YouTube Video Ad Formats Explained
Skippable, non-skippable, bumper, and in-feed ads each serve a different goal, from awareness to driving action.
What it means
A video campaign can run several formats: skippable in-stream ads (which viewers can skip after a few seconds), non-skippable in-stream ads (up to 15 seconds, can't be skipped, so the whole message plays), bumper ads (six seconds or shorter, also unskippable, priced per thousand impressions), and in-feed ads (shown in YouTube's home, search, and subscription feeds, inviting a click to watch). Campaigns built specifically to drive conversions rather than just views or awareness — formerly called Video Action Campaigns — have since been folded into the newer Demand Gen campaign type.
Why it matters
Picking the right format matters more than it seems: a bumper ad is built for quick brand awareness, not for driving clicks, while an in-feed ad is built to earn a deliberate click-to-watch rather than force a view. Choosing based on your actual goal (awareness vs. a specific action) avoids paying for a format that isn't built to do what you want.
ask datanephew
Which YouTube ad format should I be using for my goal?
Ask datanephew to look at what your current video ads are set up as, and how they're performing against clicks versus pure view counts — that split usually reveals whether the format actually matches what you're trying to achieve.