Interstitial ads

    Select platform: Android (beta)New-selected Android iOS Unity Flutter

    Interstitial ads are full-screen ads that cover the interface of their host app. They're typically displayed at natural transition points in the flow of an app, such as between activities or during the pause between levels in a game. When an app shows an interstitial ad, the user has the choice to either tap on the ad and continue to its destination or close it and return to the app. Read one of our case studies .

    This guide explains how to integrate interstitial ads into an Android app.

    Prerequisites

  • Complete the Get started guide .

    • Always test with test ads

    When building and testing your apps, make sure you use test ads rather than live, production ads. Failure to do so can lead to suspension of your account.

    The easiest way to load test ads is to use our dedicated test ad unit ID for Android interstitials:

    ca-app-pub-3940256099942544/1033173712

    It's been specially configured to return test ads for every request, and you're free to use it in your own apps while coding, testing, and debugging. Just make sure you replace it with your own ad unit ID before publishing your app.

    For details on GMA Next-Gen SDK test ads, see Enable test ads .

    Load an ad

    To load an ad, GMA Next-Gen SDK offers the following:

    Load with the single ad loading API

    The following example shows you how to load a single ad:

    Kotlin

      import 
  
 com.google.android.libraries.ads.mobile.sdk.common.AdLoadCallback 
 import 
  
 com.google.android.libraries.ads.mobile.sdk.common.AdRequest 
 import 
  
 com.google.android.libraries.ads.mobile.sdk.common.FullScreenContentError 
 import 
  
 com.google.android.libraries.ads.mobile.sdk.common.LoadAdError 
 import 
  
 com.google.android.libraries.ads.mobile.sdk.interstitial.InterstitialAd 
 import 
  
 com.google.android.libraries.ads.mobile.sdk.interstitial.InterstitialAdEventCallback 
 import 
  
 com.google.android.libraries.ads.mobile.sdk.MobileAds 
 class 
  
 InterstitialActivity 
  
 : 
  
 Activity 
 () 
  
 { 
  
 private 
  
 var 
  
 interstitialAd 
 : 
  
 InterstitialAd? 
 = 
  
 null 
  
 override 
  
 fun 
  
 onCreate 
 ( 
 savedInstanceState 
 : 
  
 Bundle?) 
  
 { 
  
 super 
 . 
 onCreate 
 ( 
 savedInstanceState 
 ) 
  
 // Load ads after you initialize GMA Next-Gen SDK 
. 
  
 InterstitialAd 
 . 
 load 
 ( 
  
 AdRequest 
 . 
 Builder 
 ( 
 AD_UNIT_ID 
 ). 
 build 
 (), 
  
 object 
  
 : 
  
 AdLoadCallback<InterstitialAd> 
  
 { 
  
 override 
  
 fun 
  
 onAdLoaded 
 ( 
 ad 
 : 
  
 InterstitialAd 
 ) 
  
 { 
  
 // Interstitial ad loaded. 
  
 interstitialAd 
  
 = 
  
 ad 
  
 } 
  
 override 
  
 fun 
  
 onAdFailedToLoad 
 ( 
 adError 
 : 
  
 LoadAdError 
 ) 
  
 { 
  
 // Interstitial ad failed to load. 
  
 interstitialAd 
  
 = 
  
 null 
  
 } 
  
 }, 
  
 ) 
  
 } 
  
 companion 
  
 object 
  
 { 
  
 // Sample interstitial ad unit ID. 
  
 const 
  
 val 
  
 AD_UNIT_ID 
  
 = 
  
 "ca-app-pub-3940256099942544/1033173712" 
  
 } 
 }

    Java

      import 
  
 com.google.android.libraries.ads.mobile.sdk.common.AdLoadCallback 
 ; 
 import 
  
 com.google.android.libraries.ads.mobile.sdk.common.AdRequest 
 ; 
 import 
  
 com.google.android.libraries.ads.mobile.sdk.common.FullScreenContentError 
 ; 
 import 
  
 com.google.android.libraries.ads.mobile.sdk.common.LoadAdError 
 ; 
 import 
  
 com.google.android.libraries.ads.mobile.sdk.interstitial.InterstitialAd 
 ; 
 import 
  
 com.google.android.libraries.ads.mobile.sdk.interstitial.InterstitialAdEventCallback 
 ; 
 import 
  
 com.google.android.libraries.ads.mobile.sdk.MobileAds 
 ; 
 class 
 InterstitialActivity 
  
 extends 
  
 Activity 
  
 { 
  
 // Sample interstitial ad unit ID. 
  
 private 
  
 static 
  
 final 
  
 String 
  
 AD_UNIT_ID 
  
 = 
  
 "ca-app-pub-3940256099942544/1033173712" 
 ; 
  
 private 
  
 InterstitialAd 
  
 interstitialAd 
 ; 
  
 @Override 
  
 protected 
  
 void 
  
 onCreate 
 ( 
 Bundle 
  
 savedInstanceState 
 ) 
  
 { 
  
 super 
 . 
 onCreate 
 ( 
 savedInstanceState 
 ); 
  
 // Load ads after you initialize GMA Next-Gen SDK 
. 
  
 InterstitialAd 
 . 
 load 
 ( 
  
 new 
  
 AdRequest 
 . 
 Builder 
 ( 
 AD_UNIT_ID 
 ). 
 build 
 (), 
  
 new 
  
 AdLoadCallback<InterstitialAd> 
 () 
  
 { 
  
 @Override 
  
 public 
  
 void 
  
 onAdLoaded 
 ( 
 @NonNull 
  
 InterstitialAd 
  
 interstitialAd 
 ) 
  
 { 
  
 // Interstitial ad loaded. 
  
 AdLoadCallback 
 . 
 super 
 . 
 onAdLoaded 
 ( 
 interstitialAd 
 ); 
  
 InterstitialActivity 
 . 
 this 
 . 
 interstitialAd 
  
 = 
  
 interstitialAd 
 ; 
  
 } 
  
 @Override 
  
 public 
  
 void 
  
 onAdFailedToLoad 
 ( 
 @NonNull 
  
 LoadAdError 
  
 adError 
 ) 
  
 { 
  
 // Interstitial ad failed to load. 
  
 AdLoadCallback 
 . 
 super 
 . 
 onAdFailedToLoad 
 ( 
 adError 
 ); 
  
 interstitialAd 
  
 = 
  
 null 
 ; 
  
 } 
  
 } 
  
 ); 
  
 } 
 }

    Load with the ad preloading API

    To start preloading, do the following:

    1. Initialize a preload configuration with an ad request.

    2. Start the preloader for interstitial ads with your ad unit ID and preload configuration:

    Kotlin

      private 
  
 fun 
  
 startPreloading 
 ( 
 adUnitId 
 : 
  
 String 
 ) 
  
 { 
  
 val 
  
 adRequest 
  
 = 
  
 AdRequest 
 . 
 Builder 
 ( 
 adUnitId 
 ). 
 build 
 () 
  
 val 
  
 preloadConfig 
  
 = 
  
 PreloadConfiguration 
 ( 
 adRequest 
 ) 
  
 InterstitialAdPreloader 
 . 
 start 
 ( 
 adUnitId 
 , 
  
 preloadConfig 
 ) 
 }

    Java

      private 
  
 void 
  
 startPreloading 
 ( 
 String 
  
 adUnitId 
 ) 
  
 { 
  
 AdRequest 
  
 adRequest 
  
 = 
  
 new 
  
 AdRequest 
 . 
 Builder 
 ( 
 adUnitId 
 ). 
 build 
 (); 
  
 PreloadConfiguration 
  
 preloadConfig 
  
 = 
  
 new 
  
 PreloadConfiguration 
 ( 
 adRequest 
 ); 
  
 InterstitialAdPreloader 
 . 
 start 
 ( 
 adUnitId 
 , 
  
 preloadConfig 
 ); 
 }

    Ads are continuously made available as you show them. The following example polls for an ad from the preloader:

    Kotlin

      // Polling returns the next available ad and loads another ad in the background. 
 val 
  
 ad 
  
 = 
  
 InterstitialAdPreloader 
 . 
 pollAd 
 ( 
 adUnitId 
 )

    Java

      // Polling returns the next available ad and loads another ad in the background. 
 final 
  
 InterstitialAd 
  
 ad 
  
 = 
  
 InterstitialAdPreloader 
 . 
 pollAd 
 ( 
 adUnitId 
 );

    Set the InterstitialAdEventCallback

    The InterstitialAdEventCallback handles events related to displaying your InterstitialAd . Before showing the interstitial ad, make sure to set the callback:

    Kotlin

      // Listen for ad events. 
 interstitialAd 
 ?. 
 adEventCallback 
  
 = 
  
 object 
  
 : 
  
 InterstitialAdEventCallback 
  
 { 
  
 override 
  
 fun 
  
 onAdShowedFullScreenContent 
 () 
  
 { 
  
 // Interstitial ad did show. 
  
 } 
  
 override 
  
 fun 
  
 onAdDismissedFullScreenContent 
 () 
  
 { 
  
 // Interstitial ad did dismiss. 
  
 interstitialAd 
  
 = 
  
 null 
  
 } 
  
 override 
  
 fun 
  
 onAdFailedToShowFullScreenContent 
 ( 
  
 fullScreenContentError 
 : 
  
 FullScreenContentError 
  
 ) 
  
 { 
  
 // Interstitial ad failed to show. 
  
 interstitialAd 
  
 = 
  
 null 
  
 } 
  
 override 
  
 fun 
  
 onAdImpression 
 () 
  
 { 
  
 // Interstitial ad did record an impression. 
  
 } 
  
 override 
  
 fun 
  
 onAdClicked 
 () 
  
 { 
  
 // Interstitial ad did record a click. 
  
 } 
  
 }

    Java

      // Listen for ad events. 
 interstitialAd 
 . 
 setAdEventCallback 
 ( 
  
 new 
  
 InterstitialAdEventCallback 
 () 
  
 { 
  
 @Override 
  
 public 
  
 void 
  
 onAdShowedFullScreenContent 
 () 
  
 { 
  
 // Interstitial ad did show. 
  
 InterstitialAdEventCallback 
 . 
 super 
 . 
 onAdShowedFullScreenContent 
 (); 
  
 } 
  
 @Override 
  
 public 
  
 void 
  
 onAdDismissedFullScreenContent 
 () 
  
 { 
  
 // Interstitial ad did dismiss. 
  
 InterstitialAdEventCallback 
 . 
 super 
 . 
 onAdDismissedFullScreenContent 
 (); 
  
 interstitialAd 
  
 = 
  
 null 
 ; 
  
 } 
  
 @Override 
  
 public 
  
 void 
  
 onAdFailedToShowFullScreenContent 
 ( 
  
 @NonNull 
  
 FullScreenContentError 
  
 fullScreenContentError 
 ) 
  
 { 
  
 // Interstitial ad failed to show. 
  
 InterstitialAdEventCallback 
 . 
 super 
 . 
 onAdFailedToShowFullScreenContent 
 ( 
  
 fullScreenContentError 
 ); 
  
 initerstitialAd 
  
 = 
  
 null 
 ; 
  
 } 
  
 @Override 
  
 public 
  
 void 
  
 onAdImpression 
 () 
  
 { 
  
 // Interstitial ad did record an impression. 
  
 InterstitialAdEventCallback 
 . 
 super 
 . 
 onAdImpression 
 (); 
  
 } 
  
 @Override 
  
 public 
  
 void 
  
 onAdClicked 
 () 
  
 { 
  
 // Interstitial ad did record a click. 
  
 InterstitialAdEventCallback 
 . 
 super 
 . 
 onAdClicked 
 (); 
  
 } 
  
 } 
 );

    Show the ad

    To show an interstitial ad, use the show() method.

    Kotlin

      // Show the ad. 
 interstitialAd 
 ?. 
 show 
 ( 
 this 
 @InterstitialActivity 
 )

    Java

      // Show the ad. 
 interstitialAd 
 . 
 show 
 ( 
 InterstitialActivity 
 . 
 this 
 );

    Some best practices

    Consider whether interstitial ads are the right type of ad for your app.
    Interstitial ads work best in apps with natural transition points. The conclusion of a task within an app, like sharing an image or completing a game level, creates such a point. Make sure you consider at which points in your app's workflow you'll display interstitial ads and how the user is likely to respond.
    Remember to pause the action when displaying an interstitial ad.
    There are a number of different types of interstitial ads: text, image, video, and more. It's important to make sure that when your app displays an interstitial ad, it also suspends its use of some resources to allow the ad to take advantage of them. For example, when you make the call to display an interstitial ad, be sure to pause any audio output being produced by your app.
    Allow for adequate loading time.
    Just as it's important to make sure you display interstitial ads at an appropriate time, it's also important to make sure the user doesn't have to wait for them to load. Loading the ad in advance by calling load() before you intend to call show() can ensure that your app has a fully loaded interstitial ad at the ready when the time comes to display one.
    Don't flood the user with ads.
    While increasing the frequency of interstitial ads in your app might seem like a great way to increase revenue, it can also degrade the user experience and lower clickthrough rates. Make sure that users aren't so frequently interrupted that they're no longer able to enjoy the use of your app.

    Example

    Download and run the example app that demonstrates the use of the GMA Next-Gen SDK .
    Create a Mobile Website
    View Site in Mobile | Classic
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