what are Html5 Ads
9 minutes read

In a world where all brands fight for attention, you must do your best to steal the spotlight. Otherwise, you won’t attract consumers.

Enter HTML5 ads—the perfect banner ad format to consider. They catch consumers’ attention more effectively thanks to rich media elements, such as videos, animations, and interactive features. Plus, they can be easily optimized for various devices and platforms.

In this article, you will find all about what HTML5 ads are, their benefits, requirements, and, most importantly, what to consider when designing your ads.

1. What are HTML5 ads?
2. What are the advantages of using HTML5 ads?
3. Types of HTML5 creatives
4. HTML5 ad specs on Google Ads
5. What to include in an HTML5 ad?
6. HTML5 ad examples

If you feel inspired and wish to create HTML5 ads right away, you can do so without any coding skills in Creatopy.

create and launch ad campaigns from start to finish

But first, let’s see what HTML5 ads are.

1. What Are HTML5 Ads?

First, you must understand what HTML5 is.

HTML5 (short for Hypertext Markup Language) is a language used to structure digital content like online ads or web pages. HTML5 is supported by every type of web browser on every operating system. Therefore, you don’t need any plugins to make it work. Those who remember Flash banners know what I mean.

Now, we can move on with the definition of HTML5 ads.

They are generally created using the HTML markup language alongside CSS and Javascript. To get a better idea, imagine an HTML5 ad is like a mini webpage with multiple file types (HTML, CSS, and JS). It’s like bringing a slice of the web’s interactivity directly into your advertising content.

2. What Are the Advantages of Using HTML5 Ads?

Now that you know what HTML5 ads are, it’s time to understand how your brand can benefit from using them in online marketing campaigns.

A. Enhanced creativity

When making HTML5 ads, you can be as creative as you want because this format offers a large variety of components to work with.

For instance, you can customize your ads by adding rich media content like videos and sounds. You can even add interactive elements or add different products dynamically to encourage the desired actions from viewers.

Simply put, you can create a versatile and immersive experience for your audience.

B. Increased ad performance

Thanks to their dynamic nature, HTML5 ads can definitely drive more engagement. They also load faster, leading to a smoother user experience. This is crucial for retaining user attention and reducing bounce rates.

Marketers who use HTML5 ads can check a number of metrics to analyze the performance of their ad campaigns. These can be impressions, click-through rate (CTR), conversion rate, and many others.

You can check out Google’s list of report metrics to discover all of them and see what information each one provides.

C. Compatibility across devices, browsers, and platforms

HTML5 ads are compatible with various browsers and devices, including desktops, laptops, tablets, and smartphones. Therefore, you can rest assured that the creatives will look great and ensure a smooth user experience at all times.

Moreover, HTML5 ads are accepted by many ad networks, including Google Display Network, so you won’t have any issues distributing your ads across the internet.

D. Dynamic content creation

While static ads maintain the same content at all times, the HTML5 format offers you the possibility to use data feeds and deliver content that adapts to meet the needs of your audience.

To display dynamically personalized HTML5 ads to your potential customers, you can take advantage of data such as geolocation, browsing history, demographics, and behaviors.

These data-driven insights make your ads more relevant to prospects and are likely to boost engagement rates.

E. No coding skills required

Since HTML is a markup language, you might think you need coding skills or a development professional to create HTML5 ads. Luckily, ad design tools nowadays allow anyone to create any type of online ad in a visual manner.

In platforms like Creatopy, the coding happens in the backend while you design in the front end.

Any marketer or designer can create HTML5 ads in our drag-and-drop editor by using videos, images, audio, or illustrations to put together a professional-looking creative.

3. Types of HTML5 Creatives

HTML5 ads come in various formats and styles, offering advertisers the possibility to choose the one that best serves their goals:

A. Display ads

HTML5 display ads are static or animated banners that usually consist of images, text, and basic animations. They have standard placements on websites or mobile apps and tend to have smaller file sizes than rich media ads or interactive ads due to having simpler content.

They may be prone to banner blindness because they are less interactive. However, you can avoid this and make your display ads stand out with personalized and visually appealing designs.

B. Rich media ads

Rich media ads include advanced features such as video, audio, or other dynamic elements that make viewers more interested.

Unlike regular HTML5 display ads, rich media ads are more complex in terms of design and functionality. They can sometimes use non-standard ad units or expandable ad formats that deliver a more engaging experience.

Google has a Rich Media Gallery filled with examples from popular brands that you can check out to see what this type of ad can look like.

C. Interactive ads

These HTML5 ads include interactive elements like clickable buttons, hover effects, and sliders, among others. They’re quite similar to rich media ads, but the main focus of interactive ads is on user engagement and active participation from the audience.

Interactive ads can be simpler in terms of design and smaller in file size compared to rich media ads because they don’t include as many multimedia elements.

D. AMPHTML ads

These are created using the AMP (Accelerated Mobile Pages) framework, an open-source project by Google. AMPHTML ads are designed to be lighter and load much faster. Thanks to this, they generally have higher viewability and better click-through rates.

They are secure and cannot spread malware because they are verified before serving. As a result, advertisers who use AMPHTML ads offer a safer user experience and foster positive brand perception.

4. HTML5 Ad Specs on Google Ads

Like all the other online ads, HTML5 ads have requirements in order to properly work on ad networks, especially on Google Ads, which is the most popular in the advertising world.

Therefore, if you want to publish HTML5 creatives on Google Display Network, you’ll have to pay attention to a few aspects, such as the length of the ad or the dimensions needed for different placements.

You can create your HTML5 ads in an ad design platform, such as Creatopy, or use Google Web Designer. However, for the latter, you must meet specific conditions.

A. You will gain access to HTML5 ads when your Google Ads account:

  • Has been open for more than 90 days
  • Has more than $9,000 in total lifetime spend
  • Has a good history of policy compliance

Now let’s get on with the HTML5 ad specifications for Google Ads:

B. The banner file size must be 150 KB or smaller.

C. The banner file type must be a ZIP file containing HTML and, optionally, CSS, JS, GIF, PNG, JPG, JPEG, or SVG.

D. The banner size must be:

  • 200 × 200: Small square
  • 240 × 400: Vertical rectangle
  • 250 × 250: Square
  • 250 × 360: Triple widescreen
  • 300 × 250: Inline rectangle
  • 336 × 280: Large rectangle
  • 580 × 400: Netboard
  • 120 × 600: Skyscraper
  • 160 × 600: Wide skyscraper
  • 300 × 600: Half-page ad
  • 300 × 1050: Portrait
  • 468 × 60: Banner
  • 728 × 90: Leaderboard
  • 930 × 180: Top banner
  • 970 × 90: Large leaderboard
  • 970 × 250: Billboard
  • 980 × 120: Panorama
  • 300 × 50: Mobile banner
  • 320 × 50: Mobile banner
  • 320 × 100: Large mobile banner

There are a few more HTML5 ad specs to keep in mind if you create your HTML5 ads in Google Web Designer:

  • All images used in HTML5 ads must be local images and should be part of a ZIP file;
  • Expandable ads are not supported;
  • For environment target actions, timers and multiple exits are not supported;
  • Local storage methods cannot be used in HTML5 ads;
  • Only Google web fonts are supported.

Things are much simpler when using Creatopy to design HTML5 ads. You’re able to do so right away and have all the predefined banner sizes at your disposal. Moreover, you can customize your HTML5 export to comply with the destination platform’s requirements or download custom HTML5 banner ads for any ad network.

create and launch ad campaigns from start to finish

5. What to Include in an HTML5 Ad?

If you want to create an HTML5 ad that your audience won’t ignore, you should consider the following:

A. Powerful imagery and concise text

To design a simple, impactful HTML5 ad, you should focus on images related to your products or services and tell your brand’s story. Pair the right imagery with a short and clear ad copy written in an easy-to-read font to capture your audience’s attention and convey your message effectively.

You can get some inspiration from our library of HTML5 templates. As for brand alignment, it’s easy to stay on the right track by creating a brand kit to keep all your assets together, including images, color palettes, logos, and official fonts.

B. Low compression for fast loading

When crafting HTML5 ads, it’s crucial to ensure seamless functionality for a positive user experience. Otherwise, you can create the most amazing ad, but your effort will go to waste if the user experiences delays or glitches during the loading process.

You should use low compression for your files to avoid functionality issues. Creatopy can help you with this, as it estimates the size of your HTML5 banner before downloading and allows you to adjust image quality.

C. Animation for higher impact

Yes, you can make HTML5 static banners, but why would you do it when animated banners are generally more effective? Not only does movement catch users’ attention, but animated ads have 5.5 times higher CTR than static ads.

If you have no experience with motion graphics and animating banner ads scares you a bit, there’s no need to worry. Many platforms, including Creatopy, offer ready-made animation presets that can be applied to designs in just a couple of clicks and customized further.

D. Responsive designs

90% of the global internet population uses a mobile device to go online. Responsive HTML5 ads can seamlessly adapt to different screen sizes and resolutions, helping you deliver perfect-looking ads to the growing number of people who browse the internet on smartphones and tablets.

When creating responsive HTML banner ads, you don’t need to remember all the sizes for mobile and desktop, as ad design platforms usually have the most used sizes saved and up to date for you. And if you’re using Creatopy, you can turn your HTML5 ads responsive with a single click.

E. Engaging CTA

Without a call-to-action (CTA), your HTML5 ad will be like a bicycle without wheels. It will lead nowhere. To get the users to click through and land on your website, tell them what to do in a compelling way. Make your CTA stand out and state a clear message.

6. HTML5 Ad Examples

Below you can find some HTML5 banner ad examples to inspire you to design your own.

A. Brand examples

First, let’s look at some HTML5 ad examples from different brands. These are actual banner ads from ongoing or completed display ad campaigns that give us insight into diverse creative approaches.

Creatopy

This is an HTML5 ad from one of our own display ad campaigns from a while ago. We wanted to have a more creative approach, so instead of showing Creatopy’s interface or examples of ads you can make on our platform, we went with an attention-grabbing visual instead.

Vessi

Here is an HTML5 ad for Vessi sneakers that presents a few essential characteristics about their product in just a few seconds, showcases several models, and ends with the “Shop now” CTA. It’s simple and effective.

McDonald’s

Besides creating a compelling story using a few frames and well-written ad copy, this ad stands out by masterfully using branded elements like logos, fonts, and imagery. Leave it to a giant like McDonald’s to show us how to stay on brand when using HTML5 ads.

Semrush

Semrush, the popular SEO marketing tool, is great at creating compelling HTML5 ads that speak to its target audience. The visually striking ad below is proof of this: it successfully grabs attention through dynamic elements and contrasting colors while effectively communicating the main user benefits.

M.A.C. Cosmetics

Dynamic HTML5 ads are an excellent way for e-commerce businesses to showcase multiple products simultaneously. This is precisely what M.A.C. Cosmetics did in this ad promoting a 20% Cyber Weekend sale. Users can see a slider of different make-up products from the brand’s extensive catalog, paired with a message that conveys urgency and prompts action.

Air France

Last but not least, we have an HTML5 ad with a mix of static and dynamic components. AirFrance’s clever use of an interactive element that expands when users hover over shows you can convey all the information you want, even though the ad space might seem limited.

B. HTML5 ad templates

Now that you’ve seen a few HTML5 ad examples from big brands, you can make your own creatives in Creatopy, no coding required.

If you need more inspiration, here are some professionally designed templates you can quickly customize. Just click on “edit this template” under your favorite design, and you’ll be redirected to the platform. If you’re a new user, this is your opportunity to sign up for a free trial.

Once you’re done editing your design, you can resize it to multiple sizes at once to get an entire HTML5 ad campaign ready and even publish it on your preferred network using our Ad Serving capabilities.

Edit this template

Edit this template

Edit this template

Edit this template

Edit this template

Wrapping Up

We hope this article will come in handy for you when building HTML5 ads.

They can be very effective in promoting your brand’s products and services, but you need to make sure they follow all the requirements and have a good loading time.

Remember that Creatopy can help you create no-code HTML5 ads, scale production, and publish ads on various ad networks, bypassing any size limitations. Start your free trial now and take the platform for a spin.create and launch ad campaigns from start to finish

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Petra Reghian
Product Marketing Copywriter at Creatopy. Interested in copywriting and advertising. Love a good thriller book. Passionate about crafting, DIY projects, and making fun activities for my kid.

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