Host the file on YouTube or do not run the format
Non-skippable in-stream requires a YouTube-hosted video set public or unlisted. Audio-only files are not accepted. Google lists recommended 1920×1080 (or 1080×1920, or square 1080), accepted 720p floors, and a 256 GB file-size cap that you will never hit if you export sanely.
Duration is a format, not a vibe
Six seconds or under runs as a bumper. Non-skippable in-stream is built around 7–15 and 16–30 second bands, with connected TV called out separately. If you deliver 31 seconds and hope, you are not in the spec. Shorts ads have their own TrueView rule: a click or ten seconds watched.
Headlines and companions
The in-stream spec gives a headline of 15 characters, or 10 if you also have a call to action. That is not a place for a mission statement. Companion banners have their own construction article. Skip them rather than ship a 728×90 that contradicts the video.
Personalized ads and category overlays
YouTube inventory still has sensitive-category limits. A September 2026 personalized-advertising update allows alcohol personalization on YouTube where locally permitted from 30 October 2026, with named country exceptions and no personalization for minors. Crypto, finance, and health remain on their own policies. Do not copy an alcohol example into a token ad.
Production sequence
Finish the landing page before the grade on the film.
- Write the 15-character headline first; it will humble the script
- Export horizontal, vertical, and square only if you will actually run those placements
- Burn captions in or provide them; mute autoplay is common on mobile
- End on the same URL AdsBot will fetch
- Watch the ad on a TV if you enabled CTV
Design systems, not a one-off edit
Safe-area type, contrast, and a consistent end card are design-system work. Related work at Kiwi: design system and product UX optimization. We are not a YouTube ads house.
Frequently asked questions
Can we run a 6-second bumper as non-skippable 15s?
No. ≤6 seconds is a bumper. Stretching a bumper with freeze-frame to hit 15 seconds is how you annoy people and still miss the brief.
Is 720p enough?
Accepted, not recommended. On CTV, 720p looks like a cost cut. Budget for 1080p if that surface is on.
Do we need a YouTube channel with subscribers?
You need a video asset YouTube will serve. Subscriber count is not the spec. Brand safety of the channel still matters.
Will a bumper ‘convert’ a B2B buyer?
A bumper can remind. It cannot carry a six-line offer. Do not assign it a pipeline target.
Sources
- Google Ads Help — Non-skippable in-stream ads
- YouTube Help — How engagement metrics are counted
- Google Ads policies — Personalized advertising on YouTube (September 2026)
Figures cited above are drawn from the linked publications and are the responsibility of their sources; we date and scope them rather than presenting them as universal guarantees.