What You Need to Know About Google’s Updated Video Publisher Policy

Google plans to implement changes to its Video publisher policy effective April 1, 2024.

This adjustment will affect all video inventory monetized using Google ad code (“Video Inventory”) across AdSense, Ad Manager, and AdMob platforms, in compliance with Google Publisher Policies.

The objective is to harmonize policies across Google’s suite of products and bring them in line with current industry standards, including IAB OpenRTB.

Please review the updated policies to assess any potential impact on your video Inventory. If your video Inventory was previously disapproved and you believe it now meets the updated policies, you can request a review or appeal starting from April 1, 2024.

Video Publisher Policy in 2024

During the interim period, the current Ad Manager video publisher policies and AdSense video publisher policies will remain in effect. Here’s a summary of the main differences between the existing and upcoming policies:

1. Accurate Inventory Description

• Our current policy remains in place, emphasizing the necessity for publishers to utilize metadata and declarations to precisely depict their inventory. Nonetheless, we underline the significance of publishers transmitting two vital signals crucial for programmatic video buyers: the vpmute field and the novel plcmt field for Ad Manager publishers, which conforms to this year’s IAB OpenRTB video update. 
• Publishers ought to accurately transmit the comprehensive set of video ad tag parameters, encompassing description URLs and ad placement size, to enhance discoverability and transparency for buyers, as well as to boost monetization. 
• Adhering to the latest IAB OpenRTB video.plcmt definitions obviates the necessity to elucidate examples that should not be construed as in-stream.

2. Supported Implementations

• Alongside the IMA SDK, the updated policy now includes the generally accessible Programmatic Access Library (PAL SDK) as a viable choice for “In-stream” or “Accompanying Content” video placements. 
• For placements occurring outside of a video player, publishers are required to utilize either the GPT or GMA SDK for monetizing “Interstitial” or “Standalone” video placements.

3. Protect Advertiser Value

• We maintain a strong emphasis on guaranteeing that video content and controls remain unobstructed and fully functional. 
• In line with this, our updated video policies now explicitly state that audio ads should not be requested or served into muted video placements. 
• Furthermore, we have eliminated requirements pertaining to standard aspect ratios and minimum ad sizes. Buyers now have the capability to accurately identify and target the inventory they desire based on signals related to placement size.

4. Respect The User

We’re refining our policies regarding autoplay behavior as follows:

1. Only one video placement is permitted to autoplay with sound at any given time, and likewise, only one “In-stream” or “Accompanying Content” placement can autoplay in view simultaneously.
2. Autoplaying placements are allowed to commence playback only when 50% of the ad unit becomes visible.

Previous mentions regarding the sum duration of video ads have been omitted, as there exists an established policy regarding the ratio of ads to publisher content.

The updated policies introduce conditions for “sticky” video ads, emphasizing the necessity of including a dismiss option. As per an earlier policy update, “Interstitial” and “Standalone” placements can now be anchored in sticky units via the GPT SDK. However, it’s crucial to note that any “In-stream” and “Accompanying Content” placement must initially render in the body of the page before transitioning to a sticky placement.

It’s essential to underscore that the overarching Google Publisher Policies remain applicable. While these policies delineate the minimum guidelines for monetizing video inventory, it’s worth noting that different video implementations and signals may lead to varying levels of monetization from distinct buyers. For instance, adhering to standard aspect ratios (such as 4:3 or 16:9 for horizontal videos, 3:4, 4:5, or 9:16 for vertical videos, or 1:1 for square videos) and incorporating audible placements typically result in heightened monetization opportunities.

We encourage partners to engage in experimentation to discover the setup that best suits their needs. In essence, with these new policies, we believe we’re advancing transparency for buyers, maintaining our steadfast commitment to inventory health, and optimizing the value we deliver to our publishers.

If you have any more questions or need further assistance, please feel free to ask here. We’d like to help you.