanding of how many ad opportunities were reached by users, and to help them accurately understand fill rate and inventory availability for sales.
New "Creative vendor" dimension
The Creative vendor dimension shows vendors present on a given creative or impression. This dimension reports only on the presence of certified vendors.In-app browser improvements
In-app browsers allow apps to display web content to users, without having to leave the app. The new “In-app browser” value (ID 500245) appears in the following components:- “Browser” and “Browser category “ dimensions in Reporting
- “Browser” field in Data Transfer
- “Browser category” dimension and filter on the Identity insights card
- “Browser” in targeting pickers
Explore in-app browser inventory and performance in Traffic and Audience Explorers, and in the Identity insights card on your Home dashboard.
Manage Inventory
Web interstitial triggers launch (Beta)
We’re pleased to introduce web interstitial triggers. This new feature will give publishers more control over when and where their interstitial ads appear on desktop and mobile web, while still respecting frequency cap settings. Previously, web interstitials could only be triggered by page navigation. Now, publishers can also choose to show interstitials when a user unhides a tab or window.To opt in, publishers can click Inventory, then Network Settings in Ad Manager, and select the triggers they want to opt into. For more details, visit Traffic web interstitials.
Manage network settings
TFUA settings for AMP
Publishers triggering treatment for users under the age of consent (TFUA) on AMP pages can review updated guidance on implementing this in AMP ad tags.Demand channel settings
Demand channel settings allow publishers to set custom defaults and override settings for demand channels for Authorized Buyers, Open Bidding, SDK Bidding, and Google demand.Manage Inventory
Support for Manual Creative Review Protections
Some publishers require manual review of all creatives that serve onto parts of their inventory, and so we've launched beta support for Manual Creative Review Protections. You can set a Manual Creative Review protection to block any unreviewed creatives from serving until you review them in the Ad Review Center. Manual creative review protections apply to Private Auction, Marketplace Package, and Open Auction transactions.Traffic and deliver ads
Marketplace Package support for priority and price floors
Exclusive Marketplace Packages now support setting of priority over open auction and package level price floors. This will allow publishers to scale their PMP monetization more efficiently with easier utility and customization of Exclusive Marketplace Packages. For more information, visit Open Auction optimization.
Manage network settings
Payment verification check
If you have an active payments profile, you’ll find a new “Verification check” section at "Payments", then "Verification check" to view your identity and address verification status. This won't require any action on your part if verification has already been completed.
Policies
Support for new IAB video signal plcmt field
Video publishers are now encouraged to align with the latest IAB video standards for instream, by declaring their instream inventory as "instream" or "accompanying content." Publishers can send a new signal called plcmt on the ad tag.
Other product or Help Center updates
Ad Review Center updates
We've significantly upgraded the look, feel, and utility of the Ad Review Center through updates to ad layouts, search and filter functionality, bulk actions, image search, creative metadata details and more. These changes are now live for all publishers.
Report and optimize
Updates to mediation chain metrics
Following the launch of mobile fallback ads and super mediation chains, mediation chains no longer have to be associated with yield groups. Consequently, the metrics "Mediation chains served," "Mediation fill rate," and "Mediation passbacks"' have moved from the "Yield group" category to a new "Mediation chain" category. We’ve also added a new metric, "Mediation chains filled" (Beta) that gives a better picture of the ads delivered as part of a mediation chain. "Mediation chains filled" will populate in reporting from September 2023 onward.
Report and optimize
New Reach report metric
We’ve introduced a new metric to Reach reports: "Estimated total unique visitors." This metric represents the total unique users, similar to "Total unique visitors." On rows where the "Total unique visitors" metric is null, this metric provides an estimate of unique visitors in order to report an estimated reach for as many rows as possible.Updates to Browser in Data Transfer
We’re making improvements to the "Browser" and "Browser ID" fields in Data Transfer. This update will result in more Browser values reported, rather than “Other,” and will be more in line with the Reporting dimensions.
Policies
View screenshots of your policy issues
To help you determine what to fix when you have a policy issue, you can now view screenshots of policy issues in the Policy center. Screenshots highlight specific examples of policy issues found on your apps or sites and can help you to better identify and resolve these issues. Currently, only some policy issues are eligible for screenshots.
Other product or Help Center updates
Ending support of one-click allowlisting for Ad blocking messages
Google will end support for the one-click allowlisting feature for Ad blocking messages by the end of 2023. Ad blocking messages will show instructions to end users on how to allow ads on the site. Publishers who had the "Help users allowlist your sites with one click" toggle enabled will no longer see this control in their accounts later in the year.
Q3 2023
Traffic and deliver ads
Introducing SDK Bidding
With SDK Bidding, publishers can let trusted third-party bidders with their own SDK compete for mobile app inventory. Learn more
Report and optimize
Updated Auto-refreshed traffic dimension
The Auto-refreshed traffic dimension now supports AMP traffic.
App Performance Overview card renamed
The “App Performance Overview” card has been renamed “Performance Summary.” The card now reports on all inventory, rather than just apps. We’ve also added a new breakdown dimension for inventory type.
Introducing Impression-level ad revenue
The impression-level ad revenue feature is now available to all Ad Manager app publishers. This feature helps you calculate more precise data on the lifetime value (LTV) of your app users, which can help guide your user acquisition and monetization strategy.
Manage Inventory
Publisher provided signals (PPS) in open beta
Publisher provided signals (PPS) is now in open beta with Google Demand as of August 15, 2023. Publisher provided signals is a privacy-forward product solution that enables publishers to activate their unique first-party audience and contextual data in a seamless and scalable way, directly in the programmatic auction. If you're an Ad Manager 360 publisher, you can start using PPS today.
Traffic and deliver ads
Native creative workflow improvements (Beta)
We made updates to the native workflow that improve the overall user experience and reduce errors. We made it easier to ensure that your native style and line item targeting are the same, provided more clear and prominent instructions on how to set up native ads, and streamlined the workflow for creating native ads.
Unified pricing rules are now available to all Ad Manager publishers
We expanded availability of unified pricing rules to all Ad Manager publishers–access to Ad Exchange is no longer required. All publishers have the option to utilize unified pricing rules to centralize management of auction floor prices across their indirect demand. Note that unified pricing rules are an advanced feature that–if used incorrectly–could negatively impact revenue.
Report and optimize
New reporting dimensions for secure signals
Two new dimensions have been added to report on secure signals. “Secure signal name (presented)” reports the names of the secure signals sent in the ad request, while “Secure signal name (delivered)” reports the names of the secure signals sent to the bidder who won the impression.
Policies
New Consent Management Platform requirements take effect January 16, 2024
On May 16th, we announced that we will require partners using our publisher products — Google AdSense, Ad Manager, or AdMob — to use a Google-certified Consent Management Platform (CMP) that has integrated with IAB Europe’s Transparency and Consent Framework (TCF) when serving ads to users in the European Economic Area (EEA) or the UK.
As a follow up, we’d like to announce that we will begin to apply this requirement on January 16, 2024. To learn more, review the Google consent management requirements for serving ads in the EEA and UK.
Other product or Help Center updates
Other updates
Pursuant to its legal obligations, Google will be providing certain ad impression and auction data to plaintiffs in litigations currently pending in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York (21-MD-3010), the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia (23-cv-00108), and any matters deemed related.
Manage Inventory
Google Analytics 4 integration for audience list sharing
The Google Analytics 4 integration with Google Ad Manager for sharing audience segments is now in open beta. Follow the steps to enable user list sharing between GA4 and Ad Manager.
Traffic and deliver ads
Track video events in bulk with third-party URLs
Bulk association of third-party URLs for tracking video events is now available to all Ad Manager publishers. You can associate third-party URLs with line items or on the ad unit level via creative wrappers and labels.
Report and optimize
Reporting for Ad Manager testing of Privacy Sandbox APIs
A new “Protected Audience API delivery” dimension has been introduced to reporting to help publishers understand when impressions are served via the Protected Audience API, while a new “Topics status” reporting dimension will indicate whether data from the Topics API was present on a given impression.
Manage network settings
Removal of rewarded ad override setting
We removed the “Override reward settings from third-party ad networks when using mediation" checkbox at the ad unit and network levels. We now use the reward values you set in Ad Manager, regardless of which demand channel the ad is coming from. This simplifies rewarded ad setup because there’s no reason for rewards to be different based on the demand channel.
Traffic and deliver ads
Header bidder trafficking
We launched an update to header bidding in Google Ad Manager 360 that improves upon the current header bidding workflow and simplifies the set up process. You no longer need to target header bidding traffic using yield groups. Instead, you can now insert bids from the prebid.js client-side library directly into the Ad Manager auction. If you've been using header bidding in yield groups, please review the migration instructions.
Multiplex ads are no longer serving
As of July 10, 2023, Multiplex ads are no longer serving into any ad units, and you can’t create or edit Multiplex styles in Ad Manager. If you haven’t already done so, make sure you have a fluid native style with the same targeting settings as the existing Multiplex style. This allows you to fall back to serving regular native ads and help maintain your revenue stream. If you don’t want to serve regular native ads, we recommend removing the Multiplex tags.
Support for IAB TCF v2.2
IAB announced v2.2 of IAB TCF on May 16th, 2023. Google as a vendor will begin accepting TC strings using the TCF v2.2 from July 11th, 2023. Any requests with TCF v2.2 strings sent before this date may result in errors.
- TCF v2.1: We will continue accepting TCF v2.1 strings, but encourage CMPs to follow IAB guidance on implementation milestones as the industry moves over to TCF v2.2.
- Google consent management solutions: Google consent management solutions, available in Ad Manager, AdSense and AdMob's Privacy & messaging tab, plans to support TCF v2.2 for its GDPR consent messages by the end of September, aligned to the IAB deadline for CMPs.
Report and optimize
Improved App SDK version dimension
The App SDK version dimension now supports Android. The updated dimension specifies whether the platform was iOS or Android along with the SDK version. Previously, only iOS was supported and only the SDK version was reported.
Improved passback counting
To make passback counting more accurate, passbacks will now be counted for the demand channel "Ad Server" ads in mediation chains. As a result, you may see an increase in passbacks and a decrease in mediation fill rate.
Troubleshoot
Troubleshooting tool enhancements
We've made several improvements to the troubleshooting tool to make the information displayed easier to understand. These cosmetic improvements don't change the tool's functionality. You’ll see these improvements across several areas, including the creative render rate data, health history, and non-delivery causes.
Q2 2023
Manage Inventory
App Readiness
App Readiness is a new process for reviewing and approving mobile apps that are newly linked to an app store. All new mobile apps linked to an app store will need to be reviewed by our new process and ad serving will be limited until this review is completed. To avoid interruptions in ad serving, make sure your Ad manager apps are linked to a supported app store. Learn moreTraffic and deliver ads
Super mediation chains
We launched super mediation chains to all Ad Manager apps publishers. This new feature will allow you to maximize your revenue by optimizing the competition between all your demand channels. Super mediation chains work by inserting direct deals into the mediation chain and allowing the highest-paying ad network to win the impression. As part of this launch, you may also notice changes in metrics related to mediation chains and code serves. To learn more, visit How mediation works.Introducing Pangle bidding
Pangle bidding, using their own SDK, is now available to all Ad Manager apps publishers. Supported ad formats include banner, interstitial, rewarded video, and native. To get started, publishers can follow the instructions for Android or iOS.Report and optimize
Confirming Gross Revenue (Beta)
On June 12th, Confirming Gross Revenue became available as a Beta feature in Ad Manager for all Ad Manager 360 publishers. Publishers can run a Revenue verification report to view the gross revenue they generated in Ad Manager and compare it to the aggregated media cost the buyer spent on their inventory. This will allow buyers and publishers to verify that there are no hidden fees in the supply path.
Publisher first-party cookies from Ad Manager in unique reach
To improve Reach reporting, we’re incorporating first-party cookies for web traffic. These cookies are first-party identifiers set on the publisher’s domain. Including these identifiers improves reach numbers where there is an absence of other cookies or device IDs. You’ll be able to run a Reach report as usual, with the “Total unique visitors” and “Average impressions/unique visitor” metrics providing updated results. Users have control over cookies through browser settings.Report and optimize
Ad Exchange Historical report deprecation
The Ad Exchange Historical report is deprecated and has been removed from Ad Manager. Almost all of the dimensions and metrics from the Ad Exchange Historical report have been migrated to the Historical report.
Audience segment IDs cap increase in Data Transfer
We have increased the number of first-party audience segments that can be passed in the Data Transfer files. There had been a limit of 35 audience segments that could be included in the Data Transfer files. By increasing the cap, we are making it easier for you to report on your first-party audiences and evaluate audience opportunities across the full picture of your data. This change is effective May 22, 2023.
Manage Inventory
CMS metadata targeting for audience segments
You can now create audience segments that target CMS metadata, which allows you to utilize your video content signals to create audiences. This functionality can be found in the "Custom targeting" options in the "Behavior" section of your audience segment settings. CMS metadata is only supported for traffic-based population.
Report and optimize
New Active View interaction metrics
We’ve added new ActiveView audibility metrics for video inventory. These metrics help you describe the audibility state of video creatives. You can find them in the "Active View interaction” metrics category.
Policies
New Consent Management Platform requirements
We recently announced in the blogpost titled New Consent Management Platform requirements for serving ads in the EEA and UK that, later this year, we will require partners who use our publisher products—Google AdSense, Ad Manager, or AdMob—to use a Google-certified CMP that integrates with IAB Europe’s Transparency and Consent Framework (TCF) when serving ads to users in the European Economic Area (EEA) or the UK. To learn more, review the Google consent management requirements for serving ads in the EEA and UK.
Traffic and deliver ads
Data use controls for Google demand
The control for Ad Manager publishers to allow or disallow data collection and interest based ads for Google demand has moved from Protections to Delivery Bidders.
Report and optimize
Open Measurement for non-instream
You can select viewability providers that will be able to see Open Measurement data for non-instream video. Open Measurement is an industry standard that shows viewability measurement for third-party providers. Ad Manager already supports Open Measurement for mobile app and web in-stream video.
Report and optimize
Benchmark insights (Beta)
On April 18, we launched Benchmark insights (Beta). Publishers that participate in Benchmark insights can compare their performance to slices of their industry across a range of metrics.
To view the insights, a new Industry benchmarks card has been added to the Overview Home dashboard. Benchmarks provide comparisons of revenue, CPM, CTR, impressions, and viewability, as well as views by region, demand channel, device categories, and inventory types. If you don’t want to participate in Benchmarks, you can opt out.
Manage inventory
Increased system limits
To better meet the needs of Ad Manager publishers, we increased the maximum ad sources per yield group to 50, the maximum number of yield groups to 500, and the maximum mediation chain length to 50. We also made multiple technical improvements to reduce the latency across the Ad Manager front end.
Report and optimize
Comcel is now called Claro
The mobile carrier Comcel in Columbia is being renamed to Claro. Targeting parameters are unaffected by this name change. Reporting output is affected.
Manage network settings
Control access to Audience Explorer and Traffic Explorer
You can now control view access to Audience Explorer and Traffic Explorer with user role permissions. To update the permissions, create or edit a user role and look for the View audience explorer and View traffic explorer checkboxes in the “Reporting” section.
Other product or Help Center updates
Configure bidder creative restrictions
You can now choose to apply Google Ads Network policy and your protections to a bidding partner. You have options to configure creative restrictions for Authorized Buyers and Open Bidding partners, with a way to make your updates in bulk. To help you understand these settings, you can report on the creatives filtered and review revenue impact estimates per restriction.
Q1 2023
Manage inventory
YouTube Cross-Sell CPM Sponsorships for Programmatic Guaranteed
Cross-Sell YouTube Partners with Partner Sales Rights are now eligible to book their campaigns through Ad Manager for the Programmatic Guaranteed CPM Sponsorship transaction type. Learn how to add a CPM Sponsorship proposal line item.
Report and optimize
Yield group experiments (Open Beta)
Yield group experiments are now in Open Beta. With yield group experiments, you can evaluate the performance of enabling a new yield group. This can help you understand the impact of enabling new yield partners on specific portions of your inventory.
Other product or Help Center updates
Ad Exchange Linked accounts deprecation
In March 2022, we announced the deprecation of the ability to link multiple Ad Exchange accounts to a single Ad Manager account, and we shared migration solutions. As of March 2023, the ability to link multiple Ad Exchange accounts has been removed from Ad Manager, completing the deprecation. Going forward, only a single Ad Exchange account can be used for backfill.
Traffic and deliver ads
Test anchor ads with manual experiments
You can now test anchor ads on your inventory by running a manual experiment. This allows you to see how anchor ads might impact your network before committing developer resources to tagging. To create a manual experiment for anchor ads, select the "Formats" type.
Report and optimize
Anomalies insights data card (Beta)
The Anomalies data card is now in open beta. This card surfaces unexpected changes to performance, shows the severity of the detected anomalies, and provides an entry point to drill down into more details. Note that this feature is not yet supported for accounts that use Teams.
Ad Exchange Historical report migration (Beta)
With the deprecation of the Ad Exchange Historical report, many metrics and dimensions have been migrated to the Historical report. The following metrics and dimensions are now available in the Historical report: Pacific Time Zone reporting view, Ad Exchange direct traffic dimension, and Deals bid metrics. These reporting features are also available in the latest version of the ReportService API.
Introducing Impression-level ad revenue (Beta)
Ad Manager app publishers can now enable the impression-level ad revenue feature in Ad Manager. This feature helps you calculate more precise data on the lifetime value (LTV) of your app users, which can help guide your user acquisition and monetization strategy. Once impression-level ad revenue is enabled, Ad Manager sends back the ad revenue for each ad impression shown on the user's device via GMA SDK. You can then use this data in your internal systems or other third-party tools to better understand your users’ activities. Learn more
Updates to Active View measurability on custom native ads
Previously, we enabled Active View for custom native ads without measuring viewability. As a result, custom native ads were counted as measurable but not viewable. To provide more accurate reporting, we are disabling Active View for custom native ads and no longer counting them as Active View measurable. If your inventory includes custom native ads, you will likely see an increase in the overall viewability metrics and a decrease in the overall measurability metrics. No action is required from your side.
Troubleshoot
Improvements to video content ingest and conditioned status
You can now see a more accurate and actionable status when ingesting video content. In addition, ingest and conditioned statuses are now categorized by success, warning, and failure to help you troubleshoot any errors along the way.
Traffic and deliver ads
Updated options for video ad break fill order
Ad break fill order is now available for publishers using ad rules and ad break templates. You can choose between specifying "Ad spot prioritization" based on fill order position or allowing Ad Manager to optimize for maximum revenue. See how to set up an ad break template and configure ad spot prioritization.
Single-period manifest support for DASH live streams
Ad Manager now supports ingestion of both multi-period and single-period manifests for DASH. With single period manifests, publishers provide a DASH stream with a single period that contains all content and ad break opportunities, rather than multiple periods differentiating them. You can use Live stream ad break encoding guide for DASH to see how to choose a manifest type, and requirements for each type.
Manage network settings
Ads personalization with first-party identifiers for Programmatic Guaranteed and Preferred Deals
First-party identifiers, when opted into programmatic ads personalization through Admin Global settings, now enable ads personalization in Programmatic Guaranteed and Preferred Deals campaigns with Display & Video 360 advertisers. Previously, these settings only supported Open Auction ads personalization.
Report and optimize
Deprecation of the Verified categories dimension
The Verified categories dimension is deprecated in the Historical report. In the coming weeks, we'll replace Verified categories with the equivalent dimension, Advertiser vertical, in saved reports.
Manage Inventory
Change the frequency cap for web interstitials
You can now change the frequency cap for web interstitials using format frequency caps. This allows you to override the default frequency cap of once per hour per subdomain. To set a format frequency cap for web interstitials: click Inventory 
Other product or Help Center updates
MCM payments breakdown
MCM parents can now review a payments breakdown for each child publisher by the following Ad Exchange product types: Content, Games, Content Applications, Video, Guaranteed Deals, and Preferred Deals. For more details, visit the steps for Manage Inventory or Manage Account.
Manage Inventory
New device support for resettable device identifiers
A new device type is now supported when using resettable device identifiers: LG. See all of the available idtype parameters.
Other product or Help Center updates
Manage CCPA settings from Privacy & Messaging
We are deprecating access to CCPA settings in “Admin.” To manage your CCPA settings, click Privacy & Messaging and then CCPA.
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