The high-engagement ads setting gives you more control over your ad experiences, so you can fine-tune the ad strategy for your inventory. This setting activates high-performing ads that boost user engagement and improve overall ad performance. For example, turning on this setting will allow Google Ads and other Ad Exchange buyers to show:
- Interstitial ads skippable no later than 12 seconds.
- Rewarded ads skippable no later than 60 seconds. Reward will be granted once skip time is reached.
- Interstitial and rewarded ads with up to three steps to exit.
- App open ads skippable no later than 5 seconds.
Ad experience
The following is a comparison of rewarded, interstitial, and app open ad experiences based on the high-engagement ads setting.
Format
Ad duration
High-engagement ads setting is off
High-engagement ads setting is on
Rewarded
Reward skip time
Note: Reward will be granted once skip time is reached.
Up to 30 seconds
Up to 60 seconds
Number of steps before exit
Up to 1 step
Up to 3 steps
Interstitial(skippable video creatives only)
Display ads skip time
Up to 5 seconds
Up to 5 seconds
Video ads skip time
Up to 5 seconds
Up to 12 seconds
Number of steps before exit
Up to 2 steps
Up to 3 steps
Turn on high-engagement ads
By default, high-engagement ads are turned on and are applied across all interstitial and rewarded inventory. To utilize high-engagement ads for a subset of your inventory, turn off high-engagement for the inventory you choose.
For the best performance from high-engagement, publishers should ensure all inventory:
- Has the protection " block non-instream video ads " disabled
- Allows skippable video ads
- Sets a skippable video maximum duration of 60 seconds or greater
- Allows non-skippable video ads
- Sets a non-skippable video maximum duration of 60 seconds or greater
To ensure this behavior:
- Sign in to Google Ad Manager.
- Check your protections for this inventory to ensure the protection " block non-instream video ads " is disabled.
- Click Inventoryand then Inventory rules.
- Select the "Video settings" tab.
- Add a "New ad format setting" or select an existing one.
- Under "Targeting," select the inventory where you’d like high-engagement ads served.
- Scroll to "High-engagement ads," and make sure "Disable high-engagement ads" is unchecked.
- Under "Skippable video," ensure "block all skippable video ads" remains unchecked, and the maximum duration is 60 seconds or greater.
- Under "Non-skippable video," confirm that "block all non-skippable video ads" is unchecked, and the maximum duration is 60 seconds or greater.
- Click Save.
- Ensure these settings apply to all inventory where you’d like high-engagement ads to serve by using " Explore overlap
" under the Targeting picker.
- Click "Explore overlap," select all rules, and view the merged result.
- Adjust your other video settings as needed based on "Merged result" to ensure the merged behavior reflects the high-engagement behavior .
Turn off high-engagement ads
By default, high-engagement ads are on and are applied across all interstitial and rewarded inventory.
To turn off high-engagement ads:
- Sign in to Google Ad Manager.
- Click Inventory and then Inventory rules.
- Select the "Video settings" tab.
- Add a "New ad format setting" or select an existing one.
- Under "Targeting," select the inventory where you'd like to turn off high-engagement ads.
- Scroll to "High-engagement ads," and select "Disable high-engagement ads."
- Click Save.
To review your high-engagement ad settings.
- Sign in to Google Ad Manager.
- Click Inventory and then Inventory rules.
- Select the "Video settings" tab.
- Find the Video settings "Name" column and review if the high-engagement ads are allowed or disabled.
Learn more about inventory rules for video .

