Traffic & Channels
Preroll
A video ad that plays before the requested video content.
A preroll is a video ad that plays before the video content the user actually requested, on platforms like YouTube and across video ad networks. The viewer's attention is guaranteed for at least the unskippable seconds, making preroll one of the few formats where the buyer controls a captive moment rather than fighting for an incidental glance.
For performance buyers, preroll lives mostly inside YouTube campaigns via Google Ads, where the first five seconds decide everything — the hook must land before the skip button appears. It suits verticals that benefit from demonstration: betting apps, trading, casino gameplay. Costs run higher than display, so preroll usually earns its place mid-funnel or in geos where video CPMs stay reasonable.
In buyer speech
“The new preroll hooks the win moment in the first three seconds — skip rate dropped and installs are up 20%.”