Instream advertising in Blue Billywig plays video ads before, during, or after video content. There are two ways to configure instream ads: using ad schedules or using ad units with line items. Both approaches use a VAST tag provided by your ad server and are linked to a playout.
Ad schedules are the recommended approach for most setups. Use ad units with line items only when your situation requires features that ad schedules do not support.
1.0 | Instream Formats
1.1 | Pre-roll
A pre-roll is a video ad that plays before a media clip. Because the viewer has actively chosen to watch the video, they are already engaged, making pre-roll a high-attention placement. Pre-roll lengths are usually between 15 and 30 seconds long.
1.2 | Mid-roll
A mid-roll plays at a defined point during video content. Because the viewer is already engaged in the content, mid-rolls tend to perform well, but placement matters. Interrupting at a natural break reduces drop-off. Mid-roll is only available via ad schedules.
1.3 | Post-roll
A post-roll plays after the media clip has ended. Its benefit is that it is the last message a viewer receives, and viewers who reach the end of a video are typically highly engaged, giving post-rolls a higher conversion rate. The trade-off is reach: post-rolls are only seen by viewers who watch to the end.
2.0 | Choosing a configuration approach
2.1 | Ad schedules (recommended)
Ad schedules group one or more instream ad units into a schedule attached to a playout. All clips in that playout follow the same schedule. This is the simplest and most flexible setup, and the only way to configure mid-roll ads.
Use ad schedules when:
- You want pre-roll, mid-roll, and/or post-roll on a playout
- All clips in the playout should receive the same ad treatment
- You want a straightforward, maintainable configuration
2.2 | Ad units with line items
Ad units with line items offer more granular control at the cost of greater setup complexity. Each ad unit holds a VAST tag, and line items within that ad unit define targeting conditions and playback behaviour.
Use ad units with line items when:
- You need per-clip targeting: a specific ad unit should only activate for certain media clips
- You need frequency capping when using the Blue Billywig VAST Service at the session or page-load level (e.g. show this pre-roll only once per session). Read more about the Blue Billywig VAST Service
- You need device-specific targeting when using our VAST Service; for example, a different pre-roll for mobile vs. desktop. Read more about the Blue Billywig VAST Service
- You require a complex fallback chain: multiple line items in priority order with waterfalling between them
Do not use ad schedules and ad units with line items on the same playout. The player prioritises ad schedule data, which means line items on the same playout may not behave as expected.
3.0 | Next steps
If you are using ad schedules:
- Ad Schedules: create a schedule and attach it to a playout.
If you are using ad units with line items:
- Instream Ad Unit General Settings: configure your ad unit and add a VAST tag.
- Positions: link your ad unit to a playout and define when it plays.