Google Display Campaigns: Responsive Display Ads, Sizes and Placements

What a Display campaign is

Google's overview of Display ads and the Google Display Network says Display campaigns "serve visually engaging ads on the Google Display Network", which "helps you reach people as they browse millions of websites, apps, and Google-owned properties (such as YouTube and Gmail)." The difference from search ads is timing: the Display Network "can help you capture someone's attention earlier in the buying cycle", before they start searching. If you are new to Google Ads, read our guide to how Google Ads works first.

Smart Display campaigns no longer exist as a separate type. Google says they "have been integrated into the standard Display campaign offering" and that existing ones migrated "without any action needed on your part." In the new Display campaign you choose how much automation to use for bidding, creatives and targeting. Two defaults matter:

• Creatives: "By default, your Display ads are responsive (unless you're using uploaded Display ads)."
• Targeting: "Optimized targeting is set as the default targeting method for your Display campaigns."

Two timing points from the same page help when you launch: changes to bids, budget or targeting "can take 12–24 hours to apply", and a new campaign or bid strategy may show a Learning status "for up to 7 days". Google suggests setting up a campaign a few days before launch with a future start date.

Display is moving into Demand Gen

Google is folding Display campaigns into Demand Gen. Its page Google Display Ads campaigns have a new home in Demand Gen says "your ability to serve ads on the Google Display Network remains the same" and "Customers looking to buy Display only campaigns can continue to do so." The timeline Google gives:

• June 2026: a phased rollout of a migration tool, so eligible advertisers can move existing Display campaigns themselves. It carries over "performance history (dating back to 42 days)".
• Coming later: "New Google Display Ads campaigns can only be created within Demand Gen."
• Coming later: remaining eligible Display campaigns "will be automatically migrated" without any action from you.

Two points before you migrate: "Campaigns that are migrated to Demand Gen can't be reverted back to Google Display Ads campaigns", and the tool reports features it does not support yet, such as a responsive display ad without a logo. The assets, placements and brand safety settings below still apply to Display Network inventory. Our Demand Gen guide covers that campaign type and its YouTube, Discover and Gmail channels, and our guide to YouTube video ads covers Video campaigns.

Responsive display ads

Google's page about responsive display ads explains the model: you upload images, headlines, logos, videos and descriptions, and "Google AI will generate ad combinations for websites, apps, YouTube, and Gmail." Ads change "size, appearance, and format" to fit the space, so the same ad "might show as a banner ad on one site and a dynamic text ad on another." Google adds that it "may use Asset enhancements, stock images, and AI-generated assets such as backgrounds and images". Check your account's asset settings if you want to control that.

If you add videos, they "are shown instead of images whenever Google Ads determines that your videos could drive better performance." Your ads also "may not show all of your assets", and can show without images to reach more ad spaces.

After launch, the asset report shows example ads and how Google rates each asset. Google's page on common ad sizes sums up the trade-off: responsive ads leave "the work of creative testing and optimization to Google", while static image ads "do not adapt to ad slots and do not evolve based on performance."

Image, logo and text specs

Google's instructions for creating a responsive display ad list these image and logo sizes:

• Landscape image (1.91:1): 1200 x 628 pixels, minimum 600 x 314.
• Square image: 1200 x 1200 pixels, minimum 300 x 300.
• Landscape logo (4:1): 1200 x 300 pixels, minimum 512 x 128.
• Square logo: 1200 x 1200 pixels, minimum 128 x 128.
• File size: "Maximum file size: 5120 KB" for each.

The text assets:

• Short headline: "at least 1, or up to 5 headlines, of 30 characters or fewer".
• Long headline: "90 characters or fewer".
• Description: at least 1, up to 5.
• Business name, shown exactly as you type it, and a final URL for the landing page.

Optional extras are a call to action text and, for dynamic ads that use a product feed, promotion text and a price prefix. Google's advice on promotion text is short: "Be specific about your offer" and "Promotional text should never repeat your brand name." Videos are added as YouTube links.

Image ads must also meet Google's ad format requirements, which say: "We don't allow Non-family safe ads in image ads, video ads, and other non-text ad formats."

Uploaded image ads and their sizes

If you want full control over the design, you can upload finished image ads instead. Google's uploaded display ads specifications set these rules for image ads:

• File types: GIF, JPG or PNG, maximum 150KB.
• Common sizes: 300 x 250 inline rectangle, 336 x 280 large rectangle, 250 x 250 square, 200 x 200 small square, 728 x 90 leaderboard, 160 x 600 wide skyscraper, 300 x 600 half-page ad, 320 x 50 mobile banner and 320 x 100 large mobile banner. The page lists further sizes, and notes that some "will show only in certain regions."
• Animation: "Animation length must be 30 seconds or shorter", loops must stop after 30 seconds, and "Animated GIF ads must be slower than 5 FPS".

HTML5 ads have their own eligibility rules, and Google's list includes an account "open for more than 90 days" with "more than $9,000 USD total lifetime spend", so most small advertisers will use image or responsive ads. Google also suggests adding responsive assets alongside uploaded ads, to cover "the spaces where your custom display ads may not fit."

Optimized targeting and other targeting

Google's page about optimized targeting says it "looks at information like keywords on your landing page or in your creative assets, then finds audiences that can meet your campaign's goals." You can add signals such as audience segments or keywords, but "If optimized targeting finds better performing traffic, it may reduce or stop serving traffic on your signals." To limit ads to the audiences you chose, "you can turn it off in your ad group settings."

Points worth knowing before you rely on it:

• "Your ads may show to users beyond your selected signals."
• "Placements will not be used as a signal and your ads will only show on the placements that you provide."
• It may also go beyond your age, gender, household income and parental status choices ("demographic expansion"), though you can restrict that to age and gender.
• "Optimized targeting respects your existing brand safety settings (such as content exclusions)."

Google's page on targeting for Display campaigns describes the manual options: target people (audience segments, demographics) or content (keywords, topics, placements). It also explains the two settings: Targeting narrows who sees the ad, while Observation "won't change who can view your ads or where they can show" and only reports on them. Each extra layer of targeting generally narrows reach. Showing ads to past visitors is covered in our guide to remarketing audiences.

Choosing and excluding placements

Google's page about placement targeting defines a placement as "a website or a specific page on a site, a mobile app, video content, or even an individual ad unit." You can pick placements to target, and "If a specific website you target has an equivalent app, your ads can also show there." Popular sites may need higher bids. Topics, placements and keywords now sit together on one Content page.

Exclusions often matter more for a small budget. Google's guide to excluding webpages and videos says you can exclude placements "at the Campaign , Ad group , or Account level", by URL, app ID or video ID, and keep reusable exclusion lists. Account-level placement exclusions now also apply to the Search partner network. Mobile app traffic is managed with device targeting (computer, tablet and mobile) and individual app exclusions.

Brand safety and content suitability

Google's page about content suitability explains that its policies already keep ads off content that cannot be monetized, and that "Brand safety controls for Display and Video campaigns are set up at the account level". On top of that you can choose:

• Inventory type: from "Maximum inventory", which shows ads "across all available inventory" and "automatically excludes highly sensitive content", to "Limited inventory", which "is intended to exclude as much sensitive content as possible".
• Sensitive content exclusions, such as sensitive social issues, which apply to the Display Network and Google video partners.
• Digital content labels from DL-G (general audiences) to DL-MA (mature audiences), to exclude content above a maturity level.

Tighter settings mean fewer places your ads can appear, so start with what your brand truly needs and check where ads ran after the first weeks.

Getting started

1. Set up conversion tracking first; Display bidding and optimized targeting rely on conversion data.
2. Prepare landscape and square images and logos at Google's recommended sizes, five short headlines, a long headline and several descriptions.
3. Send clicks to a page built for the offer; our landing page guide covers what it needs.
4. Set your account-level content suitability and an exclusion list before launch.
5. Decide whether to keep optimized targeting on, add signals, or turn it off and target manually.
6. Allow 12–24 hours for changes and up to 7 days of learning, then review assets and where ads ran.

Frequently asked questions

Are Display campaigns going away?

Display Network ads are not going away, but the campaign type is moving. Google says new Display campaigns will later only be created within Demand Gen and remaining ones will be migrated automatically; a migration tool has been rolling out since June 2026, and migrated campaigns cannot be reverted.

What image sizes do I need for responsive display ads?

Google lists a landscape image at 1200 x 628 pixels (minimum 600 x 314) and a square image at 1200 x 1200 (minimum 300 x 300), plus a 4:1 logo at 1200 x 300 and a square logo at 1200 x 1200. Each file can be up to 5120 KB.

How long can the headlines be?

Short headlines can be 30 characters or fewer, and you can add up to 5. The long headline can be 90 characters or fewer.

What happened to Smart Display campaigns?

Google merged them into the standard Display campaign. Existing Smart Display campaigns were migrated automatically, and you now choose how much automation to use for bidding, creatives and targeting.

Can I stop my ads showing in mobile apps?

Google manages this through device targeting (computer, tablet and mobile) and by excluding individual apps as placements, at campaign, ad group or account level.

Should I turn off optimized targeting?

It depends on the goal. Google's own examples keep it on to find new customers and turn it off when a campaign should reach only an existing customer list. With it on, ads may show to people beyond the signals you add.

Need landing pages your Display ads can send people to, with conversion tracking set up properly? See our website development service and all our services, or email [email protected].