Audience Planning
Part of Buying gaming ad inventory
Reviewing a gaming placement list before launch
Check game identifiers, format, device, Australian eligibility, substitutions and reporting before approving a gaming placement list.
Review a gaming placement list as the record of where the campaign is allowed to run. Check each proposed row against the brief, resolve unidentified inventory and approve a dated version before launch. Game names alone cannot establish the device, ad position or supply path being approved.
Request identifiable rows
Ask for separate rows where the game, app, format, device or supply path differs materially. Each row should include the public title and store or platform identifier where available; seller or deal; ad format and position; eligible market and devices; proposed dates; estimate; and approval status. Show inventory the seller cannot name as an explicit category.
An app ID helps distinguish similar titles and platform editions. It does not identify a scene or virtual surface. For an intrinsic placement, request a surface or placement identifier and an example of the player view.
For an interstitial or rewarded unit, ask when it appears and which player action, if any, starts it. Review of a game’s content against brand suitability rules is a separate decision.
Key Requirements for Gaming Placement Approval
- Required Identifier Types
- App ID, public title, store/platform ID, seller/deal info
- Ad Format Clarity
- Must specify interstitial, rewarded, or other positions
- Australian Market Eligibility
- Confirmed via ATO-compliant targeting and local context rules
- Approval Status Tracking
- Each row must show: approve / seek detail / exclude
Decide row by row
Mark each row approve, seek detail or exclude. Check the Australian eligibility rule, device, format, context, creative requirements and reporting detail. If an estimate includes inventory beyond the identified rows, ask how much remains within the approved scope.
“Mobile puzzle games” does not identify an app or ad position. A named app plus “video” still leaves open whether the ad is rewarded, an interstitial or served on a game-world screen. Record the missing field and who will resolve it.
For Display & Video 360 app buying, verify proposed identifiers and effective targeting settings in the platform before approval. Confirm the effective device and environment settings, not just the selected app name.
Control changes and unknown supply
Ask whether the list is fixed, updated during the campaign or illustrative. Define who may add a title, when a replacement needs approval and how the approved version will be used for trafficking. A substitute should receive its own review.
Ask what the delivery report can identify, and how inventory with missing valid app IDs or URLs or low volume will be handled.
If named-placement proof is essential, agree before launch whether such inventory is excluded or reported separately. An app-ads.txt authorised-seller listing can help check who is authorised to sell an app’s inventory.
Save the dated list with approved rows, exclusions, unresolved fields and substitution rules. Ask for the first delivery report to identify differences from that approved version.
