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Check optimizations for your network
Review this article to learn about new Ad Manager features and enhancements. Updates are usually posted every other Monday. For previous releases, you can review the archive.
Traffic and deliver ads
Open Bidding Direct Pay (beta)
Open Bidding Direct Pay enables publishers to establish a direct payment relationship with participating SSPs. This feature addresses concerns with supply path optimization by providing greater transparency and direct access to inventory within the supply chain. Open Bidding Direct Pay is now in open beta for all Ad Manager 360 partners. Learn more about Open Bidding Direct Pay.
Report and Optimize
Interactive reports: Updates based on your feedback
Interactive reports now shows dimension and metric descriptions in the type-to-search menu and "View all" window.
Optimizations for your network
The new Optimization tips for Google Ad Manager page highlights revenue opportunities customized for your network. You may see opportunities for expert-guided consultations, self-guided optimizations, or general suggestions for increasing revenue. Check often to find new strategies and tailored insights.
Coming soon
Launch of CTV apps-claiming interface
Users will be able to view and take action on unclaimed Connected TV (CTV) apps in Ad Manager by navigating to "Inventory," then "Apps," then "Apps to confirm."
Certified CMP enforcement on CTV inventory begins July 31, 2025
Beginning July 31, we will start enforcing the requirement to use a certified CMP on CTV inventory. Once enforcement begins, CTV ad requests that lack a TC string from a certified CMP will be eligible for Limited ads only.
Making sensitive categories more precise
Starting August 15, 2025, the sensitive category "Significant skin exposure" will no longer be available in Google Ad Manager. This change is part of an ongoing effort to give publishers more precise brand safety controls. This update means that you will not be able to broadly block creatives that appear to show bare skin via this sensitive category, and you will not be able to filter creatives using this category or view this category at the creative level in the Ad review center.
- If you have any existing protections that block this category or pricing rules set for "Significant Skin Exposure," these will no longer apply.
- If these protections or pricing rules block or apply to other criteria, those will still apply.
You will still be able to block unwanted creatives with exposed skin using more accurate and precise categories. To block unwanted ads with significant skin exposure, we recommend blocking the following categories if you believe these types of ads are unsuitable for your users:
- "Reference to Sex" in sensitive categories
- "Swimwear" and "Underwear" subcategories under the "Apparel" general categories
You may optionally choose to block additional general categories to further capture unwanted ads depending on your brand safety needs. Please work with your Account Manager for additional guidance if you have concerns.
We generally recommend that you review and update your existing general and sensitive categories blocks within your Protections on a periodic basis to ensure that your brand safety requirements continue to be met effectively.
Total optimization lift (%) metric deprecated
The Total optimization lift (%) metric has been deprecated in the Reports tool and will be removed from Ad Manager in early 2026. This metric became irrelevant in 2019 after the transition to first-price auction.
Details on the migration to Interactive reports
In Ad Manager "Reporting," Interactive reports will replace Reports in 2026.
Interactive reports, now available to all Ad Manager publishers, offers an enhanced reporting experience, including such features as AI report generation, options for deeper analysis, flags for notifications, building and viewing reports on a single page, and more.
Throughout the migration, we'll continue adding dimensions and metrics to Interactive reports. For any dimensions or metrics you'd like added to Interactive reports, please share your suggestions. Note that dimensions and metrics marked "Deprecated" in the Reports tool won't be migrated to Interactive reports.