Google Plans to Update Its Video Publisher Policy

Google plans to expand the scope of its video publisher policy, which already covers AdSense and Ad Manager, to include all video inventory, including AdMob, under the Google Publisher Policies starting on April 1, 2024. According to Google, the goal of this coverage expansion is to remain current with industry standards (such as IAB OpenRTB) and to simplify policies across all Google products.

AdSense, Ad Manager, and AdMob video inventory that is monetized using Google ad code (referred to as "Video Inventory") will be subject to the new policies, which are as follows:.

Accurately Describe Inventory

1. Video Inventory must provide declarations with accurate signals (for Ad Manager, see VAST ad tag URL parameters), including:

• Audibility of ad placement: Audible by default or muted (for Ad Manager).
• Type of ad placement: Video ads serving into video players with video content must be accurately declared as either “In-stream” or “Accompanying Content” placements (for Ad Manager). Video ads serving into non-video player placements do not require declarations, and will be automatically determined by Google based on inventory format as either “Interstitial” or “Standalone” placements.

In-stream means a video or audio ad played within the stream of video or audio content, where the video or audio content is the focus of the user's visit or explicitly requested by the user.

Example: A video ad that is played before, in the middle of, or after the stream of a user-requested video content.

Accompanying Content means a video ad played within the stream of video content accompanying the main content of the user’s visit, where the video content is neither the focus of the user’s visit nor explicitly requested by the user. Accompanying Content placements must load within the body of the page, and muted by default.

Example: A video ad that is played before, in the middle of, or after the stream of muted video content that takes up a small portion of a primarily editorial page.

Interstitial means a video ad played without the presence of any other streaming video content in a transition between content, where the video ad is the primary focus of the page and takes up the majority of the viewport.

Example: A video ad that is independent of any other streaming video content, and that is placed in full view in a natural break or transition between content.

Standalone means a video ad played without the presence of any other streaming video content, where the video ad is not the focus of the page.

Example: A video ad that is independent of any other streaming video content, and that is placed in a banner at the right rail of an article page.

Use Supported Implementations

2. In-stream or Accompanying Content placements must use the Google Interactive Media Ads SDK or Google Programmatic Access Library on supported platforms, unless through an official Google Beta program.

• Partners and publishers cannot use Interactive Media Ads products to monetize YouTube content. For YouTube content, partners and publishers must monetize through the YouTube Partner Program.

3. Interstitial or Standalone placements must use Google-provided solutions: on web: Google Publisher Tags; in app: the Google Mobile Ads SDK (for Ad Manager; for AdMob).

• The Google Interactive Media Ads SDK is not allowed for Interstitial or Standalone placements, except for placements in games.

​Protect Advertiser Value

4. Video Inventory content or controls (for example, play, pause, mute, skip, or dismiss), including ad content or controls where provided, must not be obstructed, hidden, or non-functional.

5. For In-stream placements, audio ads must not be requested or served in muted placements.

Respect the User

6. Video Inventory may autoplay, provided that:

• Only one Video Inventory across all placement types may autoplay with sound at any time.

Additionally for In-stream or Accompanying Content placements, only one video player may autoplay in view at any time.

• The ad must not autoplay until at least 50% of the ad unit is visible.

7. Video Inventory may be sticky, provided that:

• A dismiss option is presented for the entire duration of the video or ad content. This option must not be hidden, obstructed, or non-functional.
• For In-stream or Accompanying Content placements, the video player must start in the main content and only transition to a sticky placement as a user scrolls the video player off the page.

Furthermore, for Ad Manager, "instream" or "in-stream" refers to both "Accompanying Content" and "In-stream" as specified in the most recent Policies on Help Center pages and in-product controls. Ad Manager Video Inventory that the revised Policies designate as "In-stream" or "Accompanying Content" needs to follow the guidelines specified in the Policies.

​Again, on April 1, 2024, the revised policies will go into force. Google advises checking the video inventory to see if it is affected by the changed policies. You may file a review or appeal on or after April 1, 2024, if your video inventory was previously denied but you feel that it should now be approved in light of the change.