YouTube campaigns run primarily on YouTube placements and are designed for brand awareness and consideration. YouTube ad groups define your target audiences, while engaging creatives capture their attention, driving stronger video ad engagements. You can set up YouTube ad groups and creatives in both Blueprint Editor and Manage > Accounts.
Setting up YouTube campaigns
In Blueprints
Go to Automate (rocket icon) in the left menu.
Select Blueprint Editor.
Click + Blueprint on the top-left. Choose Build from Scratch. Enter a name for the Blueprint and choose a vertical. Alternatively, select an existing Blueprint from the list.
Toward the bottom of the Blueprint, click + New Campaign and select YouTube.
Enter a Name.
Under Goal, pick an ad objective (None or Awareness and Consideration).
Select a campaign Sub-Type (Video Views, Efficient Reach or Non-skippable In-stream). Note: Available sub-types vary depending on the selected campaign goal.
Ad formats populate under Multi-Format Ad Types based on the sub-type chosen. Keep all or remove ad types by clicking the X.
Note: When selecting Non-skippable In-stream (beta) as the Sub-Type, you can toggle on Get more options for non-skippable ads with different durations. If you don't select this option, you can still use standard non-skippable ads.
Continue filling out the campaign settings as needed.
Click Save Changes.
In Manage
Go to Manage (globe icon) in the left menu.
Select Accounts and click on the account where you'd like to create a new campaign.
Select the Campaigns tab and click the + in the top-right.
Choose YouTube as the advertising channel.
Enter a Campaign Name.
Under Goal, pick an ad objective (None or Awareness and Consideration).
Select a campaign Sub-Type (Video Views, Efficient Reach or Non-skippable In-stream). Note: Available sub-types vary depending on the selected campaign goal.
Ad formats populate under Multi-Format Ad Types based on the sub-type chosen. Keep all or remove ad types by unchecking the box.
Note: When selecting Non-skippable In-stream (beta) as the Sub-Type, you have the option to toggle on Get more options for non-skippable ads with different durations. If you don't select this option, you can still use standard non-skippable ads.
Continue filling out the campaign settings as needed.
Scroll to the top and click Save and Continue.
Setting up YouTube ad groups
In Blueprints
After creating a campaign, click + New Ad Group toward the bottom-right—you may need to scroll down.
Enter a Name, and configure the additional settings.
Click Save Changes.
Notes:
Toggle on Optimized Targeting/Audience Expansion under Basic settings to allow Google to find similar audiences and extend your reach.
To see additional settings, such as Tracking & Remarketing, toggle on Show Advanced Fields under Save Changes.
You can also add YouTube videos to Performance Max and Discovery (Demand Gen) Blueprint campaigns.
In Manage
Go to a YouTube campaign in one of your accounts.
Click the + in the upper-right to create a new ad group.
Alternatively, continue from the campaign create flow.
Enter an Ad Group Name, and configure the additional settings.
Click Save and Continue.
💡 Learn about the Skippable-in-stream format available in the Video Ad Format field.
Configuring YouTube creatives
In Blueprints
After creating an ad group, open the Creatives dropdown.
Click + New Creative toward the bottom—you may need to scroll down—and then select YouTube Ad.
After configuring the basic settings, scroll down to Creative Assets.
Enter in the details for the creative, using tags to support scalability.
Click Save Changes.
In Manage
Go to a YouTube campaign and then an ad group.
If needed, go to the Ads tab and click the + in the top-right.
Alternatively, continue from the create flow.
Select YouTube Ad as the Creative Type.
Enter the details for the creative (e.g., long headline, description, etc.).
Click Save.
YouTube creative specifications
Note: Video action campaigns were replaced by Demand Gen in July 2025.
Field | Required | Specifications/Notes |
Long Headline | Yes | Max 90 characters |
Description | Yes | Max 90 characters |
Yes | Max 255 characters | |
No | Max 10 characters (Optional) Max 30-character headline that accompanies the CTA | |
No | Max 90 characters Used when CTA is added | |
Video URL | Yes | Select from Media Sources Use a YouTube link or the direct link to a video file (must be a public) |
Long Headline | Yes | Max 90 characters |
No | Used for UTM or 3rd-party tracking |
Troubleshooting: YouTube ads require both a long headline and at least one description. If either is missing, the ad may fail to publish or return a server error. To fix the issue, add valid long headlines and descriptions, and then republish the ad.