Demand Gen ad specs: image, video and carousel

This guide is built from Google Ads Help: Demand Gen campaign creative: Asset specifications and guidelines, image asset specifications, video asset specifications and product feed specifications. How the campaign type works (audiences, bidding, conversions) is in our Demand Gen guide; specs for YouTube Video campaign formats are in our YouTube ad specs guide.

Where Demand Gen ads show

Google's specification page says the formats run "across Discover Feed, Gmail, YouTube videos, YouTube Search Results, YouTube Watch Next, YouTube Home Feed, YouTube Shorts, Google Display Network websites, and apps." Each placement crops and arranges assets differently, which is why Google asks for several ratios. It also offers downloadable image, video and logo templates on the same page, and suggests using the in-platform preview to check how ads will look.

Google is also moving Display campaigns into Demand Gen: from June 2026, eligible advertisers can migrate existing Display campaigns, and later new Display campaigns can only be created as Demand Gen.

Image sizes and ratios

All images are .jpg or .png, up to 5 MB:

• Square 1:1: minimum 300x300, recommended 1200x1200.
• Horizontal 1.91:1: minimum 600x314, recommended 1200x628.
• Vertical 4:5: minimum 480x600, recommended 960x1200.
• Vertical 9:16: minimum 600x1067, recommended 1080x1920, "Recommended for YouTube Shorts".

For 9:16 images, Google says safe zones "are similar to 9:16 videos": keep text and logos out of the areas covered by YouTube's buttons and captions, shown on Google's video ad specs and safe zones page.

Logo

Square 1:1, recommended 1200x1200, .jpg or .png, up to 150 KB. Gmail shows the logo as a circle, and Google notes that "roughly 5.36% on each of the 4 corners will be cropped", so keep the mark away from the corners. For video ads, Google says "YouTube formats will use only the square logo uploaded during ad construction, and no longer default to the YouTube channel logo."

Headlines, descriptions and business name

• Headline: up to 40 characters, up to 5 per ad; Google suggests at least 3 unique ones.
• Long headline (video ads only): up to 90 characters, used in in-feed video on Discover and YouTube.
• Description: up to 90 characters; at least 3 unique ones suggested.
• Business name: one required, up to 25 characters.
• Call to action and final URL or URL path, plus sitelinks; promotion assets are available on YouTube Shorts and in-stream when you use a Merchant Center feed.

Google's set-up page adds that "a unified Ad shares headlines, descriptions, and URLs across all uploaded images and videos", so put assets with one message or offer in the same ad and test other themes in separate ads.

Single image ads

Image ads combine images with headlines and descriptions, which Google assembles into different combinations for each placement: Discover, YouTube Home, Search and Watch Next feeds, Shorts, Gmail and the Display Network. You can add up to 20 images per ad. Square and horizontal are the base; vertical and 9:16 are optional, and Google says "Upload 3 of each aspect orientation for maximum placement coverage."

Carousel ads

A carousel is a swipeable set of image cards, shown in the order you upload them. Google's specs:

• Cards: 2 to 10 images, one per card, horizontal, square or (optionally) vertical. "Aspect ratio must be consistent across all cards", so make a separate carousel for each ratio.
• Ad-level headline and description: up to 40 characters each; they show whichever card is visible.
• Card headline: up to 40 characters, not used on Discover.
• Final URL: each card can link to its own landing page.

Google adds that "Carousel ad formats aren't available when using GMC product feed with Demand Gen", that carousels cost the same as single image ads, and that if one card is disapproved the others still serve.

Video ads

Video ads serve on YouTube in-stream, in-feed and Shorts, Discover, Gmail and the Display Network. Google's specs:

• Ratios and HD sizes: horizontal 16:9 (1920x1080), square 1:1 (1080x1080), vertical 4:5 (1080x1350) and vertical 9:16 (1080x1920, recommended for Shorts).
• Length: at least 5 seconds. "Videos less than 10 seconds are ineligible to serve on YouTube In-stream", and Google suggests "videos with more than 15 seconds" for the widest reach.
• Count: 1 to 5 videos per ad.
• Hosting: "You can't upload an offline video." Videos must be on YouTube; use an unlisted video if you don't want it on your channel. Google lists MPEG-2 or MPEG-4 files up to 256 GB for the upload.

Sound depends on placement: Shorts plays with sound on by default, while Discover, the YouTube Home feed, Gmail and the Display Network start muted. Google says you can run video ads without sound, so make sure the first seconds work without it. On Shorts, Google may use any headline, long headline or description as the ad's description.

Product feed ads

With a Google Merchant Center product feed linked, Demand Gen can show your products alongside images or video. Google requires at least one available product in stock, and says it "Strongly recommend having a min. of 50 approved products for optimal performance." A linked feed doesn't mean products show in every ad. On Shorts, one format shows four slightly animated product images from the feed.

Uploaded display ads

For the Display Network you can upload finished static image ads: .jpg, .png or non-animated .gif, up to 150 KB, up to 20 per ad. Google's recommended sizes are 300x250, 336x280, 728x90, 970x90, 160x600, 300x600 and 320x50. "Animations aren't supported. Use still images only."

What Ad Strength asks for

Google's Ad Strength page rates Demand Gen ads from Incomplete to Excellent based on asset coverage:

• Good needs "all 3 aspect ratios: horizontal, square, and vertical formats for both videos and images." For video, one horizontal video plus video enhancements (Google generating square and vertical versions) also counts.
• Excellent needs three of each image ratio, plus 3 distinct headlines and 3 distinct descriptions; for images Google sets these at 30 or more and 60 or more characters.
• A vertical image can be either 4:5 or 9:16.

Ad Strength is a guide to coverage, not a performance score; ads also need to meet the YouTube and Discover Feed ad requirements to be approved.

Where Google's pages differ

• Logo minimum: the asset tables on the image, video and product feed pages say 128x128; the main specification page and the ad format tables say 144x144. Use at least 144x144 (better 1200x1200) and you meet both.
• Horizontal image ratio: the specification pages say 1.91:1, while the Ad Strength table writes "horizontal image (16:9)". Upload 1.91:1 images as the specs say.

How we prepare Demand Gen creative

This is our own practice, not Google's guidance:

• We design each image at the recommended sizes in all four ratios from one layout, with the key message in the centre so crops don't cut it.
• We edit video as 16:9, 1:1 and 9:16 versions rather than relying only on automatic resizing, and make the first seconds work muted.
• We keep headlines under 30 characters where we can, so they fit tighter placements, and write descriptions that still make sense on their own.
• We use one ad per offer, so headlines always match the images they appear with.

If you want help creating or running Demand Gen ads, see our services.

Frequently asked questions

What image sizes does Demand Gen use?

Square 1:1 (recommended 1200x1200), horizontal 1.91:1 (1200x628), vertical 4:5 (960x1200) and vertical 9:16 (1080x1920), .jpg or .png up to 5 MB.

How long can a Demand Gen headline be?

Up to 40 characters. Long headlines for video ads and descriptions can be up to 90 characters.

What is the minimum video length for Demand Gen?

5 seconds, but videos under 10 seconds can't serve on YouTube in-stream. Google suggests more than 15 seconds.

How many cards can a Demand Gen carousel have?

2 to 10 image cards, all in the same aspect ratio, each with its own optional headline and landing page.

Can I upload a video file directly to Demand Gen?

No. The video must be on YouTube; it can be unlisted if you don't want it shown on your channel.

For other ad specs, see our guides to YouTube Shorts ads and Google Ads image assets.