Google App campaigns: HTML5/Playable is a documented asset type—with eligibility limits
Analysis
By Juliet Ramos, Playable Production Editor — 3 min read
View author profile
Current Google Ads Help eligibility for HTML5/Playable assets in App campaigns—sizes, upload caps and where playables are not eligible.
Google Ads Help currently lists HTML5 (described together with Playable ads) as a non-store asset type for App campaigns. Producers should treat playables as documented and eligible for App campaigns for installs, with explicit non-eligibility for pre-registration and engagement App campaigns. Announcement dates are not stated on the cited pages and remain unknown.
What the documentation currently requires
Asset types for App campaigns includes an HTML5 section that:
- Requires orientation meta tags (portrait, landscape, or both).
- Requires upload as a .ZIP with maximum size 5 MB and no more than 512 files.
- Allows up to 20 .ZIP files per ad group.
- Requires UTF-8 for non-ASCII characters and responsive design for full-screen sizes.
- States sound and video are supported for HTML5 ads for App campaigns.
- Links to the dedicated HTML5/Playable article and the HTML5 Validator tool.
About HTML5/Playable ads for App campaigns restates those package rules and adds eligibility and measurement facts:
- Not eligible to serve on App Campaigns for pre-registration and App Campaigns for engagement.
- AMPHTML assets are not supported in App campaigns.
- Sound should not be enabled before the user interacts with a Playable ad.
- Engagements are billed on a cost-per-engagement (CPE) basis; conversions counted when a user installs within 30 days of an Engagement (per the article’s conversion-window note).
- HTML requirements if not using Google Web Designer include
<!DOCTYPE html>,html/bodytags, orientation meta, explicit end tags, relative paths inside the ZIP, and limited allowed external library hosts;ExitApi.exit()(via exitapi.js) for custom CTA, else Google may inject an Install button.
What is recommendation, not eligibility
Tips about using Google Web Designer components, diversifying assets, or creative best practices on adjacent pages are not treated here as eligibility gates. Store assets pulled from the Play listing are separate from uploaded HTML5/Playable packages.
Who should act, and how
- Brief HTML5/Playable only for install App campaigns—not ACE or pre-registration.
- Keep each ZIP ≤ 5 MB / ≤ 512 files, ≤ 20 ZIPs per ad group; validate with Google’s HTML5 Validator before upload.
- Confirm orientation meta and muted-until-interaction audio behaviour.
- Expect CPE billing for HTML5/Playable engagements, distinct from other App campaign asset economics.
Applicability table
| Provider / field | Dates | Applies to | Documented change / value | Owner | Next check |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Google Ads — HTML5/Playable asset type | Unknown; docs current 19 Sep 2026 | App campaigns (installs) | Documented non-store asset type | Playable producer | Re-read asset-types page |
| Package | Unknown | Same | .ZIP ≤5 MB; ≤512 files; ≤20 per ad group | Playable producer | Validator + weigh ZIP |
| Eligibility exclusions | Unknown | Pre-registration & engagement App campaigns | HTML5/Playable not eligible | UA buyer | Do not brief playables on ACE/prereg |
| Sound | Unknown | Playable HTML5 | No sound before user interaction | Creative QA | Device check |
| Billing | Unknown | HTML5/Playable serve | CPE on first interaction/click | Media buyer | Confirm column mapping |
| Announcement date | Unresolved | — | Unknown | Desk | Watch Google Ads Help updates |
Download the applicability table.
Limits of this record
Body-reads Google Ads Help articles only. No Google Ads account inventory was inspected. Effective/announcement dates stay unknown.
Research checked 19 September 2026. Local draft; human editorial review and byline assignment pending.
Featured
Related posts
media buying
playable ads
·1 min read
When midcore playables should stay out of a network: kill criteria
media buying
playable ads
·1 min read
Rewarded placement map: session minute versus ad load
media buying
playable ads
·1 min read
Interstitial after fail: documented host rules vs design habit
media buying
playable ads
·3 min read