Defining the interaction a playable ad should demonstrate

Give the playable one small lesson: demonstrate the product interaction most likely to make someone want to continue, not simply the easiest tap to animate. State the user action and the result it should reveal.

Candidate actions include tap, drag, aim, choose, match, swipe and customise. Other possible demonstrations include previewing a photo transformation, building a fitness routine, using a savings calculator or answering one learning-app quiz question.

Start with the campaign goal and the app feature or promise the ad should highlight. Rank candidate interactions by whether one short, guided action demonstrates that value better than a video, gives clear feedback and matches the real product; choose the strongest fit.

Write the definition as: The ad demonstrates [user action] on [product feature], then shows [immediate result]. For a learning app, that could be: The ad demonstrates choosing an answer to one quiz question, then shows feedback.

For a game, use an actual aiming, matching or choice mechanic; for another app, demonstrate a simplified but faithful task. Keep the controls close to the real experience.

If the full product has a different pace or outcome, label the preview clearly. Do not present a fabricated level as ordinary play.

Keep the flow to an instructional cue, one first action, feedback and a next step. Playable gameplay is described as lasting 15 to 60 seconds; Unity’s moderation checks also require a reasonable length before the final end screen and call to action.

Show the ad to people without explaining it. Check whether they understand the cue, perform the named action and understand the feedback; if they need help, revise the cue or interaction.

For Google Ads App campaigns, HTML5 assets should use responsive design; the listed dimensions are 320x480 portrait and 480x320 landscape. Upload guidance gives a maximum ZIP size of 5 MB, while troubleshooting guidance lists interstitial-dimension assets up to 5.2 MB; sound should not be enabled before the user interacts.

Unity checks that playable content is not too difficult and reaches the final call to action in a reasonable time. Use those checks alongside the one-action flow, then observe people trying the ad without explanation.

For this definition, check whether users understand and perform the action without explanation. Whether they reach the store deliberately and whether new installers perform the corresponding action in the app are separate follow-up questions.

A playful interaction can attract taps while teaching the wrong thing. Revise the mechanic before spending more to distribute it.