A native ad format is a set of variables and styles that are used to create a native ad. Standard (system-defined) native ad formats cover many use cases for trafficking native ads. However, there may be times when you need the flexibility to create your own native ad format. Custom native ad formats allow you to define your own variables for traditional native ads.
With custom native ad formats, variables are used to define things like your native ad's headline, image, call to action, etc. Traffickers provide values for the variables in these native ad formats, and Google Ad Manager uses these values for the content of native ads.
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Add a custom native ad format
You can add a custom native ad format when defining the ad settings using the HTML & CSS editor or Android & iOS app code option. When adding variables for a custom native ad format, you first select the type of variable a trafficker can enter, such as a File, Number, or URL. Ad Manager then displays the settings related to that type.
To add a custom native ad format:
- Sign in to Google Ad Manager.
- Navigate to Delivery, then Native.
- Click New native style.
- Click Select for either the "HTML & CSS editor" or "Android & iOS app code".
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Define your native format:
- For the HTML & CSS editor, select New format in the "Native format" section, then click Add variable.
- For Android & iOS app code, simply click Add variable.
- Define your variable by first choosing the variable type, and then configuring the variable settings based on the type.
- Click OK and then continue to define all variables and save the custom native format.
Native format variable options
Variable types
| Variable type | Trafficking options |
|---|---|
| File | Traffickers click the "Choose file" button and upload a file. |
| List | Traffickers choose from a list of options. |
| Number | Traffickers enter an integer. |
| Text | Traffickers enter a string. |
| URL | Traffickers enter a URL. |
Variable settings based on the type
| Setting | Available for variable types | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Require entry when trafficking | All | Select whether it will be required for the trafficker to add a value for the variable. |
| Variable name | All | Enter a name for the variable. |
| Help text | All | You can enter the text for a custom help pop-up. When the trafficker hovers over the question mark next to the variable, a help box with this text will appear. |
| Default value | List Number Text URL |
Enter the default value that will appear for the field. If you don't enter a value, the field will be empty until the trafficker enters a value. For the "Number" variable type, the system sets 0 as the default if you don't enter a value. |
| Sample value | List Number Text URL |
You can enter a value for the variable so it will appear in the native style preview. |
| Only allow certain file types when trafficking | File |
You can restrict the trafficker to upload only the file types you select here: jpg, png, and gif. Note: The Google Mobile Ads SDK doesn't support animated GIFs for native ads. |
| Options | List | These are the options that traffickers will pick from when adding a creative. If you select "Allow other options when trafficking," traffickers will be able to add text in a box. |
| URL type | URL | The first three options are used for special behaviors. Note that all custom native ad formats automatically have a variable for "Click-through URL"; you don't need to add this yourself.
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