What should buyers check when a site runs autoplay video ads?
Part of MFA avoidance
The short answer
Autoplay video ads start without a click, either muted or with sound, in a player the reader may never have asked for. Buyers check whether the video relates to the page, whether sound is off by default, whether the player follows the reader as a sticky unit, and whether the seller's description of the placement matches what the page does.
Key takeaways
- The 2023 MFA definition lists autoplay video ads that flood a site as a sign of rapidly refreshing placements.
- The Coalition for Better Ads names auto-playing video ads with sound on desktop and mobile; ads that need a click to turn sound on did not fall beneath the standard.
- Chrome and Safari allow muted autoplay but restrict autoplay with sound, so sound on autoplay claims deserve a check.
- A sticky player can stay in view long enough to count as viewable without anyone choosing to watch it.
What are autoplay video ads?
Definition
- Autoplay video ad
- A video ad that starts playing without the viewer pressing play, on page load or when the player scrolls into view, with sound on or off by default.
The trade groups' 2023 definition, published by the 4A's (opens in a new tab), lists "Autoplay video ads flood the site" among the signs of rapidly auto-refreshing placements. That does not make every autoplay player a warning sign. A news site's video of the story at the top of the article and a muted player running unrelated clips beside a recipe are different products, and the difference is what a buyer pays for.
The IAB Tech Lab AdCOM 1.0 specification (opens in a new tab) gives the vocabulary sellers use to describe how a player starts and stops. Its playback methods list separates starts without user interaction from starts on click, and sound on from sound off. Its playback cessation modes describe what happens when the player leaves the screen.
| List and value | Definition in the specification | What it means on the page |
|---|---|---|
| Playback method 1 | Initiates without any specific user interaction with Sound On | The video plays with sound as the page loads |
| Playback method 2 | Initiates without any specific user interaction Sound Off by Default | Muted autoplay on page load |
| Playback method 5 | Initiates on Entering Viewport or scrolling into view with Sound On | Sound starts when the reader scrolls to the player |
| Playback method 7 | Continuous Playback: Media playback is set to play additional media automatically without user interaction | One clip follows another until the reader stops it |
| Cessation mode 3 | On Leaving Viewport Continues as a Floating/Slider Unit until Video Completion or when Terminated by User | The player detaches and follows the reader as a sticky unit |
Why do autoplay players matter in quality review?
Video inventory is priced on the idea that someone watched. Autoplay weakens the link between the impression and a viewer's choice. A reader who came for an article did not ask for the clip, the clip may have nothing to do with the article, and with sound off the message has to work without audio. None of that is fraud. It is a question of what the impression is worth.
The Media Rating Council's viewable impression guidelines (opens in a new tab) of August 2015 treat autoplay as a separate case. For ads in auto-play video, "the measurement organization cannot assume this video is viewable upon execution," and the guidelines recommend that "auto-play viewable counts be segregated from click-to-play viewable counts" when autoplay is material to a campaign. The same document says detection of audio "is not currently a requirement for a viewable video ad impression."
What do the Better Ads Standards say about autoplay with sound?
The Coalition for Better Ads lists auto-playing video ads with sound as an ad experience that falls beneath its standards on both desktop (opens in a new tab) and mobile (opens in a new tab). The desktop page describes ads that "play sound without any user interaction" and says they "catch the readers off guard." Both pages add a boundary: "Ads that require a click to activate sound did not fall beneath the Better Ads Standard," and the methodology "has not yet tested" pre-roll or mid-roll ads in video content relevant to the page. The Better Ads Standards guide covers how the standards are enforced.
Browsers set their own limits. Chrome's autoplay policy (opens in a new tab), launched in Chrome 66 in April 2018, says "Muted autoplay is always allowed," while autoplay with sound needs a condition such as the user having interacted with the domain. WebKit's July 2016 iOS 10 video policy (opens in a new tab) let muted video autoplay without a gesture, paused playback if a video is unmuted without a gesture, and paused autoplaying video when it is scrolled out of the viewport.
| Source | Muted autoplay | Autoplay with sound |
|---|---|---|
| Coalition for Better Ads | Not listed as an experience on its own; sticky and density combinations are listed separately | Listed as falling beneath the standards on desktop and mobile |
| Chrome autoplay policy | Always allowed | Allowed only when a condition is met, such as prior interaction with the domain |
| WebKit on iOS 10 | Allowed without a gesture; pauses when scrolled out of view | Playback pauses if a video is unmuted without a gesture |
| MRC viewability guidelines | Cannot be assumed viewable on start; counts kept apart | Audio detection not required for a viewable impression |
How do sticky video players affect viewability?
Under the MRC guidelines, a video ad counts as viewable when 50 percent of its pixels are in view and "2 continuous seconds of the video advertisement is played." A sticky player that detaches from the article and pins itself to a corner of the screen stays in view while the reader scrolls, so it meets that bar with little effort. The count is accurate; it just measures position, not attention.
The Coalition's mobile sticky pop-out video (opens in a new tab) page describes an autoplaying ad that starts inline and, once the inline player is out of view, "moves to the bottom of the viewport and scrolls down with the user," where "it obstructs the content." Player size matters too. AdCOM's instream definition says that if a player converts to floating or sticky, "subsequent ad calls should accurately convey the updated player size," so a buyer can check whether requests from a pinned player still claim the inline size.
How can a buyer check a site's video player?
A player check on three sampled articles
- Open each article fresh on a phone and a desktop. Use a private window so earlier visits to the domain do not change autoplay behavior.
- Note how the video starts. Record whether it plays on load, on scroll or only on click, and whether sound is on.
- Compare the clip with the article. Record whether the video is about the story or runs unrelated clips.
- Scroll past the player. Note whether it stops, keeps playing in place or detaches as a sticky unit.
- Try to close it. Record whether a close control exists and whether the player comes back on the next page.
- Count the players. Note how many video units load on one page and whether any start the next clip without a click.
Video player terms for a direct deal or private marketplace
- The seller states the playback method for each placement and confirms sound is off unless the viewer turns it on.
- Autoplay and click to play delivery are reported separately.
- Sticky players carry a close control and report their pinned size in later ad calls.
- Video placements in written articles are not sold or reported as instream.
- Continuous playback placements are identified so the buyer can include or exclude them.
Placement types and their fields are covered in the outstream video guide. The player check here is about the behavior on the page, which is what a reviewer can see directly.
What does a player review look like on a real brief?
Fictional example
A dash cam and car audio retailer in Oklahoma
An unnamed Oklahoma City retailer of dash cams and car audio systems asks its agency for an English online video plan in Oklahoma City and Tulsa, beside car care, road trip and local news content. The planner reviews the video players on each candidate before the list is approved.
A Tulsa automotive review site runs one player at the top of each review, showing the reviewer's own footage of the product. It starts on click with sound on. The planner keeps it as a priority placement.
A car tips site starts a muted player on page load beside every article, the clips cover unrelated topics, and when the reader scrolls the player pins to the corner of the screen with no close control. A second player then starts lower down. The planner records the behavior, keeps the site off the video line and sends it to review for the display plan.
How does PlacementGraph check video players before a site is listed?
Frequently asked questions
Is muted autoplay against the Better Ads Standards?
Muted autoplay is not listed as an experience on its own. The Coalition lists autoplay with sound, and on mobile it lists sticky pop-out video and sticky video paired with a large inline ad. A muted player can still fail through those combinations or through ad density.
Does an autoplay ad that plays off screen count as an impression?
It may count as served but not as viewable. The MRC viewable standard needs half the pixels in view for two continuous seconds of play, and WebKit pauses autoplaying video scrolled out of view on iOS. Ask the seller for viewable counts, not served counts, on autoplay lines.
Can one page carry several autoplay players?
It can, and that is one thing to record. AdCOM's instream definition expects the video to be the only player in view capable of audio, so a page with several players running at once is not delivering instream video, whatever the line item says.
Does video inside a banner follow video viewability rules?
Not under the MRC's 2015 guidelines. A footnote says banner ads with embedded video generally fall under the display criteria, one second in view, rather than the two second video rule. Check which rule a seller's report applies before comparing rates across placements.
Sources
- Leading trade groups define made for advertising websites (opens in a new tab)4A's (American Association of Advertising Agencies), September 26, 2023
- Ad Experience: Auto-playing Video Ads with Sound (Desktop) (opens in a new tab)Coalition for Better Ads
- Ad Experience: Auto-playing Video Ads with Sound (Mobile) (opens in a new tab)Coalition for Better Ads
- Ad Experience: Mobile Sticky, pop-out video ads (opens in a new tab)Coalition for Better Ads
- Autoplay policy in Chrome (opens in a new tab)Chrome for Developers
- New video policies for iOS (July 25, 2016) (opens in a new tab)WebKit
- MRC Viewable Ad Impression Measurement Guidelines, Version 2.0 (August 18, 2015) (opens in a new tab)Media Rating Council
- AdCOM 1.0, Lists: Playback Methods, Playback Cessation Modes, Plcmt Subtypes, Video (opens in a new tab)IAB Tech Lab
Researched and written by PlacementGraph Research. Read how we research, source and update these pages. Corrections: diana@placementgraph.com.