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The Ads section lets you configure ad integration, set frequency rules, and monitor ad performance.

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Ad account setup

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Account models

Choose how to manage your ad inventory:

Self-managed

You control everything
  • Connect your own Google Ad Manager account
  • Manage demand partners directly
  • Full control over ad units and settings

Platform-managed

We optimize for you
  • shortkit manages your ad operations
  • Optimized fill rates and CPMs
  • Revenue share model

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Self-managed setup

  1. Go to Ads → Configuration
  2. Select Self-managed
  3. Enter your Google Ad Manager credentials:
    • Network code
    • Ad unit ID
  4. Click Verify to test the connection

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Platform-managed setup

  1. Go to Ads → Configuration
  2. Select Platform-managed
  3. Complete the enrollment form
  4. Our team will set up your ad inventory
  5. You’ll receive access to revenue dashboard

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Ad frequency

Control how often ads appear in the feed.

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Frequency modes

Show an ad every N content videos:
Ad frequency: Every 5 videos
Settings:
  • Interval: Number of videos between ads (3-10)
  • First ad after: Videos before first ad (default: 3)

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Configuration

  1. Go to Ads → Configuration → Frequency
  2. Select mode
  3. Configure settings
  4. Preview impact on sample feed
  5. Save changes

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A/B test frequency

Test different ad frequencies:
  1. Go to Experiments → Create New
  2. Select Ad Frequency type
  3. Define variants (e.g., every 4 vs. every 6 videos)
  4. Monitor metrics: ad revenue, watch time, retention

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Native ad styling

Customize how ads appear in your feed.

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Styling options

SettingDescription
Sponsored label text”Sponsored”, “Ad”, “Advertisement”
Label positionTop-left, top-right, bottom-left, bottom-right
Label stylingColors, font size, background
Border/dividerVisual separation from content

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Preview

See how ads will appear:
  1. Go to Ads → Configuration → Styling
  2. Adjust settings
  3. Preview on simulated feed
  4. Save when satisfied

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Ad performance

Monitor ad metrics at Ads → Performance.

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Key metrics

MetricDescription
ImpressionsAd views
Fill rate% of ad requests filled
CPMRevenue per 1,000 impressions
RevenueTotal earnings
Completion rate% of ads watched to end
Click-through rate% of ads clicked

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Dashboard views

  • Overview: Summary metrics and trends
  • By date: Daily breakdown
  • By content: Which content generates most ad revenue
  • By geography: Revenue by region
  • By device: iOS vs. Android vs. Web

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Filters

Filter performance data by:
  • Date range
  • Ad unit
  • Device type
  • Geography
  • Content tags

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Revenue reporting

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Revenue dashboard

View earnings at Ads → Revenue:
  • Daily/weekly/monthly revenue
  • Revenue trends
  • Top-performing content
  • Revenue by geography

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Payout information (Platform-managed)

For platform-managed accounts:
  • Monthly payout schedule
  • Payment threshold
  • Payout history
  • Tax documentation

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Export revenue data

  1. Select date range
  2. Click Export
  3. Download CSV with:
    • Date
    • Impressions
    • Fill rate
    • CPM
    • Revenue

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Ad troubleshooting

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Low fill rate

If fill rate is below expected:
  1. Check ad unit configuration
  2. Verify geographic targeting matches your audience
  3. Review content categories for brand safety
  4. Contact your ad ops team (self-managed) or shortkit support (platform-managed)

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Ads not appearing

If ads aren’t showing:
  1. Verify SDK has ad controls enabled
  2. Check frequency settings (might be too infrequent)
  3. Verify ad network connection
  4. Check for ad blockers in test environment

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View ad requests

Debug ad delivery:
  1. Go to Ads → Debug
  2. Select date/time range
  3. View ad requests:
    • Request time
    • Fill status
    • Response time
    • Error (if any)

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Brand safety

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Content categories

Map your content tags to ad categories:
  1. Go to Ads → Configuration → Categories
  2. Map content tags to IAB categories
  3. Set exclusions (e.g., no alcohol ads on family content)

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Block lists

Block specific advertisers:
  • By domain
  • By category
  • By keyword

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Best practices

Begin with lower ad frequency (every 6-8 videos) and increase gradually while monitoring retention.
Watch session length and return rates. If they drop after increasing ad frequency, pull back.
Use A/B testing to find optimal ad frequency for your audience.
Native-styled ads that match your feed perform better than disruptive formats.

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Next steps

Ad integration guide

Technical setup for ad integration.

A/B testing

Test ad frequency configurations.