Implementation guide

Skippable video

Skippable video ads

A video ad with a skip button: by default, after 5 seconds the person can skip and go back to the video.

Ad Manager
Ad Exchange
AdSense (via Ad Manager)
inside the video player (mobile and desktop)

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Desktop

Mobile

Understand it in 1 minute

What skippable video is

Imagine you are standing in line and, after waiting a little, a door opens for those who want to go straight through. Skippable video works like that. The ad starts playing and, after a few seconds, a skip button appears. People who like the ad keep watching. People who do not want to watch tap the button and go back to the video they chose.

In Google Ad Manager, the skip button shows after 5 seconds by default. For Google, if the person watches 30 seconds, or the whole ad if it is shorter, that counts as an engaged view, meaning someone who paid attention. On programmatic demand, Ad Manager uses the skip time that comes in the buyer's VAST, which allows the value of 5 seconds. If your network uses VAST 3 or 4, the network skip time can be changed in the option Time to skip a skippable video, in the Video and audio section of the Admin tab.

What makes the ad skippable? This is set in the video creative, which is the ad itself registered in Ad Manager. For video hosted in Ad Manager or outside it, the Skippable video option is set to Enabled. For video hosted on YouTube, the option is called In-stream select, and these ads can be at most 30 seconds long. On the site side, Google says skippable requires IMA SDK 3. On iPhone, the player must play the video inside the page, not in full screen, and custom playback must be turned off so IMA uses its own player.

When to use it? Skippable respects the visitor's time, because the person decides whether to keep watching. Google reminds that any ad can be skippable, but asks for care with short-duration ads. It also warns that IMA does not support full screen on iPhone with skippable ads. And, under Google's video policy, the skip button, like the other controls, cannot be covered, hidden or non-working.

Step by step

How to implement

Mark the creative as skippableUnder Delivery, Line items, open the video line item and add or edit the creative. Under Skippable video, choose Enabled. For YouTube video, choose In-stream select.
Adjust the skip time, if you wantIf your network uses VAST 3 or 4, the network skip time can be changed in the option Time to skip a skippable video, in the Video and audio section of the Admin tab.
Use IMA SDK 3 in the playerGoogle says skippable ads require IMA SDK 3. Add the playsinline attribute to the video so it plays inside the page on iPhone.
Turn off custom playback on iPhoneBefore requesting ads, use the IMA setting that turns off custom playback on iOS. This way IMA uses its own player for the ads.
Limit the duration, if neededIf the network uses VAST 3, go to Inventory, Inventory rules, Video settings and use Maximum ad duration for Skippable video. In the tag, ad_type=skippablevideo requests only skippable ads.

Implemented example

The code and how it looks on screen

It goes in the player with IMA: the video with playsinline, the iPhone setting and a tag that requests only skippable ads (ad_type=skippablevideo is optional).

<video id="conteudo" playsinline controls>
  <source src="meu-video.mp4" type="video/mp4">
</video>
<div id="adContainer"></div>

<script src="//imasdk.googleapis.com/js/sdkloader/ima3.js"></script>
<script>
  // Necessário para anúncios puláveis no iPhone:
  // o IMA passa a usar o próprio player para os anúncios
  google.ima.settings.setDisableCustomPlaybackForIOS10Plus(true);

  var adsRequest = new google.ima.AdsRequest();
  adsRequest.adTagUrl = 'https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/ads?' +
      'iu=/1234567/exemplo&sz=640x480&env=vp&gdfp_req=1&output=vast' +
      '&ad_type=skippablevideo' +
      '&unviewed_position_start=1&vpa=click&vpmute=0&plcmt=1' +
      '&description_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.exemplo.com%2Fvideo&correlator=';
  adsRequest.linearAdSlotWidth = 640;
  adsRequest.linearAdSlotHeight = 400;
  // ...o resto é igual ao player com IMA (AdsLoader, AdsManager, eventos)
</script>

On desktopThe ad plays inside the player and, after 5 seconds by default, the skip button appears. When tapped, the site's video continues.

On mobileIt also appears inside the player, with the skip button after the set time. On iPhone, the video needs to play inside the page, not in full screen.

What Google recommends

Do and don't

Allowed

Mark as skippable a video hosted in Ad Manager or hosted outside it, with Skippable video set to Enabled.
Change the network skip time in the option Time to skip a skippable video, if the network uses VAST 3 or 4.
Set a maximum duration for skippable ads in the video inventory rules, if the network uses VAST 3.
Request only skippable ads in the tag with ad_type=skippablevideo.
Turn off custom playback on iPhone so IMA plays the ads in its own player.

Not allowed

You cannot make a redirect VAST skippable through skippable tracking: Google says this setting does not force it and that Ad Manager does not control the skip time of a redirect.
On iPhone, the player cannot open the video in full screen: skippable ads require playback inside the page.
IMA does not support full screen on iPhone with skippable ads.
In-stream select ads, hosted on YouTube, cannot be longer than 30 seconds.
Do not leave the ad and video controls covered, hidden or not working.

Tips

To do it right

Google asks for care when marking short-duration ads as skippable.
Turning off custom playback on iPhone breaks full-screen experiences that depend on the video's own full-screen request. On Android Chrome, this playback is always off already.
There is a beta option in the inventory rules: for content shorter than 8 minutes, Ad Manager does not send non-skippable ads longer than 5 seconds or skippable ads longer than 31 seconds. It depends on the vid_d parameter.

Watch out

Common errors

Expecting a redirect to become skippable

Turning on skippable tracking in a VAST redirect creative does not force the ad to have a skip button. Ad Manager does not control the skip time of a redirect.

Forgetting playsinline and the iPhone setting

Without playing inside the page and without turning off custom playback, skippable ads do not work as Google requires on iPhone.

Counting on full screen on iPhone

IMA does not support full screen on iPhone with skippable ads. Plan the player to play inside the page.

Frequently asked questions

After how long can the person skip?

In Ad Manager, the button shows after 5 seconds by default. On networks with VAST 3 or 4, the network time can be changed in Time to skip a skippable video.

What counts as a view on a skippable ad?

Google counts an engaged view after 30 seconds by default, or at the end of the ad, whichever comes first.

Does it work on iPhone?

It works if the player plays the video inside the page and custom playback is turned off. Full screen on iPhone with skippable ads is not supported by IMA.

Library

Official Google source

Everything on this page follows Google's official documentation. Read it straight from the source:

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