Native Ads

Native ads are ad assets that are presented to users through UI components that are native to the platform. They're shown using the same classes you already use in your storyboards, and can be formatted to match your app's visual design.

When a native ad loads, your app receives an ad object that contains its assets, and the app—rather than the Google Mobile Ads SDK—is then responsible for displaying them.

Broadly speaking, there are two parts to successfully implementing native ads: Loading an ad using the SDK and then displaying the ad content in your app.

This page shows how to use the SDK to load native ads.

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.

The easiest way to load test ads is to use our dedicated test ad unit ID for native ads on iOS:

/6499/example/native

It's been specially configured to return test ads for every request, and you can 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 more information about how the Google Mobile Ads SDK's test ads work, see Test ads.

Loading ads

Native ads are loaded with the GADAdLoader class, which send messages to their delegates according to the GADAdLoaderDelegate protocol.

In addition to the system-defined native format, you can also create your own custom native ad formats that can be used for direct-sold native ads. Custom native ad formats let you pass arbitrary structured data to your app. These ads are represented by the GADCustomNativeAd class.

Initialize the ad loader

Before you can load an ad, you have to initialize the ad loader. The following code demonstrates how to initialize a GADAdLoader:

adLoader = GADAdLoader(adUnitID: "/6499/example/native",
    rootViewController: self,
    adTypes: [ .native ],
    options: [ ... ad loader options objects ... ])
adLoader.delegate = self

self.adLoader = [[GADAdLoader alloc]
      initWithAdUnitID:@"/6499/example/native"
    rootViewController:rootViewController
               adTypes:@[ GADAdLoaderAdTypeNative ]
               options:@[ ... ad loader options objects ... ]];
self.adLoader.delegate = self;

You'll need an ad unit ID (you can use the test ID), constants to pass in the adTypes array to specify which native formats you want to request, and any options you wish to set in the options parameter. The list of possible values for the options parameter can be found in the Setting Native Ad Options page.

The adTypes array should contain one or more of the following constants:

• GADAdLoaderAdTypeNative

• GADAdLoaderAdTypeCustomNative

Implement the ad loader delegate

The ad loader delegate needs to implement protocols specific to your ad type. For native ads, the GADNativeAdLoaderDelegate protocol includes a message that's sent to the delegate when a native ad has loaded.

public func adLoader(_ adLoader: GADAdLoader,
            didReceive nativeAd: GADNativeAd)

- (void)adLoader:(GADAdLoader *)adLoader
    didReceiveNativeAd:(GADNativeAd *)nativeAd;

The GADCustomNativeAdLoaderDelegate protocol includes a message that's sent to the delegate when a custom template ad has loaded.

func adLoader(_ adLoader: GADAdLoader,
  Receive customNativeAd: GADCustomNativeAd)

- (void)adLoader:(GADAdLoader *)adLoader
    didReceiveCustomNativeAd:(GADCustomNativeAd *) customNativeAd;

Request ads

Once your GADAdLoader is initialized, call its loadRequest: method to request an ad:

adLoader.load(GAMRequest())

[self.adLoader loadRequest:[GAMRequest request]];

The loadRequest: method in GADAdLoader accepts the same GAMRequest objects as banners and interstitials. You can use request objects to add targeting information, just as you would with other ad types.

Load multiple ads (optional)

To load multiple ads in a single request, set the GADMultipleAdsAdLoaderOptions object when initializing a GADAdLoader.

let multipleAdOptions = GADMultipleAdsAdLoaderOptions()
multipleAdOptions.numberOfAds = 5;
adLoader = GADAdLoader(adUnitID: "/6499/example/native",
    rootViewController: self,
    adTypes: [ .native ],
    options: [ multipleAdOptions ])

GADMultipleAdsAdLoaderOptions *multipleAdsOptions =
    [[GADMultipleAdsAdLoaderOptions alloc] init];
multipleAdsOptions.numberOfAds = 5;
self.adLoader = [[GADAdLoader alloc]
      initWithAdUnitID:@"/6499/example/native"
    rootViewController:rootViewController
               adTypes:@[ GADAdLoaderAdTypeNative ]
               options:@[ multipleAdsOptions ]];

The number of ads per request is capped at five, and it's not guaranteed that the SDK will return the exact number of ads requested.

Returned Google ads will all be different from each other, though ads from reserved inventory or third-party buyers are not guaranteed to be unique.

Do not use the GADMultipleAdsAdLoaderOptions class if you're using mediation, as requests for multiple native ads don't currently work for ad unit IDs that have been configured for mediation.

Determining when loading has finished

After an app calls loadRequest:, it can get the results of the request using calls to:

• adLoader:didFailToReceiveAdWithError: in GADAdLoaderDelegate
• adLoader:didReceiveNativeAd: in GADNativeAdLoaderDelegate

A request for a single ad will result in one call to one of those methods.

A request for multiple ads will result in at least one callback to the above methods, but no more than the maximum number of ads requested.

In addition, GADAdLoaderDelegate offers the adLoaderDidFinishLoading callback. This delegate method indicates that an ad loader has finished loading ads and no other ads or errors will be reported for the request. Here's an example of how to use it when loading several native ads at one time:

class ViewController: UIViewController, GADNativeAdLoaderDelegate {

  var adLoader: GADAdLoader!

  override func viewDidLoad() {
    super.viewDidLoad()

    let multipleAdOptions = GADMultipleAdsAdLoaderOptions()
    multipleAdOptions.numberOfAds = 5;
    adLoader = GADAdLoader(adUnitID: "/6499/example/native",
        rootViewController: self,
        adTypes: [ .native ],
        options: [ multipleAdOptions ])

    adLoader.delegate = self
    adLoader.load(GADRequest())
  }

  func adLoader(_ adLoader: GADAdLoader,
       didReceive nativeAd: GADNativeAd) {
    // A native ad has loaded, and can be displayed.
  }

  func adLoaderDidFinishLoading(_ adLoader: GADAdLoader) {
    // The adLoader has finished loading ads, and a new request can be sent.
  }

}

@interface ViewController () <GADNativeAdLoaderDelegate, GADVideoControllerDelegate>
@property(nonatomic, strong) GADAdLoader *adLoader;

@end

@implementation ViewController

- (void)viewDidLoad {
  [super viewDidLoad];

  GADMultipleAdsAdLoaderOptions *multipleAdsOptions =
      [[GADMultipleAdsAdLoaderOptions alloc] init];
  multipleAdsOptions.numberOfAds = 5;
  self.adLoader = [[GADAdLoader alloc]
        initWithAdUnitID:@"/6499/example/native"
      rootViewController:rootViewController
                 adTypes:@[ GADAdLoaderAdTypeNative ]
                 options:@[ multipleAdsOptions ]];

  self.adLoader.delegate = self;
  [self.adLoader loadRequest:[GADRequest request]];
}

- (void)adLoader:(GADAdLoader *)adLoader
    didReceiveNativeAd:(GADNativeAd *)nativeAd {
  // A native ad has loaded, and can be displayed.
}

- (void)adLoaderDidFinishLoading:(GADAdLoader *) adLoader {
  // The adLoader has finished loading ads, and a new request can be sent.
}

@end

Handling failed requests

The above protocols extend the GADAdLoaderDelegate protocol, which defines a message sent when ads fail to load.

public func adLoader(_ adLoader: GADAdLoader,
    didFailToReceiveAdWithError error: NSError)

- (void)adLoader:(GADAdLoader *)adLoader
    didFailToReceiveAdWithError:(NSError *)error;

Get notified of native ad events

To be notified of events related to the native ad interactions, set the delegate property of the native ad:

nativeAd.delegate = self

nativeAd.delegate = self;

Then implement GADNativeAdDelegate to receive the following delegate calls:

func nativeAdDidRecordImpression(_ nativeAd: GADNativeAd) {
  // The native ad was shown.
}

func nativeAdDidRecordClick(_ nativeAd: GADNativeAd) {
  // The native ad was clicked on.
}

func nativeAdWillPresentScreen(_ nativeAd: GADNativeAd) {
  // The native ad will present a full screen view.
}

func nativeAdWillDismissScreen(_ nativeAd: GADNativeAd) {
  // The native ad will dismiss a full screen view.
}

func nativeAdDidDismissScreen(_ nativeAd: GADNativeAd) {
  // The native ad did dismiss a full screen view.
}

func nativeAdWillLeaveApplication(_ nativeAd: GADNativeAd) {
  // The native ad will cause the app to become inactive and
  // open a new app.
}

- (void)nativeAdDidRecordImpression:(GADNativeAd *)nativeAd {
  // The native ad was shown.
}

- (void)nativeAdDidRecordClick:(GADNativeAd *)nativeAd {
  // The native ad was clicked on.
}

- (void)nativeAdWillPresentScreen:(GADNativeAd *)nativeAd {
  // The native ad will present a full screen view.
}

- (void)nativeAdWillDismissScreen:(GADNativeAd *)nativeAd {
  // The native ad will dismiss a full screen view.
}

- (void)nativeAdDidDismissScreen:(GADNativeAd *)nativeAd {
  // The native ad did dismiss a full screen view.
}

- (void)nativeAdWillLeaveApplication:(GADNativeAd *)nativeAd {
  // The native ad will cause the app to become inactive and
  // open a new app.
}

Best practices

Follow these rules when loading ads.

• Apps that use native ads in a list should precache the list of ads.

• When precaching ads, clear your cache and reload after one hour.

• Do not call loadRequest: on a GADAdLoader until the first request finishes loading.

Display your ad

Once you have loaded an ad, all that remains is to display it to your users. Head over to our Native Advanced guide to see how.