Ad Network Guide
Playable Ads for AppLovin MAX
AppLovin MAX is both a mediation platform and a direct DSP, which is unusual among mobile ad networks. On the mediation side, MAX runs one in-app bidding auction that pulls in demand from dozens of networks at once, and its CPMs are among the highest in mobile gaming. On the DSP side, AppLovin's own buying algorithm bids in that same auction, using the large first-party install and event data it has from the AppLovin platform and its own games. One creative upload reaches placements across hundreds of thousands of mobile apps.
Playable ads suit AppLovin MAX because most of its publisher inventory is casual and mid-core games, where players are used to interactive ads and likely to try a new title. AppLovin's bidding algorithm learns which creative formats drive post-install events, and playables often get higher bids than video when the engagement signal is strong. As a result, a well-designed playable on MAX tends to achieve lower effective CPI than its video equivalent within the same campaign.
AppLovin MAX needs only a single self-contained HTML file. The Playable Ads Maker generates this from the AppLovin preset, with MRAID 2.0 wired to your CTA and all assets inlined. It follows AppLovin's playable guidelines for you: it waits for MRAID to be ready, never sends the player to the store on their first interaction, starts the ad's timer only after that first interaction, keeps sound muted until the first tap, and shows a fallback instead of a blank screen if WebGL is unavailable. AppLovin end cards are static images, so an interactive end card is not an AppLovin creative; export the full playable instead. You upload the file to AppLovin Creative Console at dash.applovin.com under Creatives, link it to an ad set in your Campaigns, and it begins serving across both MAX mediation demand and the AppLovin DSP. There is no separate submission process for MAX versus DSP inventory. One upload covers both.
Export specifications
| Specification | Value |
|---|---|
| Accepted format | Single .html |
| Playable Ads Maker exports | Single HTML file |
| Published size limit | 5 MB |
| Playable Ads Maker builds to | 4 MB |
| MRAID | MRAID 2.0+ |
| Store-exit call | mraid.open() |
| External requests | None allowed at runtime |
| Supported orientations | Portrait and landscape |
| Review time estimate | 12–24 hours |
Size, format, MRAID and store-exit rows are taken from AppLovin MAX’s own documentation; “Playable Ads Maker builds to” is our exporter’s own target. Every network side by side: playable ad size limits by network.
If you already have a build, drop the HTML file into the free Playable Ad Spec Checker and it will grade it against these AppLovin MAX requirements (size, packaging, MRAID and the store-exit call) in your browser, with nothing uploaded.
Check my AppLovin MAX playable adHow to upload to AppLovin MAX
- Design and fully preview your playable in the Playable Ads Maker, checking both portrait and landscape orientations if your target audience spans multiple game genres.
- Open the Export modal and tick AppLovin. The preset wires MRAID, inlines all assets, and wires the CTA to mraid.open(). Download the resulting HTML file.
- Check the downloaded file size. AppLovin publishes 5 MB and notes that smaller files perform better; Playable Ads Maker holds AppLovin builds to 4 MB for margin. If it is over, reduce image quality or remove unused animation scenes.
- Log in to AppLovin Creative Console at dash.applovin.com with your AppLovin account credentials.
- Navigate to Creatives in the top navigation bar, click Upload Creative, and select Playable HTML as the creative type.
- Upload the HTML file. AppLovin's validator checks for MRAID presence, file size, and asset inlining automatically and returns a pass/fail result within a few seconds.
- Link the validated creative to an ad set inside a Campaign, set your store URL and CPI or ROAS goal, and submit the campaign for moderation review.
File size tip
AppLovin MAX publishes a limit of 5 MB; Playable Ads Maker builds AppLovin MAX exports to 4 MB. If your export is too large, reduce image resolution, switch to WebP at 75–80% quality, or trim animation frame counts in the Playable Ads Maker Export modal. The live size estimate updates as you adjust each setting.
Tips for AppLovin MAX playable ads
Supply multiple creative variants for AppLovin's creative testing system
AppLovin Creative Console has a built-in A/B testing feature that automatically rotates creatives within a campaign and shifts spend toward top performers. Upload at least two or three playable variants with different opening hooks (a fast action variant versus a slow tutorial variant, for example) and let AppLovin's system find out which works best for each audience segment. Campaigns with multiple creatives consistently outperform single-creative campaigns on the MAX platform.
Design for interstitial placements between rewarded video sessions
A large portion of AppLovin MAX inventory serves playables as interstitials between rewarded video segments in casual games. Here the player has just watched an ad and is about to return to their game: receptive, but with little patience. Keep your playable interaction under 15 seconds, front-load the most engaging mechanic in the first 3 seconds, and make the CTA visible from the moment the experience begins.
Avoid audio autoplay. It triggers rejection on many MAX publishers
Many publishers in the AppLovin MAX network disable autoplay audio in their ad configurations because audio ads reduce player satisfaction scores. Playables that rely on sound effects for core mechanic feedback can feel broken in these placements. Make the interaction understandable without sound, and if you include audio, make it optional and triggered by tap rather than autoplay.
Playable Ads Maker does the AppLovin MAX packaging (Single HTML file), wires the mraid.open() store exit and inlines every asset when you export.
Build your playable ad