YouTube Ad Specs – Your Guide for 2024

In this article, we walk you through all the YouTube Ad Specs you need to launch your next campaign.

Reach your audience through interactive ads on YouTube with Google Video campaigns.

Reach your audience through interactive ads on YouTube with Google Video campaigns.

Youtube has over 2.7 billion monthly users as of 2024, which means 51% of all internet users access this platform every month. By optimizing this platforms advertising potential, you won’t miss out on reaching your target audience!

Select the Video Campaign option in Google Ads to create one of the following goals:

  • Sales
  • Website Traffic
  • Leads
  • Product and Brand Consideration
  • Brand Awareness
  • Reach
 
Choose a goal that aligns with the KPI of our campaigns: want more visitors to your site? Go with Website Traffic. Want more customers to purchase? Choose Sales.
Once you’ve chosen your goal, select a format from the following:

YouTube Ad Specs

Skippable In-Stream Ads

Skippable in-stream ads play before, during or after other videos. After five seconds, the viewer has the option to skip the ad. With CVP bidding, you pay when a viewer watches 30 seconds of your video, or the entire duration if it’s shorter than 30 seconds. With target CPM, CPA and maximise conversions bidding, you pay based on impressions. Select the campaign goal sales, leads, website traffic, or awareness and consideration to use this ad format.
  • File type: WMV, MOV, FLV MPEG-1, MP4, 3GPP, MPEGPS, WebM, ProRes, DNxHR, CineForm & HEVC (h265)
  • Resolution: 720p to 1080p
  • Dimensions: Minimum for HD
    • Horizontal: 1280 x 720
    • Vertical: 720 x 1280
    • Square: 480 x 480
  • Headline: up to 15 characters
  • Aspect Ratio: Horizontal: 4:3, Vertical: 2:3
  • Video length: Any length
  • URL: Video Ads require a Final URL and a Display URL.
    • The Final URL is the landing page your ad will take users to when they interact with it
    • The Display URL is the website address shown in your ad, which can be up to 255 characters.
  • Call to Action (CTA): up to 10 characters that should compel the user to click on your ad.
  • Thumbnail: Either select an auto-generated image from your video that will appear as the thumbnail or upload a companion banner (companion banners only appear on desktop)

Note: Audio formats MP3, WAV, and CPM files can’t be uploaded to YouTube, but you can convert your audio file to a video using video editing software.

Non-Skippable In-Stream Ads

Non-Skippable in-stream ads are 30 seconds or shorter, and play before, during or after other videos. Viewers don’t have the option to skip the ad, and should be used when you want viewers to view the entire message without skipping.

These ads use target CPM bidding, so you pay based on impressions.

Select the campaign goal awareness and consideration to use this ad format.

  • File type: WMV, MOV, FLV MPEG-1, MP4, 3GPP, MPEGPS, WebM, ProRes, DNxHR, CineForm & HEVC (h265)
  • Resolution: 720p to 1080p
  • Dimensions: Minimum for HD
    • Horizontal: 1280 x 720
    • Vertical: 720 x 1280
    • Square: 480 x 480
  • Headline: up to 15 characters
  • Aspect Ratio: Horizontal: 4:3, Vertical: 2:3
  • Video length: 30 seconds max.
  • URL: Video Ads require a Final URL and a Display URL.
    • The Final URL is the landing page your ad will take users to when they interact with it
    • The Display URL is the website address shown in your ad, which can be up to 255 characters.
  • Call to Action (CTA): up to 10 characters that should compel the user to click on your ad.
  • Thumbnail: Either select an auto-generated image from your video that will appear as the thumbnail or upload a companion banner (companion banners only appear on desktop)

Note: Audio formats MP3, WAV, and CPM files can’t be uploaded to YouTube, but you can convert your audio file to a video using video editing software.

In-Feed Video Ads

In-feed video ads consist of a thumbnail image and some text from your video, inviting people to click to watch the video. These ads appear on YouTube search results, alongside related YouTube videos and on the home page. You’ll only be charged if viewers watch your ad. Select the campaign goal awareness and consideration to use this ad format.
  • File type: WMV, MOV, FLV MPEG-1, MP4, 3GPP, MPEGPS, WebM, ProRes, DNxHR, CineForm & HEVC (h265)
  • Resolution: 720p to 1080p
  • Dimensions: Minimum for HD
    • Horizontal: 1280 x 720
    • Vertical: 720 x 1280
    • Square: 480 x 480
  • Headline: up to 100 characters
  • Description: up to 2 lines with 35 max characters each
  • Aspect Ratio: Horizontal: 4:3, Vertical: 2:3
  • Video length: Any length
  • URL: Video Ads require a Final URL and a Display URL.
    • The Final URL is the landing page your ad will take users to when they interact with it
    • The Display URL is the website address shown in your ad, which can be up to 255 characters.
  • Call to Action (CTA): up to 10 characters that should compel the user to click on your ad.
  • Thumbnail: Either select an auto-generated image from your video that will appear as the thumbnail or upload a companion banner (companion banners only appear on desktop)

Note: Audio formats MP3, WAV, and CPM files can’t be uploaded to YouTube, but you can convert your audio file to a video using video editing software.

Bumper Ads

Bumper Ads are 6 seconds or shorter, and play before, during or after another video, without the option to skip. These ads use target CPM bidding, so you pay based on impressions. Select the campaign goal awareness and consideration to use this ad format.
  • File type: WMV, MOV, FLV MPEG-1, MP4, 3GPP, MPEGPS, WebM, ProRes, DNxHR, CineForm & HEVC (h265)
  • Resolution: 720p to 1080p
  • Dimensions: Minimum for HD
    • Horizontal: 1280 x 720
    • Vertical: 720 x 1280
    • Square: 480 x 480
  • Headline: up to 15 characters
  • Description: up to 2 lines with 35 max characters each
  • Aspect Ratio: Horizontal: 4:3, Vertical: 2:3
  • Video length: Max 6 seconds
  • URL: Video Ads require a Final URL and a Display URL.
    • The Final URL is the landing page your ad will take users to when they interact with it
    • The Display URL is the website address shown in your ad, which can be up to 255 characters.
  • Call to Action (CTA): up to 10 characters that should compel the user to click on your ad.
  • Thumbnail: Either select an auto-generated image from your video that will appear as the thumbnail or upload a companion banner (companion banners only appear on desktop)

Note: Audio formats MP3, WAV, and CPM files can’t be uploaded to YouTube, but you can convert your audio file to a video using video editing software.

Outstream Ads

Outstream Ads begin playing with the sound off, and viewers can tap to unmute, designed to increase your reach. These are mobile-only ads that appear on websites and apps running on Google video partners, and aren’t available on YouTube. You’re charged based on vCPM, so will only be charged when someone watches your video for two seconds or more.
  • Logo:
    • Aspect ratio: 1:1
    • File Type: JPG, GIF, PNG.
    • Resolution: 200 x 200 px
    • Size: Max 200KB
    • Length: Any
    • Headline: up to 80 characters
    • Description: 100 characters max
    • Call to action: 80 characters max

Note: Audio formats MP3, WAV, and CPM files can’t be uploaded to YouTube, but you can convert your audio file to a video using video editing software.

Masthead Ads

This format is perfect for driving awareness for a new product/service, and reaching a massive audience in a short period of time. On desktop, a video ad autoplays without the sound for up to 30 seconds at the top of the YouTube home feed. On mobile, a video ad autoplays without the sound for the full duration of the video at the top of the YouTube app. They are only available on a reservation basis through a Google sales representative, and you’re charged on a CPM basis.
  • Resolution: 1920 x 1080 px or higher
  • Aspect Ratio: Widescreen, 16:9
  • Video length: max 30 seconds
  • Description: up to 62 characters
  • Call to Action (CTA): up to 10 characters that should compel the user to click on your ad.

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