YouTube — bumper vs skippable in-stream
6-second bumpers vs 15s+ skippable units — duration caps, companion banner rules, and when Video campaigns beat PMax for subtype control.
Subtype control
Dedicated Video campaigns let you buy bumper-only or skippable-only line items. PMax blends subtypes from your video asset library — fine for prospecting, wrong when you need a strict 6s unskippable reach buy.
Creative gates
Bumpers hard-cap at 6 seconds; skippable allows 15s+ with skip after 5s. Companion banners attach to skippable in-stream — validate both in the Creative Validator before trafficking.
Reporting habit
Pull placement breakdowns weekly. If bumpers show high frequency but low lift, split reach vs consideration into separate campaigns. Cross-check dimensions on the YouTube in-stream and bumper spec sheets.
Related in Placements
Keep going
- Ad Placements — where ads actually showEvery paid surface — Search, YouTube, Gmail, Discover, Maps, Display, Shopping, Meta family, TikTok — mapped to the campaign type that controls it.Open →
- Placement playbooks — operator checklistsChecklists for Performance Max surfaces, Demand Gen vs Video, Meta Feed/Reels, TikTok in-feed vs Pangle, and Shopping.Open →
- Google SERP placement audit checklistOperator checklist of live Google Search queries and modules to verify against the Placements map — Local pack, Shopping, AI Overviews, YouTube, and more.Open →
- Paid media operator guidesCopy-ready country lists, location targeting checklists, and procedural reference pages for paid media operators.Open →