Ad Network Guide
Playable Ads for Vungle (Liftoff Monetize)
Vungle is one of the longest-standing names in mobile in-app video advertising, having pioneered high-quality rewarded video in mobile games before the category had a standard name. Acquired by Liftoff in 2021, Vungle now operates as the publisher-facing monetisation arm of the Liftoff group. Its SDK is embedded in thousands of mobile apps, with a particularly strong concentration in casual games, mid-core titles, and lifestyle apps. Vungle's publisher network spans both iOS and Android with a global footprint, though its audience depth is strongest in North America, EMEA, and Southeast Asia.
Playable ads on Vungle replace or extend the standard rewarded video slot. Publishers who have integrated Vungle's SDK for video monetisation can also serve playable creatives in the same rewarded and interstitial placements. Because Vungle's legacy is in high-quality video with strong completion rates, advertisers on its network expect polished creative execution, and Vungle's moderation team applies that same standard to playable reviews. A well-produced playable on Vungle's network can achieve strong eCPMs because premium publishers bid competitively for interactive creative inventory. MRAID 2.0 is the technical standard, with Vungle's own message for the store exit.
The Playable Ads Maker generates a ZIP with one self-contained ad.html at its root, MRAID 2.0 initialisation included and your CTA posting the message Vungle's container listens for, parent.postMessage('download','*'), rather than calling mraid.open(). A playable also posts 'complete' once the player has really played (three or more interactions), never on the click itself; an end card posts 'download' only, never 'complete'. The ad also pauses and resumes when Vungle sends ad-event-pause and ad-event-resume. Vungle also accepts a bare HTML file. You upload the ZIP to the Vungle dashboard under Creative Library, select Playable HTML as the type, and add it to a campaign. Vungle's dashboard is distinct from the Liftoff DSP platform. Advertisers running UA campaigns through Vungle typically use the Vungle dashboard for creative management and may also have access to the broader Liftoff campaign management interface depending on their account setup.
Export specifications
| Specification | Value |
|---|---|
| Accepted format | ZIP, or a single .html |
| Playable Ads Maker exports | ZIP (ad.html at the root) |
| Published size limit | 5 MB |
| Playable Ads Maker builds to | 5 MB |
| MRAID | MRAID 2.0 |
| Store-exit call | parent.postMessage("download") |
| External requests | None allowed at runtime |
| Parent company | Liftoff Mobile Inc. (acquired 2021) |
| Review time estimate | 1–2 business days |
Size, format, MRAID and store-exit rows are taken from Vungle (Liftoff Monetize)’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 ZIP into the free Playable Ad Spec Checker and it will grade it against these Vungle (Liftoff Monetize) requirements (size, packaging, MRAID and the store-exit call) in your browser, with nothing uploaded.
Check my Vungle (Liftoff Monetize) playable adHow to upload to Vungle (Liftoff Monetize)
- Build your playable in the Playable Ads Maker. Vungle's publisher network favours polished visual quality. Invest in high-resolution background imagery and smooth animation rather than maximising complexity.
- Select the Vungle preset in the Export modal and download the ZIP. Open it and confirm ad.html sits at the root of the archive, not inside a folder.
- Check the size. Vungle publishes 5 MB: if the export is over, compress your images further before re-exporting.
- Log in to the Vungle dashboard at publisher.vungle.com with your Vungle account credentials (not your Liftoff login if these are separate).
- Navigate to Creative Library in the top navigation bar. Click Add Creative and select Playable HTML from the format dropdown.
- Upload the ZIP and fill in the required metadata: creative name, target platform (iOS/Android/Both), and the store URL for the advertised app.
- Once the creative passes Vungle's automated check, navigate to Campaigns and attach it to your active UA campaign's ad group. Submit the campaign for review and activation.
File size tip
Vungle (Liftoff Monetize) publishes a limit of 5 MB; Playable Ads Maker builds Vungle (Liftoff Monetize) exports to 5 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 Vungle (Liftoff Monetize) playable ads
Vungle's audience is conditioned to complete full rewarded video sessions
Because Vungle built its reputation on rewarded video with strong completion rates, its publisher apps often structure the reward grant around ad completion rather than just starting the ad. Your playable should be designed to reach a clear, satisfying end state within 15–20 seconds so users receive their reward signal and are left with a positive impression of the ad experience. An open-ended playable that does not reach a conclusion can frustrate players waiting for their reward and generate negative publisher feedback.
Use the Vungle Creative Labs resources to align with publisher expectations
Vungle publishes creative best-practice guides through its Creative Labs program, including benchmarks for average engagement time, CTA placement, and animation complexity across different game categories. Before finalising your playable design, review the most recent Creative Labs recommendations for your genre. Creatives that align with these benchmarks pass moderation faster and are more likely to be featured in Vungle's premium publisher slots, which carry higher CPMs.
Vungle and Liftoff have separate campaign management interfaces
After the 2021 acquisition, Vungle and Liftoff continue to operate separate dashboard products. Vungle's dashboard focuses on the publisher SDK network (the Vungle publisher supply). Liftoff's dashboard at platform.liftoff.io focuses on the DSP buying side with ML optimisation. If your goal is UA campaign management with ROAS optimisation, you may want to work with your Liftoff account manager to run campaigns through the Liftoff DSP, which automatically accesses Vungle publisher inventory alongside other exchange inventory.
Playable Ads Maker does the Vungle (Liftoff Monetize) packaging (ZIP (ad.html at the root)), wires the parent.postMessage("download") store exit and inlines every asset when you export.
Build your playable ad