Interstitial Ads

An interstitial ad (or a full-screen ad) is a type of ad that mostly covers the screen. Thus publisher contents don't appear on the screen when an interstitial ad is shown.

You can identify an interstitial ad opportunity in the bid request by verifying that the OpenRTB bid request's BidRequest.imp.instl field is set to true in Protobuf or 1 in JSON. In the deprecated Google RTB protocol, this can be determined with BidRequest.mobile.is_interstitial_request.

Ad slot size

Ad slot size for interstitial ads indicates the area that can be used to render creatives and depends on several factors such as specific formats and screen dimensions.

The first width and height pair in OpenRTB's BidRequest.imp.banner.format, or the deprecated Google RTB protocol's BidRequest.adslot.width and BidRequest.adslot.height fields, represents the actual ad slot size, and the remaining pairs represent a list of acceptable ad sizes that are within range of the slot's requirements.

Creatives aren't restricted to the recommended sizes in the bid request, but all recommended sizes in the bid request are guaranteed to be within the acceptable size range.

You can bid with any creative whose width and height meet the following criteria:

  • Less than or equal to the ad slot width and height
  • Greater than or equal to 50% of the ad slot width
  • Greater than or equal to 40% of the ad slot height

If the ad size is too big or too small, the bid response is filtered with the rejection reason INTERSTITIAL_SIZE_MISMATCH.

If you don't specify the ad size in the bid response, the response is filtered with the rejection reason MISSING_AD_SIZE.

Sample bid requests

Here are some sample bid requests for interstitial ads.

OpenRTB Protobuf

Show sample

id: "3Sh9IsB712x9QzGDA1k93z"
imp {
  id: "1"
  banner {
    w: 360
    h: 711
    pos: AD_POSITION_FULLSCREEN
    battr: VIDEO_IN_BANNER_AUTO_PLAY
    battr: VIDEO_IN_BANNER_USER_INITIATED
    api: MRAID_1
    api: MRAID_2
    format {
      w: 360
      h: 711
    }
    format {
      w: 360
      h: 640
    }
  }
  displaymanager: "GoogleMobileAds-Android"
  displaymanagerver: "21.3.0"
  instl: true
  tagid: "8679500107"
  bidfloor: 0.02
  bidfloorcur: "USD"
  secure: true
  exp: 14400
  clickbrowser: true
  metric {
    type: "viewability"
    value: 0.9
    vendor: "EXCHANGE"
  }
  metric {
    type: "session_depth"
    value: 99.0
    vendor: "EXCHANGE"
  }
  [com.google.doubleclick.imp] {
    billing_id: 42834631855
    ampad: AMP_AD_NOT_ALLOWED
    excluded_creatives {
      buyer_creative_id: "EXCLUDED_BUYER_CREATIVE_ID"
    }
    creative_enforcement_settings {
      policy_enforcement: POLICY_ENFORCEMENT_NETWORK_AND_PLATFORM_POLICY
      publisher_blocks_enforcement: PUBLISHER_BLOCKS_ENFORCEMENT_APPLIES
    }
    auction_environment: SERVER_SIDE_AUCTION
    ae: SERVER_SIDE_AUCTION
  }
}
app {
  name: "Test App"
  bundle: "com.google.testapp"
  publisher {
    id: "pub-8815040790812473"
    [com.google.doubleclick.publisher] {
      country: "SG"
    }
  }
  content {
    url: "https://www.google.com"
    userrating: "4.6"
    livestream: false
    language: "id"
  }
  storeurl: "https://www.google.com"
  [com.google.doubleclick.app] {
    inventorypartnerdomain: "OMITTED"
  }
}
device {
  ua: "Dalvik/2.1.0 (Linux; U; Android 11; in-; RMX1971 Build/RKQ1.201217.002)"
  ip: "192.168.1.0"
  geo {
    lat: 0.0
    lon: 0.0
    country: "IDN"
    region: "ID-SS"
    city: "Palembang"
    type: IP
    utcoffset: 420
    accuracy: 7498
  }
  make: "Realme"
  model: "RMX1971"
  os: "android"
  osv: "11"
  connectiontype: CELL_4G
  devicetype: HIGHEND_PHONE
  ifa: "b\'\\xa9>3\\xa2\\xbb\\x95\\x8dIQq\\xd0\\x8f\\xee\\xc1k}\'"
  lmt: false
  w: 360
  h: 711
  pxratio: 3.0
  sua {
    browsers {
      brand: "Dalvik"
      version: "2"
      version: "1"
    }
    platform {
      brand: "Android"
      version: "11"
    }
    mobile: true
    model: "RMX1971"
    source: USER_AGENT_STRING
  }
}
user {
  id: "21QP3H9IaS263665PMP52FIes26"
}
at: FIRST_PRICE
tmax: 300
cur: "USD"
source {
  schain {
    complete: true
    nodes {
      asi: "testssp.com"
      sid: "pub-1111111111111111"
      hp: true
    }
    ver: "1.0"
  }
  [com.google.doubleclick.source] {
    omidpn: "Google"
    omidpv: "afma-sdk-a-v240304999.223104000.1"
    schain {
      complete: 1
      nodes {
        asi: "testssp.com"
        sid: "pub-1111111111111111"
        hp: 1
      }
      ver: "1.0"
    }
  }
}
[com.google.doubleclick.bid_request] {
  google_query_id: "ANy-z52N8Y-VzuCT3Q7jr9Ixx3iR4pM1bm1q84NyH1tMMtV9SSO7y83u6Ec3xlaf1563Tt5k"
  fcap_scope: FREQUENCY_CAPPING_SCOPE_DEVICE
  privacy_treatments {
    allow_user_data_collection: true
  }
}

OpenRTB JSON

Show sample

{
  "id": "8460Dv0171574mt7n9tOQ9",
  "imp": [
    {
      "id": "1",
      "banner": {
        "w": 428,
        "h": 846,
        "pos": 7,
        "api": [
          3,
          5
        ],
        "format": [
          {
            "w": 428,
            "h": 846
          },
          {
            "w": 414,
            "h": 736
          }
        ]
      },
      "displaymanager": "GoogleMobileAds-iOS",
      "displaymanagerver": "10.10.0",
      "instl": 1,
      "tagid": "4914454382",
      "bidfloor": 0.01,
      "bidfloorcur": "USD",
      "secure": 1,
      "exp": 3600,
      "clickbrowser": 1,
      "metric": [
        {
          "type": "click_through_rate",
          "value": 0.560609757900238,
          "vendor": "EXCHANGE"
        },
        {
          "type": "viewability",
          "value": 0.97,
          "vendor": "EXCHANGE"
        }
      ],
      "ext": {
        "billing_id": [
          "73848702501"
        ],
        "publisher_settings_list_id": [
          "9781603598081027997",
          "9488077458915289715"
        ],
        "allowed_vendor_type": [
          698,
          414
        ],
        "ampad": 2,
        "excluded_creatives": [
          {
            "buyer_creative_id": "EXCLUDED_BUYER_CREATIVE_ID"
          },
          {
            "buyer_creative_id": "EXCLUDED_BUYER_CREATIVE_ID"
          }
        ],
        "skadn": {
          "sourceapp": "com.google.testapp",
          "skadnetids": [
            "43D4r5x9"
          ],
          "versions": [
            "2.0",
            "2.1"
          ],
          "fidelities": [
            0,
            1
          ],
          "skoverlay": 1
        },
        "creative_enforcement_settings": {
          "policy_enforcement": 2,
          "publisher_blocks_enforcement": 1
        },
        "auction_environment": 0,
        "ae": 0
      }
    }
  ],
  "app": {
    "name": "Test App",
    "bundle": "com.google.testapp",
    "publisher": {
      "id": "pub-5842596021161378",
      "ext": {
        "country": "IN"
      }
    },
    "content": {
      "url": "https://www.google.com",
      "livestream": 0,
      "language": "en"
    },
    "storeurl": "https://www.google.com",
    "ext": {
      "inventorypartnerdomain": "OMITTED"
    }
  },
  "device": {
    "ua": "Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; CPU iPhone OS 17_4_1 like Mac OS X) AppleWebKit/605.1.15 (KHTML, like Gecko) Mobile/15E148",
    "geo": {
      "lat": 0.0,
      "lon": 0.0,
      "country": "SAU",
      "region": "SA-02",
      "city": "Jiddah",
      "zip": "23462",
      "type": 2,
      "utcoffset": 180,
      "accuracy": 1291
    },
    "ipv6": "2a02:9b0:4047::",
    "carrier": "71681",
    "make": "Apple",
    "model": "iPhone14,8",
    "os": "iOS",
    "osv": "17.4.1",
    "connectiontype": 6,
    "devicetype": 4,
    "lmt": 1,
    "hwv": "iPhone14,8",
    "w": 428,
    "h": 926,
    "pxratio": 3,
    "sua": {
      "browsers": [
        {
          "brand": "Mozilla",
          "version": [
            "5",
            "0"
          ]
        },
        {
          "brand": "AppleWebKit",
          "version": [
            "605",
            "1"
          ]
        }
      ],
      "platform": {
        "brand": "iPhone",
        "version": [
          "17",
          "4"
        ]
      },
      "mobile": 1,
      "bitness": "64",
      "model": "iPhone",
      "source": 3
    },
    "ext": {
      "atts": 2
    }
  },
  "at": 1,
  "tmax": 1000,
  "cur": [
    "USD"
  ],
  "bcat": [
    "IAB23-4",
    "IAB18-5"
  ],
  "source": {
    "schain": {
      "complete": 1,
      "nodes": [
        {
          "asi": "testssp.com",
          "sid": "pub-1111111111111111",
          "hp": 1
        }
      ],
      "ver": "1.0"
    },
    "ext": {
      "omidpn": "Google",
      "omidpv": "afma-sdk-i-v10.10.0",
      "schain": {
        "complete": 1,
        "nodes": [
          {
            "asi": "testssp.com",
            "sid": "pub-1111111111111111",
            "hp": 1
          }
        ],
        "ver": "1.0"
      }
    }
  },
  "ext": {
    "google_query_id": "ANy-z562Q0-p46Tz77U15Ie9774Mnu3QIa45V73X99r9NR1694g5301D186q8ZFJ57Ja8L78",
    "fcap_scope": 4,
    "privacy_treatments": {
      "allow_user_data_collection": 1
    }
  }
}

Google

Show sample

id: "(\232m\232xp\035\326w\260\250\262\205\r:\313\373:3\215!L\234"
ip: "\300\250"
user_agent: "Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; CPU iPhone OS 16_6_1 like Mac OS X) AppleWebKit/605.1.15 (KHTML, like Gecko) Mobile/15E148"
url: "https://www.google.com"
detected_language: "en"
adslot {
  id: 1
  width: 398
  width: 320
  height: 744
  height: 480
  excluded_attribute: 19
  excluded_attribute: 18
  allowed_vendor_type: 828
  allowed_vendor_type: 4697
  matching_ad_data {
    billing_id: 37034094959
    billing_id: 19705546350
    minimum_cpm_micros: 200000
  }
  slot_visibility: ABOVE_THE_FOLD
  ad_block_key: 7260775726
  publisher_settings_list_id: 1906995857014069503
  viewability: 91
  click_through_rate: 0.021559697
  allowed_ad_types: ALLOWED_AD_TYPE_BANNER
  is_amp_page: DIALECT_HTML
  amp_ad_requirement_type: AMP_AD_NOT_ALLOWED
  api: OMID_1
  api: MRAID_1
  omidpn: "Google"
  omidpv: "afma-sdk-i-v11.2.0"
  creative_enforcement_settings {
    policy_enforcement: POLICY_ENFORCEMENT_NETWORK_AND_PLATFORM_POLICY
    publisher_blocks_enforcement: PUBLISHER_BLOCKS_ENFORCEMENT_APPLIES
  }
  auction_environment: SERVER_SIDE_AUCTION
  impression_expiration_seconds: 14400
  billable_event_rate_bid_adjustment {
    bid_adjustment: 1.1087964
    creative_type: HTML_SNIPPET
  }
  supported_auction_environment: SERVER_SIDE_AUCTION
  display_manager: "GoogleMobileAds-iOS"
  display_manager_version: "11.2.0"
}
is_test: false
timezone_offset: 480
mobile {
  app_id: "500811620"
  is_app: true
  is_interstitial_request: true
  app_name: "Test App"
  skadn {
    sourceapp: "500811620"
    skadnetids: "41dEOEaD"
    skadnetids: "580dmbSX"
    versions: "2.0"
    versions: "2.1"
    supported_fidelity_types: VIEW_THROUGH_ADS
    supported_fidelity_types: STOREKIT_RENDERED_ADS
    skoverlay: true
  }
  is_app_open_ad: true
}
geo_criteria_id: 20827
publisher_settings_list_id: 18428013069233776176
publisher_type: PUBLISHER_OWNED_AND_OPERATED
partner_id: 4672461785023090980
device {
  device_type: HIGHEND_PHONE
  platform: "iphone"
  brand: "Apple"
  model: "iPhone11,8"
  os_version {
    major: 16
    minor: 6
    micro: 1
  }
  carrier_id: 0
  screen_width: 414
  screen_height: 896
  screen_pixel_ratio_millis: 2000
  screen_orientation: PORTRAIT
  hardware_version: "iPhone11,8"
  limit_ad_tracking: true
  app_tracking_authorization_status: NOT_DETERMINED
  connection_type: WIFI
}
publisher_country: "SG"
publisher_id: "pub-1111111111111111"
response_deadline_ms: 1000
google_query_id: "ANy-z06138-98U8A68As2n5q57SoKI3EBuB5RV414N6krfd385z0q1c9o28Bv3176Zw2LuJe"
auction_type: FIRST_PRICE
geo {
  lat: 10.24
  lon: 123.79
  country: "PHL"
  region: "PH-CEB"
  utcoffset: 480
  accuracy: 39443
}
user_agent_data {
  platform {
    brand: "iPhone"
    version: "16"
    version: "6"
  }
  mobile: true
  model: "iPhone"
  browsers {
    brand: "Mozilla"
    version: "5"
    version: "0"
  }
  browsers {
    brand: "AppleWebKit"
    version: "605"
    version: "1"
  }
  bitness: "64"
  source: USER_AGENT_STRING
}
supply_chain {
  complete: true
  nodes {
    advertising_system_identifier: "testdomain.com"
    seller_identifier: "pub-1111111111111111"
    handles_payment: true
  }
  version: "1.0"
}
frequency_capping_scope: FREQUENCY_CAPPING_SCOPE_APP
privacy_treatments {
  allow_user_data_collection: true
}
inventory_partner_domain: "OMITTED"

Best practices

Google recommends the following best practices:

  • Include formatting attributes in your HTML creative snippets to center ads within the ad slot. Otherwise, ads render on the top left of the ad slot.

  • Respond with an interstitial ad that takes up as much space as possible within the ad slot. Don't fill an interstitial ad slot with a much smaller ad. For example, a 320x480 ad is too small for a 420x800 interstitial slot.

  • Don't add any close button:

    • Our SDK automatically shows a close button (where applicable) to ensure that users can click the button.
    • MRAID useCustomClose() is not supported.

  • Use the recommended sizes from the bid request to choose acceptable ad sizes for your bid response.

  • Use OpenRTB's BidRequest.device.w and BidRequest.device.h fields to choose creatives with an appropriate orientation. For the deprecated Google RTB protocol, you may use BidRequest.device.screen_orientation.

    • We recommend having vertical and horizontal creatives so you can bid with the appropriate orientation.

Sizeless (fluid) interstitials

Sizeless interstitials (also known as responsive or fluid interstitials) dynamically resize to take up the entire ad slot width and height. Authorized Buyers doesn't resize creatives for you. You must supply a creative that dynamically resizes.

You only need to submit sizeless interstitials for review once, even though they can serve at multiple sizes. To ensure your creative isn't re-reviewed for each individual ad slot size, we recommend the following:

Bid response

  • Use BidResponse.seatbid.bid.ext.attribute to declare Rendering: Sizeless AdX (attribute 105) in your bid response. Declarable creative attributes can be found in the buyer-declarable-creative-attributes.txt data file. To declare this attribute in the deprecated Google RTB protocol, you can use BidResponse.ad.attribute.

  • Populate BidResponse.seatbid.bid.w and BidResponse.seatbid.bid.h with the size you want the creative to render based on ad size requirements; for example, 360x480 for a 360x480 ad slot. The creative might still serve at other sizes. For the deprecated Google RTB protocol, you would populate BidResponse.Ad.width and BidResponse.Ad.height.

If you add the Rendering: Sizeless AdX attribute to an existing creative, the creative must be re-reviewed.

Creative pre-approval

  • When submitting a creative for review, include the Rendering: Sizeless AdX attribute in the attribute field.
  • Submit the creative using a size that you expect to serve, that is, a common size for interstitial creatives. The creative can still serve at other sizes.
  • Each sizeless creative only counts against your creative limit once, even if it serves at multiple sizes.