YouTube & partners line items allow you to create compelling video campaigns with a range of formats to engage customers on YouTube and across the web on partner sites and apps. The formats available through YouTube & partners line items include in-stream and in-feed video, bumper, and non-skippable ads. YouTube audio line items extend the reach of your ads to audio inventory.
Video ad formats in YouTube & partners line items
Learn more about the ad formats available through YouTube & partners line items below. You can also learn more about our policies and technical specifications.
Skippable video ads are Google’s proprietary cost-per-view, choice-based ad format that serves on YouTube, millions of apps, and across the web. In-stream and in-feed video ads give advertisers value because they only pay for actual views of their ads, rather than impressions.
Viewers can choose to skip the video ad after 5 seconds. If they choose not to skip the video ad, the YouTube video view count will be incremented when the viewer watches 30 seconds of the video ad (or the duration if it's shorter than 30 seconds) or engages with your video, whichever comes first. Video interactions include clicks to visit your website and clicks on call-to-action overlays (CTAs).
Skippable ads
| When should I use it? | How does it work? | Where will the ads appear? | How will I be charged? |
|---|---|---|---|
| To promote video content alongside other videos on YouTube and partner sites and apps. | Your video ad plays before, during, or after other videos. After 5 seconds, the viewer has an option to skip the ad. |
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You pay when a viewer watches 30 seconds of your video (or the duration if it's shorter than 30 seconds) or engages with your video, whichever comes first. |
In-feed video ads
| When should I use it? | How does it work? | Where will the ads appear? | How will I be charged? |
|---|---|---|---|
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To promote a video in places of discovery:
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In-feed video ads consist of a video, an image thumbnail, and text. Viewers can click to view the video on the YouTube watch page, and may also be able to watch the video play inline. Only clicks to the landing page URL of your ad will be recorded as clicks in reporting. |
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A view is counted when a user watches your video ad in autoplaying state for at least 10 seconds (or until the end of the ad, if it’s less than 10 seconds), or clicks the thumbnail to watch the video ad. |
Bumper ads are a short video ad format designed to allow you to reach more customers and increase awareness about your brand by using a short, memorable message. With videos of 6 seconds or less, bumper ads let you reach people with bite-sized messages, while providing a minimal impact on their viewing experience.
| When should I use it? | How does it work? | Where will the ads appear? | How will I be charged? |
|---|---|---|---|
| To reach viewers broadly with a short, memorable message. | Bumper ads are 6 seconds or shorter and play before, during, or after another video. Viewers do not have the option to skip the ad. |
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Bumper ads use target CPM (cost-per-thousand impressions) bidding, so you set how much you’re willing to pay every thousand times your ad is shown. |
Non-skippable ads are short in-stream video ads that play before, during, or after another video. The video must be between 6 and 15 seconds, and viewers don’t have the option to skip your ad.
| When should I use it? | How does it work? | Where will the ads appear? | How will I be charged? |
|---|---|---|---|
| To reach viewers with your entire message. | Non-skippable in-stream ads are between 6 and 15 seconds and play before, during, or after another video. Viewers do not have the option to skip the ad. |
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Non-skippable ads use target CPM (cost-per-thousand impressions) bidding, so you set how much you’re willing to pay every thousand times your ad is shown |
Efficient reach combines skippable in-stream and bumper ads and is optimized to deliver more impressions at lower CPMs.
| When should I use it? | How does it work? | Where will the ads appear? | How will I be charged? |
|---|---|---|---|
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To drive greater reach. |
Line items are optimized to deliver more impressions at lower CPMs. Get more reach for your budget by including at least one short video ad (6 seconds or shorter) and a long video ad (7 seconds or longer).
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Efficient reach uses target CPM (cost-per-thousand impressions) bidding, so you set how much you’re willing to pay every thousand times your ad is shown |
Shorts is a mobile-optimized experience on YouTube centered around short, vertical/full screen videos, more tightly integrated with easy video creation abilities.
| When should I use it? | How does it work? | Where will the ads appear? | How will I be charged? |
|---|---|---|---|
| To improve engagement. | The mobile-friendly, full-screen experience of vertical videos can help improve your campaign’s engagement with mobile video viewers. Users can skip the ad anytime. | Play on YouTube Shorts, YouTube’s short-form video feed. | To count as a view, users must watch the video ad play for at least 10 seconds or until the end of the ad, if it’s less than 10 seconds. |
Audio ad formats in YouTube & partners line items
YouTube audio ads
| When should I use it? | How does it work? | Where will the ads appear? | How will I be charged? |
|---|---|---|---|
| To extend the reach of your ads to audio inventory | YouTube audio ads run as 30 second creatives. | YouTube audio ads run during long listening sessions and backgrounded moments. | YouTube audio ads use target CPM (cost-per-thousand impressions) bidding, so you set how much you're willing to pay every thousand times your ad is played. |