Video reach campaigns: three ways to buy YouTube reach, and what each allows
Part of YouTube channel planning
The short answer
A video reach campaign is the Google Ads Video subtype built to reach as many unique people as possible for a budget, bid on target CPM. It offers Efficient reach, Non-skippable reach and Target frequency. The first two accept optional channel placements at the ad group level; Target frequency accepts no placements, topics or keywords.
Key takeaways
- Video reach campaigns sit under the YouTube reach, views, and engagements objective and optimize for unique reach at a target CPM.
- Efficient reach mixes bumper, skippable in-stream, in-feed and Shorts ads; Non-skippable reach uses bumpers and non-skippable in-stream ads; Target frequency aims at a weekly or monthly frequency.
- Target frequency does not support content targeting, Google video partners or shared budgets, and allows one ad group per campaign.
- Channel placements are optional in Efficient and Non-skippable reach, and Google advises against narrow content targeting there because it can restrict reach.
- Google's pages disagree on whether Target frequency can serve Shorts, so confirm the format list in the account.
What is a video reach campaign in Google Ads?
Definition
- Video reach campaign
- A Video campaign subtype in Google Ads that is optimized to reach as many unique users as possible for the budget and targeting, using bumper, skippable in-stream, non-skippable in-stream, in-feed or Shorts ads depending on the goal chosen.
Google's Video reach campaigns page (opens in a new tab) calls the subtype the next generation of buying reach in Google Ads and describes it for brand buyers with reach or awareness goals. A buyer creates one by choosing the YouTube reach, views, and engagements objective, the Video campaign type and Video reach as the subtype, then picking how to reach the goal. Google's setup page (opens in a new tab) has the buyer set a Target CPM bid, and its campaign estimates widget warns that a bid set too low may leave budget unspent or keep ads from serving in every selected format.
Reach here means unique people, not impressions. Google's reach and frequency measurement page (opens in a new tab) says unique reach is calculated with statistical models of behavior across browsers and devices, combined with inputs such as census and probability surveys, so the result counts people rather than cookies. Those metrics typically take up to 3 days to appear in the account, and frequency distribution is shown only for date ranges of 31 days or less.
What subtypes does a video reach campaign offer?
The subtype is a choice of how reach is bought, and it fixes the formats, the creative lengths and which targeting is allowed. Google lists three ways to reach the goal, with recommended orientations and lengths for each.
| Subtype | What it optimizes for | Formats | Recommended creative |
|---|---|---|---|
| Efficient reach | More unique users at a lower cost | Bumper and skippable in-stream, plus in-feed and Shorts when multi-format ads are on | A horizontal :15, a horizontal :06 and a vertical :06 to :60 |
| Non-skippable reach | Reaching people with the entire message | 15 second non-skippable, 30 second non-skippable mainly on connected TV, or bumpers mixed with 15 second ads (beta) | Horizontal :07 to :15, horizontal :16 to :30 for TV screens, bumpers :06 or less |
| Target frequency | Reaching the same people a set number of times per week or month | Multi-format by default, or a legacy in-stream only option | Horizontal :15 and :06; at least as many creatives as the frequency goal |
Google's Shorts buying guide for Video reach with Efficient reach (opens in a new tab) says Shorts ads within Video reach are only available with the Efficient reach goal. The Target frequency page describes multi-format Target frequency campaigns that include in-feed and Shorts ads by default, and the setup page's Target frequency composition lists only skippable in-stream, non-skippable and bumpers. The same Shorts guide also says Efficient reach charges when a user views the ad, while the setup page has buyers set a Target CPM bid. Both readings are stated here as of October 22, 2026; confirm the format list and billing basis in the campaign settings before buying.
How does target frequency work on YouTube?
Target frequency asks the system to reach people a chosen number of times each week or month and maximize unique reach at that frequency. Google's Target frequency page (opens in a new tab) says it is not a frequency cap: some people may see the ad more often than the target, offsetting others who see it less. It also lists the conditions that make the subtype behave differently from the other two.
| Rule | What Google says |
|---|---|
| Supported targets | Multi-format ads: 2 to 7 weekly or 4 to 12 monthly. Non-skippable, or skippable in-stream with bumpers: 2 to 4 weekly or 4 to 8 monthly |
| Format mixing | Non-skippable ads can be mixed only with other in-stream formats; selecting them turns off in-feed and Shorts |
| Structure | One ad group per campaign; shared budgets are not supported |
| Inventory | Frequency building does not work on Google video partners |
| Targeting | Contextual targeting is not supported; Google built or custom audience segments can be used |
| Demographics | Age and gender are respected; ads may reach people outside chosen household income or parental status |
| Flight | Run at least 7 days; flights of 2 to 4 weeks work best; mid flight pauses and late changes hurt frequency |
| Conversion | An existing campaign cannot be changed into Target frequency; a new campaign is needed |
Measure the result with average impression frequency per user over 7 days and the frequency distribution, which Google calls the preferred metrics, and allow for reporting delays of up to 72 hours. Reach Planner offers Target frequency in its plans with weekly targets of 2 to 4 and monthly targets of 4 to 8, per the About Reach Planner page (opens in a new tab), a narrower range than the multi-format targets the campaign accepts. The frequency capping guide explains how a cap differs.
Can video reach campaigns use channel placements?
Two of the three subtypes can. The setup steps for Efficient reach and Non-skippable reach both include an optional step to choose keywords, topics and placements at the ad group level, followed by Google's note that it does not recommend narrow audience and content targeting on Video reach campaigns because it can restrict reach. Target frequency lists topics and dynamic lineups, keywords and placements as content targeting types that are not supported.
| Subtype | Channel placements | What else changes with a channel list |
|---|---|---|
| Efficient reach | Optional, at the ad group level | Content targeting keeps in-feed ads out of the YouTube Home feed; a narrow list can restrict reach and leave formats unserved at low bids |
| Non-skippable reach | Optional, at the ad group level | Every impression is a full message, so the channel's tone carries more weight; a narrow list can restrict reach |
| Target frequency | Not supported | Plans rely on audiences, demographics, location and account level suitability settings |
| Reservation, Premier reach | Placement targeting selects a YouTube Select lineup | Lineups are packaged by Google; a custom channel list is not the input |
The Home feed row comes from Google's in-feed video ads page (opens in a new tab), which says content targeting in a campaign prevents ads from appearing there. The reservation row comes from Google's reservation setup guide (opens in a new tab). A brief that needs both a set frequency and named channels has to choose: a Target frequency campaign without the list, or an Efficient reach campaign with the list and a frequency cap, which the setup page allows per day, week or month. The YouTube placement targeting guide covers how the list is entered.
When should a plan use video reach?
Video reach fits briefs that are measured in people reached and times seen, not in views or actions. Google positions it for brand buyers with reach or awareness goals, for buyers who want one campaign with several formats instead of several campaigns, for messages that must be seen whole, and for building ad recall by reaching the same people repeatedly. Briefs measured in views of a longer message fit video view campaigns instead.
| The brief says | Subtype that fits | Trade off to explain |
|---|---|---|
| Reach as many people in the market as the budget allows | Efficient reach | Google decides the format mix; a channel list narrows it |
| Every viewer must see the full 15 or 30 second message | Non-skippable reach | Viewers cannot skip, so channel fit and creative length matter more |
| The same people should see the brand about three times a week | Target frequency | No channel list, keywords or topics; one ad group; no video partners |
| Ads must stay on an approved list of channels | Efficient or Non-skippable reach with placements | Google advises against narrow targeting, so expect less reach than a broad plan |
| The goal is views or engagement with longer creative | Not video reach | A views campaign bids on cost per view instead |
What does a video reach plan look like on one brief?
Fictional example
A barbecue sauce maker plans a summer launch in Alabama
An unnamed barbecue sauce maker launches a new bottled sauce in Birmingham, Huntsville and Mobile, Alabama, and wants English YouTube ads for adults over the summer. The client asks for two things: ads beside cooking, grilling and summer entertaining channels, and people seeing the brand several times a week.
The planner explains that no video reach subtype does both. The plan splits the budget. An Efficient reach campaign carries the approved channel list in its own ad group, with a weekly frequency cap, horizontal and vertical creative, and vertical enhancements turned off because the client approves every cut. A separate Target frequency campaign with a weekly goal of three runs on adult demographics and location only, for four weeks, with no mid flight pauses planned.
The client sign off notes that the Target frequency campaign cannot use the channel list or Google video partners, and that the Shorts format list will be confirmed in the account. No delivery or result figures are implied.
How does PlacementGraph prepare the channel side of a reach plan?
Frequently asked questions
Can a video reach campaign be bought on reservation?
Partly. Google's Efficient reach setup lets the buyer choose Auction or Reservation, while its Non-skippable reach and Target frequency steps start from Auction. The Target frequency page says reservation is supported only for non-mixed formats. Reservation terms and quotes follow Google's reservation setup guide.
Can an Efficient reach campaign cap frequency?
Yes. Google's setup page lets buyers cap impression frequency or view frequency under Additional settings, as a number per day, per week or per month. A cap limits the maximum; it does not aim for a frequency the way the Target frequency subtype does.
Can a Target frequency campaign build frequency on TV screens only?
Not as designed. Google says Target frequency is not optimized for single surface frequency delivery and that results may be weaker than in a multi surface campaign. Its suggestion is to raise bids for the surface of interest while keeping impressions eligible across all surfaces.
Can creatives be swapped during a Target frequency flight?
Yes. Google's Target frequency page says creatives can be swapped at any point. It also advises adding at least as many creatives as the frequency goal and not reusing creatives running elsewhere in the account, since campaign reporting then shows a lower average frequency than viewers actually saw.
Sources
- Video reach campaigns (opens in a new tab)Google Ads Help
- Create a Video reach campaign (opens in a new tab)Google Ads Help
- About Target frequency (opens in a new tab)Google Ads Help
- How to buy YouTube Shorts ads with Video reach campaigns (opens in a new tab)Google Ads Help
- Measuring reach and frequency (opens in a new tab)Google Ads Help
- About Reach Planner (opens in a new tab)Google Ads Help
- About in-feed video ads (opens in a new tab)Google Ads Help
- Set up a reservation video campaign (opens in a new tab)Google Ads Help
Researched and written by PlacementGraph Research. Read how we research, source and update these pages. Corrections: diana@placementgraph.com.