Ad Placements
Search, PMax, Shopping, YouTube, Gmail, Discover, Maps, Display — full surface map. Wireframe mockups, not pixel-perfect screenshots. Directional, not gospel.
Last reviewed: 2026-06-03 · Source: Google Ads Help Center
Google Play — Store listings
App install ads inside the Google Play Store — sponsored slot in Play search results and the 'Suggested for you' rails.
Sponsored app card in Play search & suggested →Display — App interstitial
Full-screen ad shown between natural transitions in mobile apps via AdMob / Display.
Full-screen interstitial inside apps →Display — Rewarded video
User-initiated video ad in mobile apps. Viewer trades a full watch for an in-app reward (lives, currency, content).
Opt-in video for in-app reward →Display — sidebar banner
Right-rail or sidebar banner on Display Network publisher sites. Responsive sizing.
Responsive image/HTML5 →Display — in-article
Native-style unit injected between paragraphs of publisher content.
Responsive native unit between paragraphs →Display — Anchor / overlay
Sticky bottom anchor unit that stays pinned at the bottom of mobile web pages on the Display Network.
Sticky bottom anchor banner (mobile web) →Maps — Promoted pin
Color-pinned ad on Google Maps showing brand logo, location, and a sponsored callout.
Branded pin + sponsored callout on map →Google Business Profile callout
Sponsored slot rendered on or alongside a Google Business Profile, often visible from Search and Maps.
Sponsored block on the business profile →Local Services Ads — top of SERP
Top-of-SERP profile cards for service businesses. Pay-per-lead, not per click. Trust-mark required.
Profile card with Google Guaranteed badge →GBP — sponsored sidebar row
Sponsored slot that renders inside the Google Business Profile sidebar on branded local queries — between the profile callouts and the 'reviews from the web' module.
Sponsored row inside knowledge panel sidebar →Maps app — Explore feed
Sponsored place card in the Google Maps mobile Explore / For-You feed, distinct from the in-map promoted pin.
Promoted place card in mobile feed →Search — Top text ads
The 1–4 slots above the organic results. The most valuable real estate on the open web.
Headlines + descriptions + sitelinks →Search — Bottom text ads
Text ads served below the organic results. Lower CTR, often lower CPC, useful for long-tail queries.
Headlines + descriptions →Search — Shopping carousel
Horizontal product carousel at the top of commercial SERPs. Pulls from the Merchant Center feed.
Product cards (image, price, merchant) →Search — Shopping right rail
Product grid pinned to the right side of the SERP on desktop. Often serves alongside the carousel.
Product card grid →Knowledge panel sidebar
Sponsored cards appearing inside or adjacent to a brand's knowledge panel. Brand-defensive placement.
Sponsored card next to brand search →Local pack (SERP)
The 3-pack of local listings on the SERP. The top result is paid when bidders are present.
Map + 3 local listings, top slot sponsored →AI Overviews — sponsored links
Sponsored links rendered inside the AI Overview answer block at the top of qualifying searches. Newest auction surface; eligibility still expanding.
Sponsored links inside AI-generated answer →Search — Images tab
Sponsored Shopping tiles interleaved with organic image results in the Images vertical.
Shopping product tiles in image results →Search — Videos tab
Sponsored video thumbnails in the Videos vertical of Google Search.
Sponsored video result →YouTube — Skippable in-stream
Plays before/during/after a YouTube video. Skippable after 5 seconds. Charged on view or action.
Video, skippable after 5s →YouTube — Non-skippable in-stream
Up to 15-second video, no skip option. Charged on CPM.
Video, 15s, unskippable →YouTube — Bumper
Six-second unskippable video. Optimized for reach and frequency. CPM priced.
Video, 6s, unskippable →YouTube — In-feed video
Video thumbnail surfaced on YouTube home, search results, and watch-next column. User clicks to play.
Thumbnail + headline in feed →YouTube Shorts
Vertical video ads inserted between organic Shorts in the swipe feed.
Vertical video in Shorts feed →YouTube Masthead
Premium reserved placement at the top of YouTube home for 24 hours. Bought direct, not auction.
Top-of-home video unit (reservation) →YouTube — Companion banner
Companion banner that renders next to a skippable in-stream ad on YouTube desktop. Persists after the video ad ends.
300×60 static banner beside in-stream video →YouTube — Overlay ad
Lower-third overlay rendered on top of an organic video on YouTube desktop. Display-network sourced.
Semi-transparent text/image overlay on video →YouTube — Connected TV
YouTube ads served on TV apps (Roku, Apple TV, smart TVs, game consoles). Different creative + measurement profile than mobile/desktop.
Non-skippable in-stream on TV screens →Related tools & guides
Operator workflows linked from the placement map — playbooks, identification flow, specs, and glossary depth.
Questions operators ask
An ad placement is the specific surface where a paid ad actually renders — the Search results page, a YouTube pre-roll slot, Gmail's promotions tab, a Reels feed, a Display banner on a publisher site. A single campaign type can fan out to many placements; this tool maps every one.
Keep going
- What is this ad? — surface to campaign eligibilityReverse lookup: pick a Meta, TikTok, or Google ad surface and see which campaign types can buy it.Open →
- Ad Specs — current dimensions, file weights, and aspect ratiosSearchable reference for current ad specs across every major paid platform. Monitored daily, sourced.Open →
- Placement playbooks — operator checklistsChecklists for Performance Max surfaces, Demand Gen vs Video, Meta Feed/Reels, TikTok in-feed vs Pangle, and Shopping.Open →
- Policy Watch — paid media policy change trackerAdvertising policy changes across Meta, Google, TikTok, LinkedIn, Amazon and more. Sourced from official changelogs.Open →