Free tool
YouTube ads
YouTube ad mockup
See your in-stream ad the way a viewer will - channel chip, skip button, headline and CTA - before you brief a single frame of video.
Everything runs in your browser. Nothing you type is sent or stored anywhere.
01 / Your ad
Five seconds to earn the rest
Your in-stream ad
0 / 40
Live preview
Skip ›
Skippable in-stream shown. The same assets serve Shorts, in-feed and the other Demand Gen surfaces in different arrangements.
02 / Specs
YouTube ad specs
| Skip button | Appears at 5 seconds on skippable in-stream |
| Skippable length | No maximum - most winning ads land between 15 and 60 seconds |
| Non-skippable | 15 or 20 seconds, depending on region |
| Bumper | 6 seconds maximum |
| Headline | Max 40 characters |
| Description | Max 90 characters |
| Campaign type | Video action campaigns were upgraded to Demand Gen in 2025 |
Source: Google Ads help on Demand Gen video and in-stream formats, checked August 2026.
03 / Answers
Frequently asked questions
Do I pay when someone skips my ad?
On classic cost-per-view bidding, you pay when someone watches 30 seconds, the whole ad if it is shorter, or interacts - a skip at second six costs you nothing. On Demand Gen and conversion-based bidding you pay toward impressions or conversions instead, but the principle holds: the first five unskippable seconds are the cheapest attention you will buy.
How long should a YouTube ad be?
Long enough to land one message. The brand and the offer belong in the first five seconds, because that is all the non-skippers grant you; 15 to 60 seconds covers most direct-response work. If the concept needs three minutes, it is a landing page, not an ad.
What happened to Video action campaigns?
Google upgraded them into Demand Gen, which serves video across YouTube, Shorts, Discover and Gmail from one campaign. The specs on this page reflect the Demand Gen limits - if you find a guide quoting the old Video action numbers, it predates the upgrade.
Do I need a YouTube channel to run video ads?
Yes. The ad creative is a video hosted on YouTube, so you need a channel to upload it - unlisted videos work fine. The channel name and avatar show in the top corner of the ad, exactly where the mockup puts them.
04 / More mockups
Preview the other platforms
Ad preview toolsComplete the copy section to see your ad preview across Google & Meta.Google ads preview toolA responsive search ad on a realistic results page, with live counts against the 30 and 90 character limits.Facebook ad mockup generatorA Facebook feed ad with the 125-character See more fold and Meta's real CTA buttons.Instagram ad mockupA Reels mockup with Meta's safe zones marked, so the UI never covers your copy.WhatsApp ad previewThe chat your click-to-WhatsApp ad opens - header, greeting and reply bar.
05 / Start
Make YouTube part of your marketing plan
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