Description: Using Innovid's Open Creative API, creative teams can build interactive display ads with video assets featured directly in-banner. Below are some steps, best practices, and specs to executing these units with Innovid. If you're looking for general display specs, you can find them on our Understanding Innovid's Display Specs page.
Specs For Display In-Banner Video Ads
- Ads must have controls for the video (play, pause, mute, unmute, etc).
- Formats allowed are .MP4, .WebM, and .OGG.
- Depending on publisher requirements, a typical video can’t be more than 30 seconds long.
- According to the IAB, auto-play for in-banner video must have a max duration of 15 seconds. While the recommended max file size is 2.2 MB and 24 FPS – however, for lower bandwidths, 18 FPS is allowed.
- For user-initiated videos, the duration of the video banner ad is less of an issue, and longer videos can be hosted outside of the banner .zip file.
- For video and animations that loop upon completion, plays are capped at 3x total.
- Audio must be activated by user interaction.
- A polite image is recommended to avoid issues with the initial load on the publisher side.
| Ad Format | Dimensions (px) | Initial Load (kb) | Subload (kb) | Max File Size (kb) | Max Animation / Video Length |
| Billboard | 970x250 | 250 | 500 | 750 | 30 Sec |
| Leaderboard | 728x90 | 150 | 300 | 450 | 30 Sec |
| Super Leaderboard | 970x90 | 200 | 400 | 600 | 30 Sec |
| Skyscraper | 160x600 | 150 | 300 | 450 | 30 Sec |
| Medium Rectangle | 300x250 | 150 | 300 | 450 | 30 Sec |
| Portrait | 300x1050 | 250 | 500 | 750 | 30 Sec |
| Smartphone Banner | 300x50 or 320x50 | 50 | 100 | 150 | 30 Sec |
| Mobile Phone Interstitial | 640x1136 or 750x1334 or 1080x1920 | 300 | 600 | 900 | 30 Sec |
Best Practices For Display In-Banner Video Ads
- To serve video in display formats- video creative must be wrapped in an HTML banner to be able to traffic.
- Video assets can be uploaded to the asset library section in CMT to get a reference link for use in the creative to avoid exceeding the .zip file weight on the publisher side.
- Use video sizes and aspect ratios that closest match the ad size. E.g. for a 300x250 ad size, use 300x250 video assets.
- Once you upload video assets to CMT, you will get a list of different compressions that you can use for that purpose.
- While the standard max animation and video length can be up to 30 seconds, Innovid suggests that you keep the animation/video < 15 seconds so that you will have better success in delivering the message to your audience within the first few seconds of the ad playing and showing content.
- When a .zip file is uploaded into Innovid's platform, you will also have the option to upload a polite image which is highly recommended.
Terminology Definitions
- Initial file load (Polite Load): This includes all assets and files necessary for completing the first visual display of the ad and is requested before the load event is dispatched by the window object.
- Host-initiated subload (Subload): This is the file weight an ad can load in addition to the initial load. Ad file subload may begin after the load event has been dispatched by the window object. The ad should listen for the load event dispatched by the window object of the host page. When communication with the host page is not possible, it is acceptable to listen for the load event dispatched by the window object of the ad iframe.
- File weight calculation: To calculate the ad file weight all files for the ad, including those in shared libraries that are not exempt by the publisher or ad server, must be included as part of the maximum file weight calculation. File weights are calculated after files have been compressed into gzip format.
- Initial Load: All ad files + non-exempt shared libraries + max 50 kB for all exempt Shared Libraries.
- Subload: All ad files + all non-exempt shared libraries
Innovid has no file size limit for user-initiated rich media units. However, the ad should be responsible for its bandwidth and device usage while doing so. User initiation is the willful act of a user to engage with an ad. User interaction is a user action with the ad or its elements, e.g. click or tap or other complete and discrete gesture. Ads must also follow the specifications of publishers or DSPs that will ultimately run the ad.
API Requirements For In-Banner Videos
- The API is required in these creatives to enable mute, unmute, play, and pause video functionality.
- For video assets, the API will automatically report progressions. For a video ID called “iv_video1,” for example, these labels will be auto-fired: iv_video1_25%, iv_video1_50%, iv_video1_75%, iv_video1_100% based on progress.