Paid Search
Which YouTube format fits your goal?
Google distinguishes skippable and non-skippable in-stream ads, in-feed video ads, bumper ads, masthead ads and YouTube Shorts ads g-video. The lengths are fixed: bumpers are six seconds, non-skippable in-stream ads are up to 60 seconds long, and for Shorts Google recommends under 60 seconds g-video. The format choice decides less about reach than about whether your creative can say anything at all in the available time.
What we do: We define what the creative has to say, choose the format from that, produce a separate version per placement and monitor fatigue per creative; your spots say something in the time available, and new material is ready before results drop.
By Robin Kardinal, Chief Operation Officer (COO)
Last updated on
What it is about and when it becomes relevant
The formats and their lengths
Skippable in-stream ads have no fixed cap; Google recommends under three minutes. Non-skippable in-stream ads are up to 60 seconds long and are available in video reach campaigns and reservations. Bumper ads are six seconds, at least five. In-feed video ads and masthead ads have no cap; for the masthead Google recommends more than ten seconds. For YouTube Shorts ads, Google recommends less than 60 seconds g-video.
When to use which format
Whoever has to explain needs time, and with it a skippable in-stream format in which the first seconds do the work. Whoever wants to repeat a known message gets by with six seconds. In-feed video ads work where people are searching or browsing anyway, and Shorts demand a dedicated portrait creative instead of a cropped landscape one.
Why production decides
A format is a setting; a creative is work. The most common reason for weak results on YouTube is not the selection but a single creative cropped to fit every format and working properly in none.
Common mistakes and how you spot them
One landscape spot for all surfaces
How you spot itIn the reports, watch time on Shorts sits far below in-stream, and the creative carries text at the edges that gets cut off in portrait.
The message arrives too late
How you spot itWith skippable ads, most viewers drop off in the first five seconds, and the brand name only falls after that.
Bumper as a short cut of a long spot
How you spot itThe six seconds contain the beginning and end of a story, but no complete message. Bumpers carry exactly one thought.
No fresh supply planned
How you spot itThe same two creatives have been running for months, and results sink slowly without anything having changed in the settings.
How we go about it
Decide goal and format together
We first define what the creative has to say, and pick the format from that, not the other way round. The lengths are fixed g-video, the message is not.
One dedicated creative per surface
Portrait for Shorts, landscape for in-stream, and both with their own structure instead of the same cut.
Production at scale
Variants, language versions and formats are produced in our own house, so fresh supply is plannable and does not hang on the next shoot.
Monitor fatigue
We measure per creative instead of per campaign and flag declining results while there is still time to restock.
Further reading
This topic belongs to SEA.
Frequently asked questions
How long may a bumper ad be?
Six seconds, at least five g-video.
How long may non-skippable in-stream ads be?
15 to 60 seconds, depending on the campaign subtype g-video.
Do I need a dedicated video for YouTube Shorts?
Yes, sensibly so. Google recommends less than 60 seconds for Shorts ads g-video, and the portrait format demands a different composition than a cropped landscape one.
What is an in-feed video ad?
A format that appears around search results and suggestions and has no fixed length cap g-video. It gets clicked instead of pre-rolled, so the first seconds work differently.
How many creatives do I need per month?
That depends on budget, audience size and fatigue; any general number would be a guess. The usable yardstick: if a creative's results decline and no fresh supply is ready, you are producing too little.
Is this exactly where you are stuck?
Write to us about where it is stuck. Robin Kardinal and the team will look at what is concretely behind it in your case, and tell you where the biggest lever sits.
Sources
Every statement about ad products comes from the official documentation of the respective platform, with the date we retrieved it. Products change; if something looks outdated to you, write to us and we will check it.
- g-videoGoogle Ads-Hilfe, Videoanzeigenformateretrieved on 21.9.2026
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