You can use these format guidelines to create ads that will run across Discover Feed, Gmail, YouTube videos, YouTube Search Results, YouTube Watch Next, YouTube Home Feed, YouTube Shorts, Google Display Network websites, and apps.
The mocks should be used as illustrative purposes to understand how ads might appear across different formats and inventory and are not exhaustive. It’s recommended to leverage the in-platform preview feature to review how your ads will appear.
On this page- Single image ads
- Carousel ad
- Video ads
- Audio and auto-play defaults
- Demand Gen with product feed ads
- Ad format eligibility
Single image ads
Mobile
New: You can now upload 9:16 images into your Demand Gen campaigns which will serve on YouTube Shorts for a more immersive, full-screen experience. The safe zones for 9:16 images are similar to 9:16 videos. Check the video ad safe zones.
Desktop
| Feature | Specifications |
|---|---|
| Image | Can support up to 20 per ad
Recommendation: Upload 3 of each aspect ratio for maximum placement coverage. |
| Headline (40 characters max.) | Up to 5 |
| Description (90 characters max.) | Up to 5 |
| Business name (25 characters max.) | 1 (required) |
| Square logo |
Up to 5
|
| CTA | Recommend choosing the “automated” option selection made from drop-down list. |
Carousel ad
Showcase your brand or products in a swipeable image carousel, rendered natively across each Google feed. Tell a story across your images, as each image will be displayed in the order they’re uploaded.
Tip
- You can’t currently use product feeds from Google Merchant Center with carousel ads.
- The cost of carousel ads are the same as single image ads (pay for “interactions” or clicks to expand the ad on Gmail or to your website on YouTube and Discover).
- If at least one card is disapproved, the ad status column will be marked as “Approved (limited)” and within 24 hours it will change to “Disapproved”. This is a known issue and will be resolved soon. The ad won’t serve in this case.
Mobile
Desktop
| Level | Feature | Specifications |
|---|---|---|
| Ad level |
Headline (40 characters max.) |
Include a headline that shows no matter which card is showing. |
|
Description (90 characters max.) |
Upload a description that shows no matter which card is showing. (You won't be able to upload descriptions for each card) |
|
|
Final URL |
Auto-generated visible URL is provided in the UI. | |
|
Business name (25 characters max.) |
1 (required) | |
| Card level | Image |
2 to 10 Images
Aspect ratio must be consistent across all cards. It’s recommended to create a carousel ad with each aspect ratio to ensure coverage across placements and channels. |
|
Headline (40 characters max.) |
Enter a headline that shows on a given card (not supported on Discover, which uses the ad-level headline no matter which card is showing). | |
|
Business name (25 characters max.) |
1 (required) |
|
| Square logo | Up to 5
|
|
| Final URL | You can provide a specific landing page for each card on YouTube and Gmail. | |
| CTA | Recommend choosing the “automated” option selection made from drop-down list. |
Video ads
Video ads allow you to tell a more immersive and engaging story about your brand. Your video ads will be displayed across Discover Feed, YouTube Feeds (Home, YouTube Search, and YouTube Watch Next), YouTube In-stream, YouTube Shorts, and Gmail within Demand Gen.
Mobile
Desktop
CTV
QR Codes for Connected TV
QR codes can appear in various ad formats and surfaces:
- Non-skippable ads
- Skippable ads
- Demand Gen with product feed ads
- YouTube Shorts
Gmail Video Ads
| Feature | Specifications |
|---|---|
| Video |
1-5 advertiser uploaded videos per ad Video length: Minimum 5 seconds, maximum dependent on placement.
Horizontal: 16:9. Recommended pixels for HD: 1920x1080px Square: 1:1. Recommended pixels for HD: 1080x1080px Vertical: 4:5. Recommended pixels for HD: 1080x1350px Vertical: 9:16. Recommended pixels for HD: 1080x1920px Format: .MPG (MPEi-gno/re-d2 or MPEi-gno/re-d4) File size: ≤256 GB Learn more About video ad specs. Note: You can't upload an offline video. Search for a video that you’ve uploaded to YouTube, or enter the video URL from YouTube. You can also create a new video ad with video builder. If you don't want your video to serve on YouTube, you may use an unlisted YouTube video in the campaign. |
| Call to action | Max. 10 characters |
| Headline |
Max. 40 characters Used in the skippable in-stream ad format |
| Long headline |
Max. 90 characters Used in the in-feed video ad format (Discover and YouTube) |
| Description |
Max. 90 characters |
| Business name (25 char max) |
1 (required) YouTube formats will default to the YouTube channel logo. |
| Square logo |
Up to 5
YouTube will default to the YouTube channel logo. |
| Sitelinks (optional) |
Can show up to 4 Used in the skippable in-stream ad format Available on Mobile and Desktop |
Audio and auto-play defaults
When the video ad is in-view, the ad will follow the below sound-on and auto-play defaults per placement:
- Discover feed: Default muted, default auto-play with WiFi connection
- YouTube Home feed: Default muted, default auto-play
- YouTube In-stream: Post tap sound on, default auto-play
- YouTube Watch Next: Post tap sound on and auto-play
- YouTube Shorts: Default sound on, default auto-play
- Gmail: Default muted, default auto-play
- Google Display Network: Default muted, default auto-play
You can run Demand Gen video ads without sound. The auto-play settings for videos depend on where the ad is displayed. For example, videos on Discover will auto-play but are muted by default. On YouTube, videos will auto-play with or without sound, depending on the placement. You can always use a video without audio regardless of the platform.
Video optimization tips
- Grab attention from your audience: Captivate people in the first 5-10 seconds of the ad with a problem statement and show how your product or service solves it.
- Repeat what you’re offering: Echo the call-to-action in the voiceover or include it in superimposed graphics.
Video ad safe zones
Demand Gen with product feed ads
Demand Gen with product feed ads render as a single ad, where relevant products and offers from your Google Merchant Center feed populates an ad. Learn about Google Merchant Center product feed specifications.
Animated product feed image ads
This ad format appears on YouTube Shorts and shows 4 product images from your Google Merchant Center product feed that are slightly animated.
Demand Gen with product feed ads format eligibility
The table below shows which ad formats are possible for each ad group setup.
| Ad Group Setup | Product Feed Only | Image Only | Image + Product Feed | Video Only | Video + Product Feed | |
|
A |
Only Product Feed (no image or video) | |||||
| B | Image and Product Feed | |||||
| C | Video and Product Feed | |||||
| D | Video and Image and Product Feed |
|
Ad format eligibility
The table below shows which ad formats are eligible for each placement.
| Placements | Product feed only | Image only | Image and Product feed | Video only | Video and Product feed |
| YouTube Shorts | |||||
| YouTube In-stream | |||||
| YouTube Home | |||||
| YouTube Search | |||||
| YouTube Watch Next | |||||
| Gmail | |||||
| Discover | |||||
| Google Video Partners | |||||
| Google Display Network |
