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What Are the Different Video Ad Formats Available?

Video ad formats describe where ads appear and how viewers interact with them. Compare in-stream, in-feed and out-stream placements, including Google's six formats.
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Video ad formats differ mainly by where they appear and how viewers interact with them. In-stream ads run within a video experience; in-feed ads appear in discovery or feed surfaces; and out-stream ads appear outside video content, such as within an article or app. Google Ads uses six advertiser-facing names: skippable in-stream, non-skippable in-stream, in-feed video, bumper, Masthead, and YouTube Shorts.

In-stream, in-feed and out-stream: the basic difference

These terms describe placement and viewing context, not just a video’s dimensions or file type. They are useful categories, but platforms do not use one universal naming system.

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  • In-stream: The ad runs as part of a video viewing experience, commonly before, during or after another video.
  • In-feed: The ad appears in a discovery or feed surface, where a viewer can choose to engage with it.
  • Out-stream: The video ad appears outside video content, for example within an article or app placement. Publisher-side inventory may include rewarded, native, in-article, in-feed or interstitial video.

Google Ads’ advertiser-facing formats and Google Ad Manager’s publisher-side examples are related but not identical lists. An ad’s delivered experience can also vary by campaign settings and available YouTube or partner-site and app inventory.

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Google Ads’ six video ad formats

Google requires video creative to be hosted on YouTube. Depending on format and campaign settings, ads may serve on YouTube or Google Video Partner sites and apps. These descriptions reflect Google’s terminology; other platforms may classify or name formats differently.

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Format Where it appears Viewer experience and distinction
Skippable in-stream Before, during or after another video; Google’s documentation also describes delivery in mobile app interstitials. Viewers can skip after five seconds. Google says billing depends on bidding strategy: CPV strategies charge for a qualifying view or interaction, while impression-based strategies charge on impressions.
Non-skippable in-stream Before, during or after another video. Viewers cannot skip the ad. Google’s current format page says 60 seconds or shorter, while a separate campaign overview says 15 seconds or less. Treat the limit as dependent on the specific campaign context and verify the applicable setup guidance.
In-feed video A discovery or feed surface. A thumbnail leads to the video when clicked, so the viewer chooses to watch. Google renamed its former “video discovery ads” to “in-feed video ads”; the latter is the current name.
Bumper A short in-stream placement before, during or after video. Non-skippable and intended for a brief message. Google’s current format page describes bumper ads as five to six seconds; a campaign overview says six seconds or less.
Masthead The YouTube Home feed across devices, according to Google’s campaign overview. A prominent placement that Google’s comparison table lists as reservation buying. Do not assume it is available outside the documented YouTube context.
YouTube Shorts The vertical-video environment in YouTube Shorts. A mobile-oriented context in Google’s format taxonomy. Check current platform help for creative and campaign requirements before producing assets.

How to choose a format

Start with the experience you want to create, then check that the format is available for your platform and campaign objective.

  1. Choose the placement: Decide whether the ad should run alongside video a viewer chose, appear in a feed, or sit within non-video site or app content.
  2. Decide how much control viewers should have: Consider whether they can skip, actively choose to start the video, or receive an in-app reward. Rewarded and interstitial experiences may be part of partner inventory even when the underlying platform classification differs.
  3. Match the message to the format: A brief reminder may suit a short format; a more detailed explanation may need a longer viewing opportunity. Confirm limits for the exact platform and campaign rather than assuming one duration rule applies everywhere.
  4. Check campaign eligibility: Google lists different format eligibility for objectives such as reach, views, engagement and app installs. A format’s availability is not identical across objectives.
  5. Confirm buying and measurement: Google documents CPV and impression-based billing examples for particular formats and bidding strategies. Pricing and measurement depend on platform, format and campaign; do not apply Google’s examples to every video ad.
  6. Consider device and inventory: The delivered experience may vary across YouTube, partner sites and apps, campaign settings and available inventory.
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Why format names and limits can be confusing

“Video ad format” can refer to an advertiser-facing campaign option, a publisher’s inventory placement or a reporting category. For example, Google Ads lists six formats for advertisers, while Google Ad Manager gives publisher-side examples of out-stream inventory such as rewarded, native, in-article, in-feed and interstitial video. Google Ads API reporting categories, including audio and pause ads, are another taxonomy and may change; they are not a definitive universal list of video ad formats.

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Duration guidance can also differ between Google pages: the current format page gives a 60-second-or-shorter limit for non-skippable in-stream ads, while a campaign overview gives 15 seconds or less. For bumper ads, the format page says five to six seconds and the overview says six seconds or less. These figures should not be turned into universal rules; consult the current instructions for the particular campaign you plan to run.

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