Video campaigns run on YouTube and across the web through Google Ads. By targeting your Video campaigns on YouTube and Google video partners, you can advertise to people at moments that matter. With a wide variety of targeting methods available to you, such as demographic groups, interests, placements, and your data segments, you can reach specific or niche audiences based on who they are, what they’re interested in, and what content they’re viewing.

“Video discovery ads” are now known as “in-feed video ads”. Aside from the name change, the ad format functions the same as before.

In Google Ads, you can create compelling video campaigns with a range of video ad formats to engage customers in different ways on YouTube and across video partner sites. Available video ad formats include:

• Skippable in-stream ads
• Non-skippable in-stream ads
• In-feed video ads
• Bumper ads
• Outstream ads
• Masthead ads

While video ad content must be hosted on YouTube, video ads can appear on YouTube and across websites and apps running on Google video partners (depending on your ad format and campaign settings).

Skippable in-stream ads

When should I use this ad format?

Use skippable in-stream ads when you have video content you’d like to promote before, during, or after other videos on YouTube and across websites and apps running on Google video partners.

How does the ad format work?

Skippable in-stream ads play before, during, or after other videos. After 5 seconds, the viewer has an option to skip the ad.

Where does the ad format appear?

Skippable in-stream ads appear on YouTube watch pages and across websites and apps running on Google video partners.

Which campaign goal(s) do I need to select to use this ad format?

• Sales
• Leads
• Website traffic
• Brand awareness and reach
• Product and brand consideration

Note: You can also use this ad format when you choose “Create a campaign without a goal’s guidance” in Google Ads.

Non-skippable in-stream ads

When should I use this ad format?

Use non-skippable in-stream ads when you have video content you’d like to promote before, during, or after other videos on YouTube and across websites and apps running on Google video partners and you want viewers to see the entire message without skipping your video.

How does the ad format work?

Non-skippable in-stream ads are 15 seconds (or shorter) and play before, during, or after other videos. Viewers don’t have the option to skip the ad.

Note: Some non-skippable in-stream ads may also appear on YouTube TV, depending on eligibility.

Where does the ad format appear?

Non-skippable in-stream ads appear on YouTube videos and across websites and apps running on Google video partners.

Which campaign goal(s) do I need to select to use this ad format?

• Brand awareness and reach

Note: You can also use this ad format when you choose “Create a campaign without a goal’s guidance” in Google Ads.

In-feed video ads

When should I use this ad format?

Use in-feed video ads to promote video content in places of discovery, including next to related YouTube videos, as part of a YouTube search result, or on the YouTube mobile homepage.

How does the ad format work?

In-feed video ads consist of a thumbnail image from your video with some text. While the exact size and appearance of the ad may vary depending on where it appears, in-feed video ads always invite people to click to watch the video. The video then plays on the YouTube watch page or channel homepage.

Where does the ad format appear?

• On YouTube search results
• Alongside related YouTube videos
• On the YouTube mobile homepage

Which campaign goal(s) do I need to select to use this ad format?

• Product and brand consideration

Note: You can also use this ad format when you choose “Create a campaign without a goal’s guidance” in Google Ads.

Bumper ads

When should I use this ad format?

Use bumper ads when you want to reach viewers broadly with a short, memorable message.

How does the ad format work?

Bumper ads are 6 seconds (or shorter) and play before, during, or after another video. Viewers don’t have the option to skip the ad.

Note: Some bumper ads may also appear on YouTube TV, depending on eligibility.

Where does the ad format appear?

Bumper ads appear on YouTube videos and across websites and apps running on Google video partners.

Which campaign goal(s) do I need to select to use this ad format?

• Brand awareness and reach

Note: You can also use this ad format when you choose “Create a campaign without a goal’s guidance” in Google Ads.

Outstream ads

When should I use this ad format?

Use outstream ads when you want to expand the reach of your video ads on mobile, helping you reach more customers.

How does the ad format work?

Outstream ads begin playing with the sound off. Viewers can tap the ad to unmute the video. Outstream ads are designed to increase your video reach at an efficient cost.

Where does the ad format appear?

Outstream ads are mobile-only ads and only appear on websites and apps running on Google video partners. Outstream ads aren’t available on YouTube.

Outstream ads can run across a variety of different mobile placements. For mobile web placements, outstream ads appear in banners. In mobile apps, outstream ads appear in banners, interstitials, in-feed, native, as well as in both portrait and fullscreen modes.

Which campaign goal(s) do I need to select to use this ad format?

• Brand awareness and reach

Note: You can also use this ad format when you choose “Create a campaign without a goal’s guidance” in Google Ads.

Masthead ads

When should I use this ad format?

Use this format when you want to drive awareness for a new product or service or reach a massive audience in a short period of time (for example, a sales event).

Masthead ads are only available on a reservation basis through a Google sales representative.

How does the ad format work?

Desktop

• A featured video in a Masthead ad autoplays without the sound for up to 30 seconds at the top of the YouTube Home feed. The Masthead ad can appear in a widescreen or 16:9 aspect ratio format and includes an information panel to the right that automatically uses assets from your channel. 

Mobile

• A featured video in a Masthead ad autoplays without the sound for the full duration of the video at the top of the YouTube app or m.youtube.com Home feed.
• The mobile video Masthead ad features a video thumbnail, customizable headline, description texts as well as an external call-to-action (CTA).

TV screens

• A featured video in a Masthead ad autoplays (where supported) without the sound for the full duration of the video at the top of the YouTube app for TVs. The Masthead ad can appear in a widescreen or 16:9 aspect ratio format. People can use their TV remote to interact with the Masthead ad. After autoplay, the main video defaults to the video thumbnail. When people click on the video or thumbnail, they’re taken to the watch page for the video to watch full-screen.
• You can’t add a CTA to a Masthead ad on TV screens.

About responsive display ads

With responsive display ads, you can upload your assets (images, headlines, logos, videos, and descriptions), and Google will automatically generate ad combinations for websites, apps, YouTube, and Gmail. Responsive display ads can be used in Display campaigns.

Benefits

• Optimize your ads: When you create a responsive display ad by uploading different assets into Google Ads, Google’s machine learning model determines the optimal combination of assets for each ad slot based on your performance history.
• Broader reach: You can upload multiple assets per asset type (for example, multiple headlines, logos, videos, and images). Google Ads will automatically adjust the size, appearance, and format of your ads to fit just about any available ad space. For example, a responsive display ad might show as a banner ad on one site and a dynamic text ad on another.
• Use with videos: You can also add videos to your responsive display ads to help maximize your reach on the Display Network. Videos are shown instead of images whenever Google Ads determines that your videos could drive better performance.
• Save time: Using responsive display ads, you can reduce your overhead for managing ad portfolios within ad groups and campaigns, and dedicate more time to performance improvement.
• Use with feeds: Responsive ads show personalized content (including ads with products people already viewed on your website or app) to customers from a feed you add and control. If you add a feed to your campaign, your ads will show in both dynamic and static formats.