Native ads custom events

Prerequisites

Request a native ad

When the custom event line item is reached in the waterfall mediation chain, the loadNativeAd:adConfiguration:completionHandler: method is called on the class name you provided when creating a custom event. In this case, that method is in SampleCustomEvent, which then calls the loadNativeAd:adConfiguration:completionHandler: method in SampleCustomEventNative.

To request a native ad, create or modify a class that implements GADMediationAdapter and loadNativeAd:adConfiguration:completionHandler:. If a class that extends GADMediationAdapter already exists, implement loadNativeAd:adConfiguration:completionHandler: there. Additionally, create a new class to implement GADMediationNativeAd.

In our custom event example, SampleCustomEvent implements the GADMediationAdapter interface and then delegates to SampleCustomEventNative.

Swift

import GoogleMobileAds

class SampleCustomEvent: NSObject, GADMediationAdapter {

  fileprivate var nativeAd: SampleCustomEventNativeAd?

  func loadNativeAd(
    for adConfiguration: GADMediationNativeAdConfiguration,
    completionHandler: @escaping GADMediationNativeAdLoadCompletionHandler
  ) {
    self.nativeAd = SampleCustomEventNativeAd()
    self.nativeAd?.loadNativeAd(
      for: adConfiguration, completionHandler: completionHandler)
  }
}

Objective-C

#import "SampleCustomEvent.h"

@implementation SampleCustomEvent

SampleCustomEventNativeAd *sampleNativeAd;

- (void)loadNativeAdForAdConfiguration:
            (GADMediationNativeAdConfiguration *)adConfiguration
                     completionHandler:
                         (GADMediationNativeAdLoadCompletionHandler)
                             completionHandler {
  sampleNative = [[SampleCustomEventNativeAd alloc] init];
  [sampleNative loadNativeAdForAdConfiguration:adConfiguration
                             completionHandler:completionHandler];
}

SampleCustomEventNative` is responsible for the following tasks:

Loading the native ad
Implementing the GADMediationNativeAd protocol.
Receiving and reporting ad event callbacks to the Google Mobile Ads SDK

The optional parameter defined in the Ad Manager UI is included in the ad configuration. The parameter can be accessed through adConfiguration.credentials.settings[@"parameter"]. This parameter is typically an ad unit identifier that an ad network SDK requires when instantiating an ad object.

Swift

class SampleCustomEventNativeAd: NSObject, GADMediationNativeAd {
  /// The Sample Ad Network native ad.
  var nativeAd: SampleNativeAd?

  /// The ad event delegate to forward ad rendering events to the Google Mobile
  /// Ads SDK.
  var delegate: GADMediationNativeAdEventDelegate?

  /// Completion handler called after ad load
  var completionHandler: GADMediationNativeLoadCompletionHandler?

  func loadNativeAd(
    for adConfiguration: GADMediationNativeAdConfiguration,
    completionHandler: @escaping GADMediationNativeLoadCompletionHandler
  ) {
    let adLoader = SampleNativeAdLoader()
    let sampleRequest = SampleNativeAdRequest()

    // The Google Mobile Ads SDK requires the image assets to be downloaded
    // automatically unless the publisher specifies otherwise by using the
    // GADNativeAdImageAdLoaderOptions object's disableImageLoading property. If
    // your network doesn't have an option like this and instead only ever
    // returns URLs for images (rather than the images themselves), your adapter
    // should download image assets on behalf of the publisher. This should be
    // done after receiving the native ad object from your network's SDK, and
    // before calling the connector's adapter:didReceiveMediatedNativeAd: method.
    sampleRequest.shouldDownloadImages = true
    sampleRequest.preferredImageOrientation = NativeAdImageOrientation.any
    sampleRequest.shouldRequestMultipleImages = false
    let options = adConfiguration.options
    for loaderOptions: GADAdLoaderOptions in options {
      if let imageOptions = loaderOptions as? GADNativeAdImageAdLoaderOptions {
        sampleRequest.shouldRequestMultipleImages =
          imageOptions.shouldRequestMultipleImages
        // If the GADNativeAdImageAdLoaderOptions' disableImageLoading property is
        // YES, the adapter should send just the URLs for the images.
        sampleRequest.shouldDownloadImages = !imageOptions.disableImageLoading
      } else if let mediaOptions = loaderOptions
        as? GADNativeAdMediaAdLoaderOptions
      {
        switch mediaOptions.mediaAspectRatio {
        case GADMediaAspectRatio.landscape:
          sampleRequest.preferredImageOrientation =
            NativeAdImageOrientation.landscape
        case GADMediaAspectRatio.portrait:
          sampleRequest.preferredImageOrientation =
            NativeAdImageOrientation.portrait
        default:
          sampleRequest.preferredImageOrientation = NativeAdImageOrientation.any
        }
      }
    }
    // This custom event uses the server parameter to carry an ad unit ID, which
    // is the most common use case.
    adLoader.delegate = self
    adLoader.adUnitID =
      adConfiguration.credentials.settings["parameter"] as? String
    self.completionHandler = completionHandler
    adLoader.fetchAd(sampleRequest)
  }
}

Objective-C

#import "SampleCustomEventNativeAd.h"

@interface SampleCustomEventNativeAd () <SampleNativeAdDelegate,
                                         GADMediationNativeAd> {
  /// The sample native ad.
  SampleNativeAd *_nativeAd;

  /// The completion handler to call when the ad loading succeeds or fails.
  GADMediationNativeLoadCompletionHandler _loadCompletionHandler;

  /// The ad event delegate to forward ad rendering events to the Google Mobile
  /// Ads SDK.
  id<GADMediationNativeAdEventDelegate> _adEventDelegate;
}
@end

- (void)loadNativeAdForAdConfiguration:
            (GADMediationNativeAdConfiguration *)adConfiguration
                     completionHandler:(GADMediationNativeLoadCompletionHandler)
                                           completionHandler {
  __block atomic_flag completionHandlerCalled = ATOMIC_FLAG_INIT;
  __block GADMediationNativeLoadCompletionHandler originalCompletionHandler =
      [completionHandler copy];

  _loadCompletionHandler = ^id<GADMediationNativeAdEventDelegate>(
      _Nullable id<GADMediationNativeAd> ad, NSError *_Nullable error) {
    // Only allow completion handler to be called once.
    if (atomic_flag_test_and_set(&completionHandlerCalled)) {
      return nil;
    }

    id<GADMediationNativeAdEventDelegate> delegate = nil;
    if (originalCompletionHandler) {
      // Call original handler and hold on to its return value.
      delegate = originalCompletionHandler(ad, error);
    }

    // Release reference to handler. Objects retained by the handler will also
    // be released.
    originalCompletionHandler = nil;

    return delegate;
  };

  SampleNativeAdLoader *adLoader = [[SampleNativeAdLoader alloc] init];
  SampleNativeAdRequest *sampleRequest = [[SampleNativeAdRequest alloc] init];

  // The Google Mobile Ads SDK requires the image assets to be downloaded
  // automatically unless the publisher specifies otherwise by using the
  // GADNativeAdImageAdLoaderOptions object's disableImageLoading property. If
  // your network doesn't have an option like this and instead only ever returns
  // URLs for images (rather than the images themselves), your adapter should
  // download image assets on behalf of the publisher. This should be done after
  // receiving the native ad object from your network's SDK, and before calling
  // the connector's adapter:didReceiveMediatedNativeAd: method.
  sampleRequest.shouldDownloadImages = YES;

  sampleRequest.preferredImageOrientation = NativeAdImageOrientationAny;
  sampleRequest.shouldRequestMultipleImages = NO;
  sampleRequest.testMode = adConfiguration.isTestRequest;

  for (GADAdLoaderOptions *loaderOptions in adConfiguration.options) {
    if ([loaderOptions isKindOfClass:[GADNativeAdImageAdLoaderOptions class]]) {
      GADNativeAdImageAdLoaderOptions *imageOptions =
          (GADNativeAdImageAdLoaderOptions *)loaderOptions;
      sampleRequest.shouldRequestMultipleImages =
          imageOptions.shouldRequestMultipleImages;

      // If the GADNativeAdImageAdLoaderOptions' disableImageLoading property is
      // YES, the adapter should send just the URLs for the images.
      sampleRequest.shouldDownloadImages = !imageOptions.disableImageLoading;
    } else if ([loaderOptions
                   isKindOfClass:[GADNativeAdMediaAdLoaderOptions class]]) {
      GADNativeAdMediaAdLoaderOptions *mediaOptions =
          (GADNativeAdMediaAdLoaderOptions *)loaderOptions;
      switch (mediaOptions.mediaAspectRatio) {
        case GADMediaAspectRatioLandscape:
          sampleRequest.preferredImageOrientation =
              NativeAdImageOrientationLandscape;
          break;
        case GADMediaAspectRatioPortrait:
          sampleRequest.preferredImageOrientation =
              NativeAdImageOrientationPortrait;
          break;
        default:
          sampleRequest.preferredImageOrientation = NativeAdImageOrientationAny;
          break;
      }
    } else if ([loaderOptions isKindOfClass:[GADNativeAdViewAdOptions class]]) {
      _nativeAdViewAdOptions = (GADNativeAdViewAdOptions *)loaderOptions;
    }
  }

  // This custom event uses the server parameter to carry an ad unit ID, which
  // is the most common use case.
  NSString *adUnit = adConfiguration.credentials.settings[@"parameter"];
  adLoader.adUnitID = adUnit;
  adLoader.delegate = self;

  [adLoader fetchAd:sampleRequest];
}

Whether the ad is successfully fetched or encounters an error, you would call GADMediationNativeAdLoadCompletionHandler. In the event of success, pass through the class that implements GADMediationNativeAd with a nil value for the error parameter; in the event of failure, pass through the error you encountered.

Typically, these methods are implemented inside callbacks from the third-party SDK your adapter implements. For this example, the Sample SDK has a SampleNativeAdDelegate with relevant callbacks:

Swift

func adLoader(
  _ adLoader: SampleNativeAdLoader, didReceive nativeAd: SampleNativeAd
) {
  extraAssets = [
    SampleCustomEventConstantsSwift.awesomenessKey: nativeAd.degreeOfAwesomeness
      ?? ""
  ]

  if let image = nativeAd.image {
    images = [GADNativeAdImage(image: image)]
  } else {
    let imageUrl = URL(fileURLWithPath: nativeAd.imageURL)
    images = [GADNativeAdImage(url: imageUrl, scale: nativeAd.imageScale)]
  }
  if let mappedIcon = nativeAd.icon {
    icon = GADNativeAdImage(image: mappedIcon)
  } else {
    let iconURL = URL(fileURLWithPath: nativeAd.iconURL)
    icon = GADNativeAdImage(url: iconURL, scale: nativeAd.iconScale)
  }

  adChoicesView = SampleAdInfoView()
  self.nativeAd = nativeAd
  if let handler = completionHandler {
    delegate = handler(self, nil)
  }
}

func adLoader(
  _ adLoader: SampleNativeAdLoader,
  didFailToLoadAdWith errorCode: SampleErrorCode
) {
  let error =
    SampleCustomEventUtilsSwift.SampleCustomEventErrorWithCodeAndDescription(
      code: SampleCustomEventErrorCodeSwift
        .SampleCustomEventErrorAdLoadFailureCallback,
      description:
        "Sample SDK returned an ad load failure callback with error code: \(errorCode)"
    )
  if let handler = completionHandler {
    delegate = handler(nil, error)
  }
}

Objective-C

- (void)adLoader:(SampleNativeAdLoader *)adLoader
    didReceiveNativeAd:(SampleNativeAd *)nativeAd {
  if (nativeAd.image) {
    _images = @[ [[GADNativeAdImage alloc] initWithImage:nativeAd.image] ];
  } else {
    NSURL *imageURL = [[NSURL alloc] initFileURLWithPath:nativeAd.imageURL];
    _images = @[ [[GADNativeAdImage alloc] initWithURL:imageURL
                                                 scale:nativeAd.imageScale] ];
  }

  if (nativeAd.icon) {
    _icon = [[GADNativeAdImage alloc] initWithImage:nativeAd.icon];
  } else {
    NSURL *iconURL = [[NSURL alloc] initFileURLWithPath:nativeAd.iconURL];
    _icon = [[GADNativeAdImage alloc] initWithURL:iconURL
                                            scale:nativeAd.iconScale];
  }

  // The sample SDK provides an AdChoices view (SampleAdInfoView). If your SDK
  // provides image and click through URLs for its AdChoices icon instead of an
  // actual UIView, the adapter is responsible for downloading the icon image
  // and creating the AdChoices icon view.
  _adChoicesView = [[SampleAdInfoView alloc] init];
  _nativeAd = nativeAd;

  _adEventDelegate = _loadCompletionHandler(self, nil);
}

- (void)adLoader:(SampleNativeAdLoader *)adLoader
    didFailToLoadAdWithErrorCode:(SampleErrorCode)errorCode {
  NSError *error = SampleCustomEventErrorWithCodeAndDescription(
      SampleCustomEventErrorAdLoadFailureCallback,
      [NSString stringWithFormat:@"Sample SDK returned an ad load failure "
                                 @"callback with error code: %@",
                                 errorCode]);
  _adEventDelegate = _loadCompletionHandler(nil, error);
}

Map native ads

Different SDKs have their own unique formats for native ads. One might return objects that contain a "title" field, for instance, while another might have "headline". Additionally, the methods used to track impressions and process clicks can vary from one SDK to another.

To address these issues, when a custom event receives a native ad object from its mediated SDK, it should use a class that implements GADMediationNativeAd, like SampleCustomEventNativeAd, to "map" the mediated SDK's native ad object so it matches the interface expected by the Google Mobile Ads SDK.

We now take a closer look at the implementation details for SampleCustomEventNativeAd.

Store your mappings

GADMediationNativeAd is expected to implement certain properties that are mapped to from other SDK’s properties:

Swift

var nativeAd: SampleNativeAd?

var headline: String? {
  return nativeAd?.headline
}

var images: [GADNativeAdImage]?

var body: String? {
  return nativeAd?.body
}

var icon: GADNativeAdImage?

var callToAction: String? {
  return nativeAd?.callToAction
}

var starRating: NSDecimalNumber? {
  return nativeAd?.starRating
}

var store: String? {
  return nativeAd?.store
}

var price: String? {
  return nativeAd?.price
}

var advertiser: String? {
  return nativeAd?.advertiser
}

var extraAssets: [String: Any]? {
  return [
    SampleCustomEventConstantsSwift.awesomenessKey:
      nativeAd?.degreeOfAwesomeness
      ?? ""
  ]
}

var adChoicesView: UIView?

var mediaView: UIView? {
  return nativeAd?.mediaView
}

Objective-C

/// Used to store the ad's images. In order to implement the
/// GADMediationNativeAd protocol, we use this class to return the images
/// property.
NSArray<GADNativeAdImage *> *_images;

/// Used to store the ad's icon. In order to implement the GADMediationNativeAd
/// protocol, we use this class to return the icon property.
GADNativeAdImage *_icon;

/// Used to store the ad's ad choices view. In order to implement the
/// GADMediationNativeAd protocol, we use this class to return the adChoicesView
/// property.
UIView *_adChoicesView;

- (nullable NSString *)headline {
  return _nativeAd.headline;
}

- (nullable NSArray<GADNativeAdImage *> *)images {
  return _images;
}

- (nullable NSString *)body {
  return _nativeAd.body;
}

- (nullable GADNativeAdImage *)icon {
  return _icon;
}

- (nullable NSString *)callToAction {
  return _nativeAd.callToAction;
}

- (nullable NSDecimalNumber *)starRating {
  return _nativeAd.starRating;
}

- (nullable NSString *)store {
  return _nativeAd.store;
}

- (nullable NSString *)price {
  return _nativeAd.price;
}

- (nullable NSString *)advertiser {
  return _nativeAd.advertiser;
}

- (nullable NSDictionary<NSString *, id> *)extraAssets {
  return
      @{SampleCustomEventExtraKeyAwesomeness : _nativeAd.degreeOfAwesomeness};
}

- (nullable UIView *)adChoicesView {
  return _adChoicesView;
}

- (nullable UIView *)mediaView {
  return _nativeAd.mediaView;
}

- (BOOL)hasVideoContent {
  return self.mediaView != nil;
}

Some mediated networks can provide additional assets beyond those defined by the Google Mobile Ads SDK. The GADMediationNativeAd protocol includes a method called extraAssets that the Google Mobile Ads SDK uses to retrieve any of these "extra" assets from your mapper.

Map image assets

Mapping image assets is more complicated than mapping simpler data types like NSString or double. Images might be downloaded automatically or returned as URL values. Their pixel density can also vary.

To help you manage these details, the Google Mobile Ads SDK provides the GADNativeAdImage class. Image asset information (whether it's actual UIImage objects or just NSURL values) should be returned to the Google Mobile Ads SDK using this class.

Here's how the mapper class handles creating a GADNativeAdImage to hold the icon image:

Swift

if let image = nativeAd.image {
  images = [GADNativeAdImage(image: image)]
} else {
  let imageUrl = URL(fileURLWithPath: nativeAd.imageURL)
  images = [GADNativeAdImage(url: imageUrl, scale: nativeAd.imageScale)]
}

Objective-C

if (nativeAd.image) {
  _images = @[ [[GADNativeAdImage alloc] initWithImage:nativeAd.image] ];
} else {
  NSURL *imageURL = [[NSURL alloc] initFileURLWithPath:nativeAd.imageURL];
  _images = @[ [[GADNativeAdImage alloc] initWithURL:imageURL
                                               scale:nativeAd.imageScale] ];
}

Impression and click events

Both the Google Mobile Ads SDK and the mediated SDK need to know when an impression or click occurs, but only one SDK needs to track these events. There are two different approaches custom events can use, depending on whether the mediated SDK supports tracking impressions and clicks on its own.

Track clicks and impressions with the Google Mobile Ads SDK

If the mediated SDK doesn't perform its own impression and click tracking but provides methods to record clicks and impressions, the Google Mobile Ads SDK can track these events and notify the adapter. The GADMediationNativeAd protocol includes two methods: didRecordImpression: and didRecordClickOnAssetWithName:view:viewController: that custom events can implement to call the corresponding method on the mediated native ad object:

Swift

func didRecordImpression() {
  nativeAd?.recordImpression()
}

func didRecordClickOnAsset(
  withName assetName: GADUnifiedNativeAssetIdentifier,
  view: UIView,
  wController: UIViewController
) {
  nativeAd?.handleClick(on: view)
}

Objective-C

- (void)didRecordImpression {
  if (self.nativeAd) {
    [self.nativeAd recordImpression];
  }
}

- (void)didRecordClickOnAssetWithName:(GADUnifiedNativeAssetIdentifier)assetName
                                 view:(UIView *)view
                       viewController:(UIViewController *)viewController {
  if (self.nativeAd) {
    [self.nativeAd handleClickOnView:view];
  }
}

Because the class that implements the GADMediationNativeAd protocol holds a reference to the Sample SDK's native ad object, it can call the appropriate method on that object to report a click or impression. Note that the didRecordClickOnAssetWithName:view:viewController: method takes a single parameter: the View object corresponding to the native ad asset that received the click.

Track clicks and impressions with the mediated SDK

Some mediated SDKs might prefer to track clicks and impressions on their own. In that case, you should implement the handlesUserClicks and handlesUserImpressions methods as shown in the snippet below. By returning YES, you indicate that the custom event takes responsibility for tracking these events and will notify the Google Mobile Ads SDK when these events occur.

Custom events that override click and impression tracking can use the didRenderInView: message to pass the native ad's view to the mediated SDK's native ad object to allow the mediated SDK to do the actual tracking. The sample SDK from our custom event example project (from which this guide's code snippets have been taken) doesn't use this approach' but if it did, the custom event code would call the setNativeAdView:view: method as shown in the snippet below:

Swift

func handlesUserClicks() -> Bool {
  return true
}
func handlesUserImpressions() -> Bool {
  return true
}

func didRender(
  in view: UIView, clickableAssetViews: [GADNativeAssetIdentifier: UIView],
  nonclickableAssetViews: [GADNativeAssetIdentifier: UIView],
  viewController: UIViewController
) {
  // This method is called when the native ad view is rendered. Here you would pass the UIView
  // back to the mediated network's SDK.
  self.nativeAd?.setNativeAdView(view)
}

Objective-C

- (BOOL)handlesUserClicks {
  return YES;
}

- (BOOL)handlesUserImpressions {
  return YES;
}

- (void)didRenderInView:(UIView *)view
       clickableAssetViews:(NSDictionary<GADNativeAssetIdentifier, UIView *> *)
                               clickableAssetViews
    nonclickableAssetViews:(NSDictionary<GADNativeAssetIdentifier, UIView *> *)
                               nonclickableAssetViews
            viewController:(UIViewController *)viewController {
  // This method is called when the native ad view is rendered. Here you would
  // pass the UIView back to the mediated network's SDK. Playing video using
  // SampleNativeAd's playVideo method
  [_nativeAd setNativeAdView:view];
}

Forward mediation events to the Google Mobile Ads SDK

Once you've called GADMediationNativeLoadCompletionHandler with a loaded ad, the returned GADMediationNativeAdEventDelegate delegate object can then be used by the adapter to forward presentation events from the third-party SDK to the Google Mobile Ads SDK.

It's important that your custom event forwards as many of these callbacks as possible, so that your app receives these equivalent events from the Google Mobile Ads SDK. Here's an example of using callbacks:

This completes the custom events implementation for native ads. The full example is available on GitHub.