Learn more and get started with rewarded ads
Download this feature brief
Ads that users can choose to view in exchange for an in-app reward — such as watching a video ad to get an extra life in a game, read a news article, or access Wi-Fi at an airport — are called “rewarded ads.” These ad experiences can keep users more engaged and offer a better overall app experience. In a recent Google study, 50% of users reported that they would be less satisfied with their app experience if rewarded ads were removed.
Find out how you can use Google Ad Manager to set up rewarded ads, and configure the size and reward type to serve through Ad Exchange or participating mediation networks.
Happier users, healthier ecosystem
Rewarded ads offer benefits to the entire advertising ecosystem — users, advertisers, and publishers.
- Users are in control of the ad experience. By voluntarily opting in (click-to-play) to an ad in exchange for an in-app reward, they gain access to content they would otherwise have to pay for, and are more engaged.
- Advertisers get access to a better-performing format, even on classic video KPIs, such as completion rate. Rewarded video ads are highly viewable, and advertisers are willing to spend more for formats that deliver more user engagement.
- Publishers can earn more money with engaging ads. You can branch out from an in-app-purchase (IAP)-only monetization model with rewarded ads. And while rewarded ads work well for gaming apps, they offer a great potential replacement for a paywall experience.
Design
When approaching the design of a reward, think carefully about what would be the most useful to users at that moment. Always ask, “Where is the best place for a user to see the ad so that it enhances — and doesn’t detract from — the user experience?”
Don’t surprise your users: Fit the ad within the flow of the app’s content, but don’t surprise users with your ad. It should match the content stage of the app.
Try different rewards: Consider testing different types of rewards at different points within the content to determine ones that provide the best experience to users.
Serve rewarded ads
Set up an ad
When you set up an ad unit for rewarded video, there are two more considerations:
- Sizes: Select all of the sizes for interstitials: 320x480, 480x320, 1024x768, 768x1024.
- Reward: While Ad Manager defaults to "1 reward" as the default reward the user receives for watching a video ad, you can click to override. For example, if the reward for watching a video ad is to get 20 more lives in a game, enter a "Reward amount" of "20" and a "Reward type" of "lives." In addition, you can enable third-party ad networks to override these reward settings when using mediation.
Types of ads and rewards
You can choose from a number of ad types for rewarded ads, as well as configure a variety of reward types.
- Ad types
- Video ads: select from click-to-download video ads or non-skippable but closeable video ads.
- Interactive ads:
- Playable ads are click-to-download ads that let the user try out a game by playing it within the ad unit context. Afterward, the user is offered the opportunity to download the app.
- Survey ads ask users a question, and upon answering, the user receives an award.
- Reward types: select from coins, extra lives, points, free experiences, or random rewards