Facebook ad breaks allow advertisers to insert video ads during the middle of videos on Facebook. When a video has an ad break, the video will pause at a certain point and a video ad will play before the original video continues. Ad breaks provide advertisers with more opportunities to show video ads to viewers who are actively engaged watching video content.
How do ad breaks work?
Ad breaks function similarly to how commercials work during television programming. At certain intervals during a video, the video will pause and an advertisement video will play. Once the ad finishes, the original video will resume where it left off.
Facebook enables video publishers to insert these mid-roll ads in videos that are 3 minutes or longer. The ad break will occur at least 20 seconds into the video. Publishers can choose when to insert the ad break based on natural pauses or breaks in the content. For example, they may choose to place an ad break in between topic changes or after an introduction portion of the video.
When a viewer watches a video that contains an ad break, the video will pause at the predefined time and a video ad or other ad format will appear. The viewer must watch the ad before being able to continue watching the original video. Skip ad options are not available for ads within video ad breaks.
Benefits of video ad breaks
Video ad breaks provide benefits for both advertisers and publishers on Facebook:
- For advertisers, ad breaks allow for more video advertising inventory and opportunities for targeting engaged users. By inserting ads during natural pauses in videos, advertisers can reach viewers who are actively watching content.
- For publishers and content creators, ad breaks provide a way to monetize long-form video content over 10 minutes. The additional ad inventory also provides more revenue earning opportunities for video content.
- For viewers, some may appreciate ad breaks as they allow for natural breaks during long videos. The pauses may provide opportunities for viewers to look away from the screen or take a break from viewing.
Ad break requirements and policies
Facebook has specific policies and requirements in place for video ad breaks:
- Videos must be at least 3 minutes long in order for publishers to insert an ad break.
- Ad breaks can only be inserted between 20 seconds and 6 minutes into the video.
- Only one ad break is allowed per video.
- The ad break must be at least 20 seconds long.
- Ads cannot be longer than the video content itself.
- Ad breaks are only enabled on videos published natively on Facebook, not other embedded videos.
Facebook also prohibits ad breaks in certain types of video content, including live videos, 360 videos, augmented reality videos, and videos set as “made for kids.”
Video ad formats for ad breaks
Different types of video ad units can be served during Facebook ad breaks, including:
- In-stream video ads – full-screen video ads that play before, during or after video content.
- Rewarded video ads – full-screen video ads that viewers can opt into watching in exchange for an in-app reward.
- Bumper ads – short format in-stream video ads 6 seconds or less in length.
Image or display ads cannot be inserted into video ad breaks. The ads served must be video ad formats. This provides a more seamless user experience that continues the video viewing rather than interrupting it with static display ads.
How to create ad breaks
Ad breaks can be enabled for video posts published natively on Facebook Pages or within Facebook videos. To create an ad break:
- Upload or create a video that is at least 3 minutes long.
- Go to the video publishing options and select “Monetization.”
- Toggle on the option for “Ad Break.”
- Select when you want the ad break to take place. You’ll see thumbnail previews of the video to choose an insertion point.
- Insert a title and description for the ad break.
- Publish the video as normal.
Once published, the video will now contain an ad break at the predefined time. Advertisers can bid to have their video ads run during the ad break through Facebook’s advertising auction system.
How advertisers buy ad break placements
For advertisers wanting to run video ads during Facebook video ad breaks, they can target and bid on this placements just like other video ad inventory.
Within Facebook’s ad buying platform, advertisers can see and target video posts and individual videos that contain ad breaks. By increasing their bids, advertisers can try to win the ad auction to have their ads shown during the break.
Advertisers purchase video ad break placement through an auction, paying only when their ad is displayed during a video. The price they pay is based on the ad auction and their max bid amount.
To target ad breaks, advertisers choose video placements and filter inventory that contains “Ad Breaks”. They can refine targeting further by selecting video categories, lengths, etc. By actively bidding on ad break inventory, advertisers can get their video ads viewed by engaged in-stream audiences.
Reporting metrics for ad breaks
Facebook provides metrics and reporting on ad break video ad performance, including:
- Ad break reach – Number of unique users who had ad breaks served.
- Ad break completions – Number of times ad breaks were played to completion.
- Average percent completed – Average percentage of ad break that viewers watched before skipping.
- Ad break clicks – Number of clicks on the video ads.
Analyzing these metrics can help advertisers determine the engagement and performance of their ad break placements. The completion rate and percentage completed are especially helpful for assessing viewer patience and drop-off rates for longer video ads.
Best practices for ad breaks
Some best practices for publishers and advertisers to maximize ad break effectiveness include:
- Insert ad breaks at natural pause points to avoid disrupting the video flow.
- Keep ad break titles simple and relevant to the surrounding video content.
- Limit ad break length to 30-60 seconds for higher completion rates.
- Use targeted bidding strategies focusing on relevant audience segments.
- Test different ad creative styles and lengths.
- Analyze reporting metrics to optimize based on completions and viewability.
Frequently asked questions
Can you have multiple ad breaks in one Facebook video?
No, Facebook only allows one ad break per video. Each video can only contain a single mid-roll ad break.
Do ad breaks work on Facebook videos uploaded natively or embedded?
Ad breaks only work on videos uploaded directly to Facebook, not videos embedded from YouTube or other sources.
Can you skip Facebook ad break videos?
No, the skip button is disabled for video ads shown during Facebook ad breaks. Viewers must watch the full video ad before continuing the video.
Do video creators make money from ad breaks?
Yes, publishers and creators earn a portion of the revenue generated from ads in video ad breaks. This provides an additional monetization stream for long-form video content.
Are ad breaks available on Facebook mobile apps?
Yes, ad breaks work on iOS and Android devices in the Facebook mobile apps. Ad breaks function seamlessly within mobile video content.
Conclusion
Facebook video ad breaks offer a way for both publishers and advertisers to benefit from mid-roll video ads. By inserting brief ads during natural pauses, publishers can monetize long videos while minimizing disruption. Meanwhile, advertisers can reach engaged audiences and avoid ad blocking in free video content. When implemented strategically, video ad breaks provide valuable monetization of premium video content on Facebook.