YouTube Programmatic Non-Guaranteed instant deals

About YouTube programmatic non-guaranteed instant deals

With YouTube programmatic non-guaranteed instant deals, you can bid on premium YouTube inventory immediately without any negotiations. Unlike guaranteed instant deals, inventory isn’t reserved, so delivery in full is not guaranteed. This is similar to non-guaranteed auctions. Non-guaranteed instant deals are an ideal solution if:

• You want to target inventory that cannot be reserved through guaranteed instant deals
• You want to use features unavailable through guaranteed instant deals, such as proximity targeting, Customer Match audiences, daily budgets and higher-level frequency caps
• You value the flexibility of non-guaranteed buying over guaranteed delivery

Before you get started

There are a few requirements before you get started with instant deals for YouTube:

• Enable Marketplace: To enable partners for YouTube instant deals, you can either accept the 4% fee and enable Marketplace from your partner account or contact your Display & Video 360 support representative. Learn more
• Accept terms: In your partner's Advertiser configurations, accept the "Terms & Conditions for accessing Google & Partner inventory agreement, then select which advertisers you want to enable to access for. You won't be able to create YouTube instant deals until you've accepted these terms.
• (Optional) Link your channels: You can link a YouTube channel to a Display & Video 360 advertiser for an expanded set of features.

We recommend that you allow at least 2 business days of lead time for creative approval to ensure your line item is ready to launch on time.

Set up a YouTube non-guaranteed instant deal

You’ll set up your instant deal through the Marketplace. After you set up your deal, you’ll have a line item for the deal.

Step 1: Get a quote and confirm your deal in Marketplace

1. In the page menu on the left, select Inventory, then click Marketplace.
2. Click New instant deal and select YouTube as the publisher.
   1. You can also directly select YouTube from the list in the “Featured” tab.
   2. In the pop-up page, click New instant deal.
3. Select commitment type Non-guaranteed
4. Add basic details about the deal, including:
   1. The name of the deal. The name will also be used as the line item name, which is created when the deal is saved.
   2. The Advertiser that will be using the deal.
   3. The Campaign for the deal. The campaign must be from the selected advertiser. The deal won’t be affected by the campaign's settings, except for the frequency cap.
   4. The Insertion order for the deal. The insertion order must already be created within the selected campaign. The insertion order's flight dates, budget segments and frequency cap will affect the delivery of line items within the deal.
      • Note: For an insertion order to be eligible, it must meet the following criteria: i) “Real time bidding” type, ii) have a “brand” or “no goal” objective, iii) be currency based, iv) have “Control bid and budget at the line item level” selected. If auto-budget allocation is enabled, the insertion order can only contain other YouTube & partners line items. It is also not currently possible to select insertion orders being used in A/B experiments.
   5. Choose In-stream, Masthead, Pause ads or Shorts ads as the Ad format. If targeting YouTube Select lineups (including YouTube TV), select in-stream, Pause ads, or Shorts ads.
5. Click Next.
6. Select any Policy restrictions that apply to the advertiser using this deal based on our restricted products policies. Masthead ads have specific content requirements including prohibited categories. Ad content related to restricted products may limit the reach of your campaign. Without this information, your quote might be inaccurate and the deal might not serve.
   In addition to entering policy restrictions here, some restricted products require certification. Learn more
7. Ensure that the Lift study enablement checkbox is selected if you plan to run a Brand Lift or Search Lift study.
   • Note: The Lift study enablement checkbox is selected by default. We recommend manually unchecking this setting if you don't plan to run a lift study, so you can receive the most accurate quote for your deal’s settings.
8. Add Targeting:
   1. Geography targeting is required for non-guaranteed instant deals.
   2. You'll notice that the inventory source and device targeting may be set automatically, depending on the ad format you selected. The video partners inventory source is not available for YouTube non-guaranteed instant deals. You can set other line item-level targeting options. Additional types of targeting are available in the line item's ad group.
      • Note:
        • Targeting multiple YouTube Select lineups in the same instant deal may result in being unable to receive a quote. If this occurs, try targeting only one YouTube Select lineup per instant deal. For in-stream, Pause ads and Shorts ads, targeting a YouTube Select lineup is always required to receive a quote.
        • When targeting the YouTube TV or YouTube TV Sports YouTube Select lineups, only bumper and non-skippable ad formats are supported (skippable in-stream ads are not supported).
9. Configure the settings for the deal:
   1. Pick Flight dates for the deal.
   2. Enter deal’s budget and pacing settings. After you save the line item, you can't change between daily and flight, but you can update the budget amount.
   3. (Optional) Select mobile, desktop, tablet, or connected TV device type if you want to only target certain device types. Uncheck a device type if you want to exclude it.
      • Note: Pause ads are currently only available on connected TV devices
   4. (Optional) Select the deal’s Frequency cap. Learn more about frequency caps in Display & Video 360
10. (Optional) Select the Floodlight activity you want to use to count conversions, and configure any other conversion tracking settings.
11. (Optional) Enter a name for your ad group and choose an Ad format.
    • Note: You may have the option to choose a duration for non-skippable ads. Non-skippable ads (30 sec or less) and Non-skippable ads (60 sec or less) only show on YouTube TV or connected TV devices. Non-skippable ads (15 sec or less) are available to serve on all inventory.
12. (Optional) Click Add targeting to change the ad group targeting settings.
    1. Position targeting is available for in-stream and Shorts ad formats. Choose whether you'd like the ad to be served in any position of a user's YouTube session, or target first position
       • Note: Targeting first position means your ad will be the first in-stream or Shorts ad that users view in their YouTube session (a 30 minute watching experience that persists across devices when logged in).
13. (Optional) Select a creative for the deal using the instructions for your inventory type. Creatives can also be added, edited or removed from the line item after the deal has been created.

    Creative setup for in-stream ads

    Choose a source for the creative. You can use a YouTube video or Display & Video 360 creatives. All creatives assigned to the deal must come from the same source.

    • YouTube videos: Follow the steps to create an ad and select your YouTube video. You’ll have the option to create multiple ads. All videos will need to meet the requirements for using YouTube videos in Display & Video 360, including creative review. Learn more
      1. Click Create new ad.
      2. Enter a name for your ad.
      3. Search for a YouTube video or paste a YouTube URL.
      4. Enter the display URL and landing page URL for your ad. The destination URL can be other pages on YouTube or another website.
      5. (Optional) Upload or assign a companion banner image.
      6. (Optional) Add a call-to-action (CTA) overlay to be used with non-skippable ads in your line item.
         • Enter the text for your CTA, which can contain up to 10 characters including spaces. The CTA should be a compelling action that directs users to the website specified in your landing page URL.
         • Enter the text for your headline, which can contain up to 15 characters including spaces. The headline should promote your product or service.
           For non-skippable ads, you have the option to select Show landing page URL as a QR code on TV screens. When a user scans the QR code on their mobile device, they will be directed to the website you specified with your landing page URL. Clicks will be recorded against the ad impression on the TV device. QR code overlays are not available for third-party served ads and will not show on YouTube TV.
      7. (Optional) For skippable ads, use the Click-tracker URL field to set up third-party click tracking. The click tracker must redirect to the same URL as your landing page URL.
      8. Click Create ad to create the ad.
    • Display & Video 360 creatives: Follow the steps to select a creative and assign it to the deal. Select this option when using VAST tags. Only creatives that meet the creative requirements and that are from your selected advertiser will be available. All videos will need to meet the requirements for video creatives in Display & Video 360, including creative review. Learn more

    To include third-party tracking in your ads, contact your Account Manager.

    Creative setup for Masthead ads

    1. Configure your Masthead ad by entering your Ads settings:
       • Enter the Masthead name
       • (Optional for Campaign Manager 360 users) Use the Campaign Manager 360 tracking ad field to select an existing tracking ad you'd like to use to see enhanced metrics in Campaign Manager 360.
       • (Optional) You can bypass entering Masthead settings manually by copying settings from a Masthead preview URL.
    2. Enter your Masthead Settings
       • Video : Enter a valid YouTube video ID or URL. The video must be public or unlisted to be eligible to serve.
       • A headline for your ad that appears next to, on, or underneath the Masthead.
       • (Optional) Call-to-action button text and final landing page URL (click-through URL). The destination URL can be other pages on YouTube or another website.
       • (Optional) Click tracker URL.
       • (Optional) Supporting description text that accompanies the Masthead.
       • Primary video layout: Choose between widescreen and standard video size.
       • (Optional) Autoplay timing: Enter video start time and duration.
       • (Optional) Supporting video and imagery such as channel art or companion videos.
         • Channel art: a background or banner that appears at the top of a YouTube page. Channel art is automatically pulled from the YouTube channel and accompanies the Masthead ad.
         • Companion videos: Specify 2 videos that appear next to the Masthead ad on desktop.
    3. (Optional) Click Preview to see what your Masthead ad will look like on YouTube across desktop, mobile, and TV screens.
    4. Click Create ad.

    Creative setup for Shorts ads

    1. Enter a name for your ad.
    2. Search for a YouTube video or paste a YouTube URL. For Shorts we recommend using a video with a vertical aspect ratio (9:16) between 10 and 60 seconds long.
    3. Enter the display URL and landing page URL for your ad. The destination URL can be other pages on YouTube or another website.
    4. Enter the text for your Long headline and description. The long headline is the first line of your ad and appears instead of your headline in some cases and can be up to 90 characters. The description adds to the long headline and provides additional context or details and can be up to 70 characters.
    5. (Optional) Upload or assign a companion banner image.
    6. (Optional) Use the Click-tracker URL field to set up third-party click tracking. The click tracker must redirect to the same URL as your landing page URL.
    7. Select Done to create the ad.

    Creative setup for Pause ads

    Pause ads are static image ads that appear 10 seconds after the viewer pauses a video. A Pause ad is shown alongside the pause screen and remains on screen until the viewer resumes watching or if the viewer interacts with or dismisses the ad.

    1. Enter a name for your ad.
    2. Click Add image to upload an image to be used in your Pause ad.
       • Your image should have the following specifications:
         • File size: Maximum of 2MB
         • Dimension: Between 1080px and 1350px (width or height)
         • Aspect ratio: Between 0.8 and 1.25
         • Format: PNG, JPG, or GIF
    3. Search for a YouTube video or paste a YouTube URL. The video itself won’t appear in the ad. The channel name and profile picture that appears in the reference video will be shown above your Pause ad.
    4. Enter the text for your Long headline. The long headline should promote your product or service with a maximum of 90 characters.
    5. Enter the Display URL and Landing page URL for your ad. The destination URL can be other pages on YouTube or another website.
    6. (Optional) Use the Click tracker URL field to set up third-party click tracking. The click tracker must redirect to the same URL as your landing page URL. If you’re using Campaign Manager 360, you can select an existing tracking ad you'd like to use to view enhanced metrics in Campaign Manager 360.
    7. Click Create ad.

14. (Optional) Choose any additional settings for your deal, including Third-party vendors to enable third-party measurement for the deal.

15. After you’ve put in the settings for your deal, click Get floor CPM in the "Instant deal quote" section on the right. You’ll view the flight dates budget and floor CPM, based on the settings you've entered.

    More about fixed CPM pricing for instant deals

    Instant deals for Masthead ads, Shorts ads, Pause ads, and in-stream ads targeting YouTube Select lineups in certain countries, always trigger a quoted CPM based on a static agreed or market rate. This can be identified with the green or blue highlight in the "Instant deal quote" widget. Click Details to understand more about your agreed or market rate, including itemizations of any upcharges applied. If you believe you are not receiving the fixed CPM you should be eligible for, please contact your account manager, including the "Quote ID" underneath the "Instant deal quote" widget.

    
    As you edit or change settings of the deal, click Refresh to view an updated quote.

16. In the Bid strategy section, set your fixed CPM bid, which is the amount you will pay every thousand times your ad is shown. You can increase or decrease your bid after saving the deal if needed, but it must always be the same or higher than the quoted floor CPM.
17. Click Create

After you’ve created, you’ll view a finalized deal in Inventory > My Inventory. 

Step 2: View your line item for non-guaranteed instant deals

After you’ve configured the deal, a line item with the same name as your deal is automatically set up in the selected Display & Video 360 advertiser under the campaign and insertion order you selected. YouTube instant deals will be grouped with any other YouTube & partners line items.

Edit, pause or archive a YouTube non-guaranteed instant deal

Edit a YouTube non-guaranteed instant deal

You can update budget, flight dates, and targeting for YouTube non-guaranteed instant deals before or during line item flight. Changes to deal terms may alter the quoted floor CPM, and may require changing your fixed CPM bid.

Some settings in a YouTube non-guaranteed instant deal, such as the deal’s commitment type, advertiser, campaign, insertion order, budget and pacing settings and ad format can’t be edited. If those terms need to change, you’ll need to create a new deal. Budget amount can be changed without creating a new deal.

To update a YouTube non-guaranteed instant deals:

1. Navigate to Inventory > My Inventory in the advertiser with your instant deal.
2. Hover over the row with your deal and select Actions > Edit request details.
3. Edit the settings that need to be updated.
4. Click Get floor CPM. You’ll view a new quote, which may or may not be similar to the previous quote depending on the settings that changed.
5. Check your fixed CPM bid is still same or higher than the quoted floor CPM.
6. Click Save.

Your deal will now start serving with the new fixed CPM bid and updated settings.

Pause a YouTube non-guaranteed instant deal

You currently can’t directly pause a YouTube non-guaranteed instant deal line item, however it is possible to stop delivery of the line item by:

• Pausing or removing the ads within the line item, through the line item details page, or by editing the deal through My Inventory.
• Pausing the ad group of the line item, through the summary view of the campaign-level combined tab
• Pausing the insertion order that the line item is contained within

Archive a YouTube non-guaranteed instant deal

To archive a YouTube non-guaranteed instant deal:

1. Navigate to Inventory > My Inventory in the advertiser with your YouTube instant deal
2. Hover over the row with your deal and select Actions > Archive.
3. A confirmation dialog will ask you to confirm this action by selecting Archive.

The inventory source and line item associated with your YouTube non-guaranteed instant deal will be archived. All reporting data will be preserved.

The inventory source and line item associated with your YouTube non-guaranteed instant deal will be archived. All reporting data will be preserved.

Considerations

• Insertion order A/B testing is not supported when the insertion order contains YouTube non-guaranteed instant deal line items.
• YouTube instant deals that do not trigger an agreed or market rate must end within 120 days of when you create the deal.
• YouTube instant deals that trigger an agreed or market rate (example: Masthead or YouTube Select in certain countries), can be reserved >120 days in advance, but must match a time period for which there is an available rate. Contact your Account Manager for more information.
• The following audiences aren’t available for YouTube non-guaranteed instant deals:
  • Custom intent
  • Combined audiences
• If the creative source is YouTube video, the YouTube videos must be "Public" or "Unlisted" (not "Private").
• Third party measurement support is limited for Pause ads, Shorts ads and Masthead ads, reach out to your measurement partner contact for more information.
• Some targeting options that are available for YouTube instant deals using in-stream ads are not available for Pause ads, Shorts ads or Masthead ads.
• Non-skippable ads (60 seconds or less) ad formats will show on connected TV devices on YouTube, and across all devices on YouTube TV. To receive a quote, your campaign must include geography targeting and placement targeting of a YouTube Select lineup. YouTube TV is only available in the United States.
• For deals targeting YouTube TV, certain creative content may not be eligible to serve on some channels and may cause underdelivery.
• Videos for Shorts ads must be 5 seconds or longer. Ads longer than 60 seconds will loop in the Shorts environment, and an option to click out to the Watch page to view the full video will appear at the 50 second mark.
• In-stream line items targeting first position are not guaranteed to serve in the first position of a user’s session on YouTube TV.

Related resources

• YouTube programmatic guaranteed via instant deals
• About YouTube & partners line items
• Instant deals