Create Gmail ads with custom HTML

30/11/2019

Suitable for advanced advertisers, custom HTML lets you create ads different from existing Gmail ad templates. These ads can include video and multiple calls-to-action. To create Gmail ads with your own customized layout, upload your own custom HTML files into AdWords. 

This article explains how to configure and upload your custom Gmail ads.

Before you begin

Important: Keep in mind that custom HTML Gmail ads retain a destination URL formatting, and are incompatible with final URLs and tracking templates. Learn more about Upgraded URLs.

 

The new Google Ads experience is now the exclusive way for most users to manage their accounts. If you’re still using the previous AdWords experience, choose “previous” below. Learn more

Instructions

A custom HTML Gmail ad is a ZIP folder that contains all the files for your collapsed and expanded ad. To avoid problems, pay close attention to the strict formatting specifications detailed below.

The overall size limits of your ad are the following:

  • Your total ZIP folder: <1.25 MB
  • Number of files: <100 files
  • File size: <500KB

How to create your collapsed ad

For your collapsed ad, you’ll add 2 files to your ZIP folder:

  • the logo image (named “logo.png,” “logo.jpg,” or “logo.gif”)
  • the text file (named “‘teaser.txt”)

Logo image specifications

The file must be named exactly “logo.png,” “logo.jpg,” or “logo.gif” and the file format must be PNG, JPG, or GIF.

  • Logo image size: < 144 x 144
  • File size: < 500KB
  • File formats: PNG, JPG, or GIF (non-animated)

The logo image is a small icon, graphic or brand logo.

The image will be displayed as a 50 x 50 square on normal resolution devices, but we accept up to 144 x 144 for clearer viewing on some screens. 

Text file specifications

The file must be named exactly “teaser.txt”  and the file format must be TXT. Here’s an example of a properly formatted text file.

Advertiser: Business Name
Subject: Everything 20% Off at Business Name
Description: Buy new products at low prices!
Display Url: www.example.com
Landing Page: https://www.example.com/sale 

Note: Follow the example exactly. Be sure to include both the category (like “Advertiser”) and your specific information. The table below gives character limits and more guidance about what to include.

  Character limits What to include
Advertiser 20 Your company’s name or domain.
Subject 25 Your title can include an offer, % discount, or compelling announcement.
Description 100 Your description can be a short summary or a call to action.
Display URL 32 Your URL, as it will show in your ad
Landing page no limit Teaser redirect URL --used as the destination url for clicks on the "Sender displayed short URL" when the Expanded Ad is opened. You can add a static click tracking URL in this field. This is the page people will land on after clicking your display URL.

 

How to create your expanded ad

For your expanded ad, you’ll add 1 HTML file and 1 image folder to your ZIP folder:

  • Image Folder (named ‘Images’) containing image files for the expanded ad
  • HTML file named exactly “‘index.html”

Image folder specifications

  • Your ad must contain at least 1 image, and can contain up to 100 images. To embed videos in your expanded ad, jump to the video section below.
  • Max width per image: 650px
  • Max height per image: 1000px (Note: For the most effective ads, we recommend of no more than 650px height for the total ad canvas, which includes all your text and images.)

HTML file specifications

Technical Details

  • URLs: Must contain at least 1 absolute URL (can contain up to 15) and all special characters must be encoded (e.g. spaces, #).
  • Formatting: Control the layout using standard HTML tables to ensure consistent presentation across devices
  • Tracking: Static tracking URLs can be used to track external clicks. Impression tracking pixels and dynamic tracking URLs are not permitted. If you are using the "Gmail custom HTML ad" template, make sure to add the tracking URLs you want to use in the index.html file as well as in the teaser.txt file.
  • Markup: HTML (use UTF8 encoding), some HTML5 tags ( "ARTICLE", "ASIDE", "FIGCAPTION", "FIGURE", "FOOTER", "HEADER", "MARK", "SECTION", "TIME", "WBR"), and some CSS (style attribute of tags only e.g.
    ) are supported

Markup not permitted

  • Javascript: