Non-skippable in-stream ads play before, during, or after other videos. Viewers don't have the option to skip the ad. Non-skippable in-stream ads are 15-seconds (or shorter).
In this article, you’ll learn about the technical specs and reporting tools available for non-skippable in-stream ads.
How non-skippable in-stream ads appear on YouTube
Desktop
Mobile
TV screens
Available assets
| Asset | Guidelines |
|---|---|
| YouTube video URL | The link to your YouTube video. The URL can be any standard video uploaded to YouTube. The video must be public or unlisted and comply with our advertising policies and requirements. |
|
Final URL |
The URL that people reach after clicking your ad. It should match what your ad promotes. Learn more about final URLs and tracking templates. |
| Display URL | The website address that appears in your ad. It's typically the URL of the site or page you're advertising. The display URL must match the domain that people visit when they interact with your ad. |
| Companion banner | A companion banner is an image that appears next to your ad on desktop computers. You can choose to have an auto-generated companion banner (based on info from your YouTube channel) or upload a 300x60 JPEG, GIF, or PNG (150 KB maximum). Learn more about how to Create a companion banner for a video ad. |
Ad specifications
Your video must be uploaded to YouTube and set as public or unlisted to use in an ad.
Check the specification details below.
Requirements: Minimum of one horizontal video
|
Recommended |
Accepted |
Callouts |
|
| Resolution |
1080p (Full HD) Recommended pixels (px) for HD:
|
720p (Standard HD) Minimum px:
Minimum pixels for SD (Standard Definition):
|
For optimal quality, we don’t recommend using SD. |
|
Aspect ratio |
|
|
For optimal quality, we don’t recommend using SD. |
|
Format |
.MPG (MPEignored2 or MPEignored4) |
.WMV, .AVI, .MOV and .FLV .MPEignored1, .MP4, .MPEGPS, 3GPP, WebM, DNxHR, ProRes, CineForm and HEVC (h265) |
Audio files like MP3, WAV, or PCM files on YouTube aren’t accepted. |
|
File size |
≤256 GB |
- |
- |
|
Length |
:15 (:20 in certain markets) |
≤:15 (≤:20 in certain markets) |
If ad is ≤:06, it will run as a Bumper |
|
Headline |
≤15 characters |
- |
If you have a CTA, ≤10 characters |
Supported Google Ads goals
- Product and brand consideration (only within the “Video ad sequence” subtype)
- Brand awareness and reach
Available bidding strategy
Target cost-per-thousand impressions (tCPM)
With Target CPM bidding, you set the average amount you’re willing to pay for every thousand times your ad is shown. We'll then optimize bids to help get as much unique reach as possible. Some impressions may cost more or less than your target.
Target CPM bidding is available when you create a Video campaign with the “Brand awareness and reach” or “Product and brand consideration” (only within the “Video ad sequence” subtype) goal.
Reporting
Metrics
All standard video metrics are available for non-skippable in-stream ads except for the following:
- Views
- View rate
- Average cost per view (avg. CPV)
- Conversions
Third-party measurement
Third-party measurement is only available through Ads Data Hub. Learn more about the process for third-party measurement on YouTube.
Policies
Non-skippable in-stream ads must follow Google Ads policies and YouTube policies.
