BASIC FORMATS AND TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS FOR ADVERTISING CREATIVES IN YANDEX.DIRECT

Each advertising platform has specific guidelines for publishing creatives, meaning there is no universal size or parameter that can be applied across all services. Moreover, contextual advertising has additional requirements for both images and text.

In this article, we’ll examine the creative formats available for use in Yandex.Direct. Our QB Agency experts have created a brief guide on this topic.

Working with creatives in Yandex.Direct

In Yandex.Direct, contextual advertising is categorized into two types: search advertising and Yandex Advertising Networks (YAN) ads. In search advertising, an ad appears as a text description on the search engine result page. Meanwhile, YAN ads have different formats, including text and graphic, graphic-only, and even video ads on partner sites and mobile apps, all of which have their respective requirements.

For campaigns with graphic images, there are various formats available, except for search queries, which only allow textual contextual advertising.

Text creatives

The following are the fundamental requirements for text creatives:

• Title: It should not exceed 56 characters including spaces and punctuation marks. Additionally, there is a limit of 22 characters per word.
• Additional Title: It should not exceed 30 characters along with 15 punctuation marks. Similar to the title, there is a limit of 22 characters per word.
• Ad Text: It should not exceed 81 characters along with 15 punctuation marks, and there is a limit of 23 characters per word. However, the ad text might be truncated based on the parameters of the advertising platform.

Images

The technical requirements for images in Yandex.Direct include:

• Quality: Images must be clear and free from digital noise or blurring.
• Maximum file size: Images must be no larger than 10 MB.
• Additional elements: Additional elements, such as transition buttons, backgrounds, filling, and gradients, should occupy no more than ⅕ of the total image area.
• Format: Images must be in JPG, PNG, or GIF format. Note that animated GIFs will only show the first frame.
• Size: The size of the image will depend on the type of advertising and devices being used. For text and image banners, the size should be between 450 and 5000 pixels for the desktop version, with an acceptable aspect ratio of 1:1, 3:4, or 4:3. For mobile formats, the size should be between 1080×607 pixels and 5000×2812 pixels with a 16:9 ratio. Image banners can be of various sizes for any device, including 160×600, 240×400, 240×600, 300×250, 300×300, 300×500, 300×600, 320×50, 320×100, 320×480, 336×280, 480×320, 728×90, 970×250, 1000×120, 160×600, and 960×640.

Note that when displayed in the Yandex Advertising Network (YAN), ad blocks are optimized for the specific partner site’s display format. This means that uploaded images may be cropped, reduced, or displayed in horizontal or vertical formats, depending on the advertising platform. It is important to keep this in mind when designing a creative, and the formats should be specified when uploading the image to the ad.

There are three possible scenarios to consider when uploading images to Yandex.Direct:

1. In the first scenario, the ad format is strictly defined by certain criteria, and the aspect ratio and pixel size remain fixed. If the image does not fit the unit, it will not be stretched or shrunk.
2. The second scenario involves configuring each ad individually for specific sizes using a special constructor.
3. In the third scenario, the image size may not be fixed, and the format adapts to the requirements of the YAN website, resulting in a changed aspect ratio. It is essential to preview the publication to ensure that the image looks acceptable after resizing or adjustment.

The video format is important and should be given special attention when creating ads. Videos can be used in place of images for text and graphic ads on websites that allow animated content. Videos can also serve as full-fledged Display Advertising in various modes, such as InStream (playing at the beginning, middle, or end of the main video), InPage (between blocks of text), Interstitial (before uploading or changing content), Rewarded (for mobile versions, where users receive bonuses after watching the video), and InBanner (native placement in applications).

The technical requirements for video formats in Yandex.Direct are as follows:

• Duration: 5 to 60 seconds
• Maximum file size: up to 10 MB
• Formats: MP4, WebM, MOV, QT, FLV, AVI
• Resolution: from 360p
• Frame rate: from 20 frames per second
• Video codecs: H.264, VP6F, VP8, Theora
• Audio codecs: AAC, MP3, Vorbis
• Quality: from 44 kHz, 16 Kbit/s, stereo.

It is worth noting that video advertising has gained popularity among advertisers due to its ease of understanding and memorability. However, this does not mean that other advertising formats will become less effective.

The primary objective of contextual advertising in Yandex.Direct remains the same, regardless of the chosen format – increasing conversions. The more conversions, the better the outcome. VKontakte’s developers have set the same task for their platforms. Currently, the company is in the process of transitioning to the new VK Advertising service, which includes changes to the creatives’ formats.

To learn more about these changes, read the next part of our article. Don’t forget to sign up for our newsletter to stay up-to-date on useful and relevant marketing and advertising information.