These release notes are archives provided for your convenience only and might not reflect current product functionality. For the latest releases, see AdMob Announcements.
Q4 2023
In the first quarter of 2024, Google will launch support for programmatic bidding on inventory eligible for limited ads. A publisher can enable this new serving mode to make use of invalid traffic detection-only cookies & local storage on both consented and un-consented traffic to enable demand from Google demand, Campaigns, Authorized Buyers, and SDK Bidding in limited ads.
You now have more options to analyze your campaign performance. We’re introducing a report feature in the Campaigns tab of your account.
What's new?
You can now customize how you view your campaign data. Apply different attributes, metrics, and dimensions to help you better understand your campaign performance data.
We’re also introducing new filters and dimensions. You can now break down your data using the following new dimensions and filters:
-
Filters
- Date: With the new date filter, you can now select exact dates and view data for the lifetime of your campaign.
- Placement app store ID: Filter for specific campaigns using the app store ID or package name of the placement app. The placement app is the app that shows ads promoting another app.
- Placement name: Filter for specific campaigns using the name of the placement app.
-
Dimensions
- Placement: View performance data by the placement app. The placement app is the app that shows ads promoting another app. This helps you analyze how your campaigns perform in certain apps.
- Country: View performance by country.
- Ad format: View performance data by ad format.
- Date: View performance by date.
Get started
Check out the new campaign report feature in the Campaigns tab of your account:
- Sign in to your AdMob account at https://admob.google.com.
- Click Campaigns in the sidebar.
Q3 2023
To make it easier to determine what to fix when you have a policy issue, we're introducing screenshots to the Policy center. Screenshots highlight examples of policy issues found on your apps and can help you to identify and understand these issues.
Currently, only some policy issues are eligible for screenshots. We'll be adding screenshots for more policy issues over the coming months as we roll out this change.
How to view screenshots
To find out if an issue in your Policy center has screenshots:
- Sign in to your AdMob account at https://admob.google.com.
- Click Policy center in the sidebar.
- Click Fix in the "Action" column of the app with the issue. This will take you to the "Issue details" page where you’ll see a "Screenshots" column if there are screenshots available for your issue.
- To view a screenshot, click
in the "Screenshots" column.
in the "Screenshots" column.Note that screenshots may not show every issue, so check your entire app to make sure it follows our policies. Some policy issues won't have an associated screenshot.
The user metrics toggle will be discontinued in early 2024. To continue collecting user metrics, you can link your AdMob app to Firebase and integrate the Google Analytics for Firebase SDK into your app. If your app is already linked to Firebase in AdMob and has the Google Analytics for Firebase SDK, this change will not affect you.
What's changing?
Starting in early 2024, AdMob apps that are not linked to Firebase and do not have the Google Analytics for Firebase SDK integrated will no longer receive user metrics data in the following pages in your AdMob account:
- User metrics card on App Overview pages
- User Activity report
- Cohort report
To continue collecting user metrics, you can link your AdMob apps to Firebase and integrate the Google Analytics for Firebase SDK into your apps. Enabling user metrics will no longer be a prerequisite for linking apps to Firebase in AdMob.
Take action
To continue viewing user metrics data in your AdMob account, complete the following steps:
- Link your apps to Firebase.
- Integrate the Google Analytics for Firebase SDK into your apps (Android, iOS).
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.
- TCF v2.1: We'll 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, supports TCF v2.2 for its European regulations messages, in alignment with the IAB's updated requirements for CMPs.
AdMob now supports Single Euro Payments Area (SEPA) payments in EUR currency for publishers in these countries:
- Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Germany, Denmark, Estonia, Spain, Finland, France, Gibraltar, Greece, Croatia, Hungary, Ireland, Iceland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Latvia, Monaco, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia, Slovakia.
Learn more about the countries where SEPA payments are available.
If you want to sign up for SEPA payments, follow these steps to select your form of payment.
Q2 2023
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.
Google Ads recently announced that on October 31, 2023, Google Ads intends to move primarily to real-time bidding auctions and will no longer respond to multiple calls in mediation. Before this date, Google Ads may begin to transition away from waterfall buying for some multi-call requests.
What this means for you as a publisher
Before this date, you should consider using a real-time bidding solution to access Google Ads demand. Through AdMob, you can access the following options for real-time bidding:
- Use AdMob Network in bidding with AdMob Mediation. AdMob Network includes demand from Google (Google Ads, Display & Video 360) and third-party ad sources.
- Use partner bidding with a supported third-party mediation platform to enable Google (Google Ads, Display & Video 360) to bid on your inventory in real-time bidding auctions - even if you do not use AdMob as your mediation platform.
If you are calling Google Ads in bidding, there is no action for you to take. Other third-party demand sources may have their own bidding behavior. Here's how to get started with real-time bidding.
Use AdMob Network in bidding with AdMob Mediation
When you use AdMob Mediation, the AdMob Network is automatically added as a bidding source. This means that the AdMob Network bids on your ad requests in real-time.
This allows your ad sources to compete equally in a single, unified auction. For any given impression, the bidding ad source that serves the ad is the highest paying advertiser.
Learn more about AdMob bidding:
Use partner bidding to access Google demand on third-party mediation platforms
Partner bidding enables you to access Google demand as a bidding source on supported third-party mediation platforms. Google (Google Ads, Display & Video 360) can bid on your inventory in third-party real-time bidding auctions - even if you do not use AdMob as your mediation platform.
First, you’ll set up a partner bidding ad unit in AdMob. Then, you can set Google as a bidding source and map your ad unit in your third-party mediation platform (not AdMob).
Learn more about partner bidding:
Timeline
We will update this page as we announce further updates.
| Date | Event |
|
July 7, 2022 |
Google Ads and Display & Video 360 announce closed beta for Google partner bidding. |
|
May 1, 2023 |
Google Ads and Display & Video 360 announce open beta for third-party app inventory real-time bidding. Google Ads announces intent to move primarily to real-time bidding auctions for apps. AdMob and Ad Manager help app publishers understand their options for bidding through creation of this help center page. |
|
July 18, 2023 |
Until further notice, we believe Google Ads will respond to a single call in waterfall mediation after October 31, 2023. However, to maximize revenue, we recommend that you access Google Ads demand via a real-time bidding solution, such as AdMob Network in bidding with AdMob mediation. We will continue to monitor any updates from Google Ads and proactively update this page with any important changes. |
| September 7, 2023 |
Google Ads shares more information on their shift to real-time bidding. For a temporary period of time, Google Ads will still respond to multiple calls within hybrid waterfalls on supported partner platforms, as well as AdMob and Ad Manager. Hybrid waterfalls should be set up by adding a bidding ad unit to your existing waterfall mediations. Google Ads will begin to reduce spending on multicall requests in waterfalls that do not contain a bidding ad unit. On October 31, Google Ads will stop buying on multicall waterfall requests that do not contain a bidding ad unit. Google Ads may still buy on mediation waterfalls that only make a single call to Google Ads demand. |
| November 1, 2023 |
Google Ads shares more information on their shift to real-time bidding. The recent update states: “As a continuation of our move away from multicall waterfalls, Google Ads is now beginning to transition away from multicall requests in hybrid mediation chains. It is our goal to complete this transition as early as January 2024.” |
| December 14, 2023 |
Google Ads shares more information on their shift to real-time bidding. The recent update states: "Earlier this year, Google Ads announced its intention to move primarily towards real-time bidding auctions for apps. As a result, Google Ads has stopped buying on multicall requests in waterfalls that do not contain a bidding ad unit, and in January 2024, will stop responding to multicall requests within hybrid setups as well. In an effort to keep delivering the best value for our advertisers, Google Ads will continue to invest in systems that detect multicall behavior. In addition to that, Google Ads will be monitoring attempts to circumvent our multicall detection systems, and intend to stop buying on publishers that employ techniques to evade multicall detection. An example of such techniques includes but is not limited to: Ad Unit misrepresentation - Frequent creation, usage or manipulation of new ad units in multicall queries. Typically, ad unit misrepresentation is undertaken to mask the existence of chains of related multicall requests. Beginning January 20, 2024, Google Ads may stop buying on publisher apps for a period of 1 week to 1 month based on the magnitude of both previous or currently detected abuse." |
| September 24, 2024 |
Google Ads advertisers share more information on their commitment to stop buying multi-call inventory. The recent update states: "Starting October 23, 2024, Display & Video 360 will stop bidding on multiple waterfall calls to Google Ad Manager and the AdMob Network on all mediation platforms for mobile app inventory. To maximize advertiser ROI and bid more efficiently, Display & Video 360 aims to buy mobile app ad inventory primarily via real-time bidding." |
FAQs
What publisher platforms support Google Ads in real-time bidding for apps inventory?
Google AdMob and Ad Manager support real-time bidding in general availability. AppLovin (MAX), Chartboost Mediation, DT FairBid, and Unity LevelPlay support real-time bidding with Google demand via partner bidding, which is currently in open beta.
If you do not have access to Google Ads in real-time bidding, either through a Google publisher platform or partner bidding, please reach out to your publisher platform to inquire about access.
Will I be affected by the Google Ads transition to real-time bidding auctions?
What action do I need to take if I am calling Google Ads in both bidding and waterfall?
You can now use Google as a bidding ad source in other mediation platforms (not AdMob).
What is partner bidding?
Partner bidding enables you to access Google demand as a bidding source on supported third-party mediation platforms. Previously, you could only use standard ad units to access Google demand via traditional waterfall mediation in third-party platforms.
With partner bidding, you can now allow Google (Google Ads, Display & Video 360) to bid on your inventory in third-party real-time bidding auctions - even if you do not use AdMob as your mediation platform.
Check if your third-party mediation platform supports partner bidding.
Note that Google may be required to pay a fee to the partner mediation platform.
How does partner bidding work?
Partner bidding ad units work with your third-party mediation platform to enable Google demand to participate in their real-time bidding auctions.
1. A partner bidding ad unit is created in AdMob
First, you’ll need to set up your app in AdMob. Then, you’ll need to create the partner bidding ad unit in AdMob.
Note that your app must be reviewed and approved in AdMob before a partner bidding ad unit can serve ads.
2. Google is set up as a bidder in a third-party mediation platform
Next, you’ll need to set up Google as a bidding source in your third-party mediation platform (not AdMob). Google requires that you map your partner bidding ad unit in your mediation platform using the ad unit ID and the app ID.
You can find your app IDs and ad unit IDs in your AdMob account. Refer to your third-party mediation platform for specific instructions on how to set up an ad network and/or map an ad unit.
3. Google competes for your inventory in a real-time bidding auction
Your third-party mediation platform hosts the real-time bidding auction and Google bids for your ad requests alongside the other bidders and ad sources you’ve set up in your third-party mediation waterfall.
You can analyze Google’s performance using the partner bidding ready-made reports.
Get started with partner bidding
This feature is currently in beta release to a limited group of publishers. Learn more about how to create partner bidding ad units in AdMob and check out the frequently asked questions.
Q1 2023
We believe in supporting one another and making a positive impact on the community. Today, we’re sharing how you can use house ads within AdMob campaigns to reserve your inventory for charities of your choice.
How it works
There are two ways to use house ads for charity:
1. Reserve a percentage of your ad unit impressions to show donation ads
You can use the Percentage of impressions as the goal type for the donation campaigns. This allows you to control the portion of your impressions to display ads from the charity of your choice. For example, if you choose to reserve 10% of your impressions for the donation ad campaign, this means that one in every ten ad impressions will be a donation ad.
2. Backfill unfilled requests with donation ads
You can also use the Mediated ads goal type to show donation ads when an ad request is below a set eCPM. Choose the order of ads in the mediation waterfall using one of the options below:
- Google optimized for backfill: Use your house ads as backfill when paid ads would have negligible value.
- Manual eCPM: The eCPM value you set during campaign creation is used to place the campaign in competition against other competing demands. If your paid ads are below this eCPM value, the donation campaign will serve.
Get started
- Sign in to your AdMob account at https://admob.google.com.
- If you haven’t already, you’ll need to link your AdMob account to Google Ads account to access campaigns.
- Ensure your billing information is up-to-date in the Google Ads account for the ads to run.
- Click Campaigns in the sidebar.
- Click Create campaign.
- Select House ads as the campaign type.
- Select one of the following goal types: Mediated ads or Percentage of impressions.
- Select the ad units to include in the campaign. This determines where your donation ads will appear. Make sure you select ad units that are the same format as the ad you want to create, otherwise they may not appear.
- You can use the Advanced targeting settings to specify the targeting criteria for your campaign, including geographic locations, languages, demographics, and more.
- Create the ads using creatives from the charitable organization of your choice.
- Ensure that the ads comply with Google Ads and AdMob policies. You’ll also need to make sure the ad format can support the ad types you choose.
Next steps
Learn more about AdMob campaigns:
We’re introducing the ability to edit and update your app’s package name directly in your AdMob account.
What's new?
Previously, there was no simple way to unlink or edit your app’s package name in AdMob. Now, you can easily change an app’s package name in your AdMob account.
Note: If you change your package name and the prior package name was serving ads, it may temporarily appear in your Apps to confirm page.
Additionally, if you haven’t set up your app in AdMob with the package name, but the package name is serving ads, you may also see this app in your Apps to confirm page. You can finish setting up the app from the Apps to confirm page or add the package name to an existing app using the steps below.
If you need to change your app’s package name after you enter it, you can update it from the App settings page:
- Sign in to your AdMob account at https://admob.google.com.
- Click Apps in the sidebar.
- Select the name of the app.
- Click App settings.
- In the App store details section, click
.
- Click Clear store details.
- If your app is listed in Google Play, search for your app by app name, developer name, app ID, or app URL. Click Add next to the app you want to add. The package name will be automatically populated. Note: Select any other third-party stores your app is listed in before saving.
- If your app is only listed in supported third-party stores (not in Google Play), select the third-party stores. Click Edit and enter the package name. Then, click Apply.
- Click Save. Note that changing the store or package name may prompt an app readiness review and temporarily limit ad serving in the app.
- Click Confirm.
.
We’re introducing the ability to choose which apps a user can access in your account.
What's new?
Administrators can limit which apps a user can access in an AdMob account. You can specify which apps a user can access when you add a user to your account.
You can also edit which apps a user has access to after they accept the invitation:
- Sign in to your AdMob account at https://admob.google.com.
- Click Settings in the sidebar.
- Click the Users tab.
- In the App access column of the user, click
- Select the apps you’d like this user to access, or click the toggle next to Select all current and future apps to give the user access to all apps in your AdMob account.
- Click Confirm.
Note: If you have mediation groups and campaigns that target ad units belonging to multiple apps, you’ll need to grant the user access to all the apps that share any mediation groups or campaigns.
For example, if you want app A to share a mediation group with app B, you must first grant the user access to both app A and app B.
If you don’t want a user to have access to other apps, consider splitting the mediation groups and campaigns to target one app only.
For example, if you want a user to only have access to app A, but app A shares a mediation group with app B, you can make a new mediation group to target only app A. You can also copy existing mediation groups.