Complete Guide

Your ultimate blueprint to maximize in-app revenue using the most profitable ad sizes, formats, and placements for mobile games and apps.

Why Mobile Ad Sizes Matter More Than Ever (Especially for Games & Apps)

In 2025, the mobile gaming industry is projected to exceed 150 billion dollars in global revenue, with nearly 70–90 percent of earnings for casual, hyper-casual, puzzle, arcade, fitness, learning, and utility apps coming directly from ads.

This is why the correct ad size, the correct placement, and the correct timing directly determine:

• Maximum ARPDAU
• Higher CTR
• Strong eCPM
• Better retention
• Zero policy violations

If the ad size is incorrect:
• Users may quit
• Retention decreases
• eCPM drops
• The app may get flagged for poor user experience

Below is the complete and updated 2025 guide to the best mobile ad sizes for games and apps, along with examples and ideal gameplay flows for each placement.

Top Mobile Ad Sizes for Games & Apps in 2025

1. 300×250 Medium Rectangle

Best overall for in-app revenue

Why it works for games and apps:
• Fits inside gameplay UI without blocking action
• Loads quickly
• Highest demand across ad networks
• Ideal for between-level ads, pause screens, menus, and reward offers

Best placements (Game examples):
• Between levels
Example: Subway Surfers “Level Complete” screen with a 300×250 below the Next button.
• Pause menu
Example: Candy Crush pause screen with a small rectangle positioned under the options.
• Rewarded offer entry
Example: “Watch ad to get 2× reward” loads a 300×250 as the preview unit.

2. 320×50 Mobile Leaderboard

Perfect for bottom dock and anchor ads

Why it works:
• Non-intrusive
• Stays visible during menu navigation
• Best for apps with scrollable UI

Best placements (App examples):
• Bottom dock bar
Example: Fitness app calorie-tracker home screen with a bottom 320×50 anchor.
• Messaging or list-based apps
Example: Chat list screen where the 320×50 remains visible.

3. 320×100 Large Mobile Leaderboard

Twice the height, twice the engagement

Why it works:
• Higher CTR
• Stronger visibility
• Ideal for clean UI apps and games

Best placements (Game examples):
• Main menu
Example: A PUBG-style home screen with a 320×100 above the bottom menu bar.
• Store/shop screen
Example: “Buy Coins/Gems” page featuring a 320×100 banner.

4. 360×300 Medium Rectangle

High performer for 2025

Why it works:
• Ideal for landscape games
• Great for static screens
• High viewability on both mobile and tablet

Best placements:
• Settings screen
• Character customization
• Inventory UI

Example: RPG game inventory page showing a bottom 360×300 ad with strong CTR.

5. 336×280 Large Rectangle

Powerful, high-visibility ad format

Why it works:
• Bigger canvas → higher engagement
• Popular across Google AdX and AdSense
• Works perfectly for pre-level and post-level screens

Best placements:
• End-of-level summary
• “Try Again?” screens

Example: Temple Run fail screen with a 336×280 below the score summary.

6. 320×180 Video Ad Format

Best-performing size for rewarded video preview

Why it works:
• Perfect 16:9 ratio
• Google auto-transcodes high-resolution video
• Smooth playback across devices

Example use cases:
• Rewarded videos
Example: “Watch video to revive your character.”
• Bonus wheel ads
Example: “Spin the wheel” after previewing a 320×180 clip.
• Energy refill
Example: “Watch video to refill stamina.”

Rewarded videos consistently generate the highest revenue per user in mobile gaming.

7. Mobile Interstitial Ads (320×480 / 480×320)

Full-screen ads for natural breaks

Best placements in games:
• After completing a level
• After losing a life
• Before loading a new map or world
• When returning to the home screen

Never do this:
• Do not show on app launch
• Do not show during active gameplay
• Do not display during user controls or movement

Example: Hill Climb Racing shows a clean interstitial only after the run ends.

8. Rewarded Interstitial

Full-screen video or playable units

Why it works:
• User chooses to watch
• Zero intrusiveness
• Highest CPM among all formats

Reward options include:
• Revive the character
• Unlock a temporary boost
• Double coins or gems
• Open a premium loot box
• Get extra hints

Native Ads for Mobile Apps

Native ads blend with the UI and do not interrupt the user experience.

Best apps for native placements:
• News apps
• Quiz / trivia apps
• Horoscope apps
• Recipe apps
• Utility apps (VPN, cleaners, wallpaper apps)

Game example:
A trivia game showing a native card ad between questions that matches the theme colors.

Native ads typically increase CTR by 53 percent.

Video Ads in Games & Apps

Types of video ads:
• Rewarded videos
• In-stream video
• Playable video ads

Ideal duration:
• 6-second bumper ads
• 15 seconds
• 30 seconds maximum

Playable ad example:
A hyper-casual running game allowing the player to try a short demo before installation.

Playable ads deliver high install rates and strong revenue.

Best Practices for Mobile Games & Apps

1. Show ads only at natural breakpoints
   • Level complete
   • Pause screen
   • Home screen
   • Loading screen
   

Never during gameplay or controls.

2. Use the top-earning combination
   • Rewarded video
   • Interstitial
   • Banner/anchor
   

This is the strategy used by most top-earning mobile games.

3. Avoid accidental click placements
   Google may ban your account if ads overlap with:
   • Jump buttons
   • Joysticks
   • Pause buttons
   • Gameplay HUD elements
   
4. Use frequency caps for interstitials
   Recommended:
   • One interstitial every 2 minutes
   • Maximum 3–4 per session
   
5. Offer meaningful rewards for rewarded videos
   Examples:
   • Extra life
   • 30 gems
   • Power-ups
   • XP boost
   • Unlock next level
   

Reward must feel optional, not forced.

Example Ad Setup for Different Game Types

Hyper-Casual Runner Game:
• 300×250 on home screen
• Interstitial after each run
• Rewarded video for revive
• 320×50 anchor on leaderboard page

Puzzle Game:
• Rewarded video for extra moves
• Interstitial after every 2 levels
• 320×100 top banner in shop
• 336×280 between puzzle categories

RPG Adventure Game:
• Rewarded video for chest unlock
• 360×300 inside inventory
• Interstitial between quests
• Native ad in community/message board

Summary Chart (Quick Reference)

Ad Size	Best Use in Games/Apps	Strength
300×250	Menu, pause, between levels	Highest demand
320×50	Bottom anchor	Non-intrusive
320×100	Menu, store	High viewability
360×120	App screens	Modern clean layout
360×300	Inventory, character UI	Multi-device optimized
336×280	End-of-level screens	High engagement
336×336	Visual / reward screens	Eye-catching
320×180	Rewarded video	Best video format
320×480 Interstitial	Level breaks	High CTR
Rewarded Interstitial	Revive/double rewards	Highest eCPM

Google Display Ads (AdWords) Full Static Image Ad Size Guide (2025)

These are the official fixed-size static image ads you can upload directly to Google Ads (not responsive).

1. Most Common Uploadable Ad Sizes

Size (px)	Name
300 × 250	Medium Rectangle
336 × 280	Large Rectangle
728 × 90	Leaderboard
970 × 90	Large Leaderboard
970 × 250	Billboard
300 × 600	Half-Page
160 × 600	Wide Skyscraper
468 × 60	Standard Banner

2. Mobile Ad Upload Sizes

Size (px)	Name / Use
300 × 50	Mobile Banner
320 × 50	Mobile Leaderboard
320 × 100	Large Mobile Banner
300 × 100	Alternate Large Mobile Banner
250 × 250	Square
200 × 200	Small Square
300 × 200	Mobile Rectangle
300 × 250	Mobile Rectangle

3. Square & Responsive-Friendly Sizes

Size (px)	Type
250 × 250	Square
200 × 200	Small Square
300 × 300	Square Variant
600 × 600	Large Square

4. Vertical Ad Sizes (Accepted but Less Common)

Size (px)	Type
240 × 400	Vertical Rectangle
300 × 1050	Portrait
980 × 120	Panorama
120 × 600	Legacy Skyscraper

Google Policy Reminder for Static Image Ads

Google requires the following:

• Maximum file size: 150 KB
• Allowed formats: JPG, PNG, GIF
• Ads must be clear, readable, and high-quality
• No deceptive UI elements such as:
– Fake Play button
– Fake Close button
– Fake Download button
• No clickbait or misleading content
• No blurry, pixelated, or stretched images
• Ad must match landing page content
• If ad background blends with page background, a border is required

Animated GIF rules:
• Maximum length: 30 seconds
• Looping allowed
• No flashing or disruptive transitions

Bonus: Google Recommended Sizes (Best Reach & Performance)

Google’s highest-demand ad sizes include:

• 300 × 250
• 336 × 280
• 728 × 90
• 160 × 600
• 300 × 600
• 320 × 100
• 320 × 50
• 970 × 250

These sizes consistently deliver better fill rate, higher impressions, and stronger CPMs across the Google Display Network.

Important Clarification

Static image ads are fixed-size banners.

This means:
• Google does not resize them
• You must upload each size manually
• Each size is an individual creative
• They do not adapt to placements

Static Ads = Exact size required
Responsive Ads = Auto-adjust using multiple assets

Using the correct mobile ad sizes in mobile games and apps can dramatically improve:

• User retention
• eCPM
• ARPDAU
• Overall monetization

The most profitable 2025 setup is:
Rewarded Video + Clean Interstitials + Smart Banner/Native placements.

This is the system used by the top-grossing games on the Play Store and App Store.