Beginner’s guide to video ads in WordPress

Video ads are everywhere: before your favorite recipe video, tucked between social posts, floating at the corner of blog articles. They’re engaging, dynamic, and often the highest-paying ad format on a page. If you’re running a website and haven’t looked into them yet, now’s the time.

This guide is here to walk you through video advertising in general from a publisher’s point of view. What kinds of video ads exist? Where can you place them on your site? How do they get served? And yes—how do you get paid? We’ll cover all that and a bit more.

Even though this isn’t a WordPress-specific guide, we’ll connect the dots where it makes sense, especially if you’re managing ads with Advanced Ads.

A short history of video on the web

Back in the late ’90s and early 2000s, if you wanted to watch a video online, chances are you needed to install something like RealPlayer, QuickTime, or Windows Media Player. These were clunky, proprietary systems that often crashed your browser or required weird file formats nobody really liked. Then came Macromedia Flash (later Adobe Flash), which offered a way to embed video in a web page with fewer hoops. At least until you hit the buffering or needed to update your plugin again.

Flash dominated for a while, powering everything from YouTube’s early days to banner ads with dancing animations. But it wasn’t open, secure, or particularly efficient. The real shift came with the rise of HTML5, which introduced native video support right in the browser, no plugin required. Suddenly, videos could be embedded cleanly, controlled with JavaScript, and optimized for mobile. It was a game-changer.

As video playback improved, so did the appetite for video advertising. What started as short pre-roll clips on news sites quickly evolved into full-fledged formats: sticky players, muted auto-play ads in articles, and native video units that don’t even feel like ads at first glance.

Today, video ads are among the most engaging (and most profitable) ad types out there. And with more tools available than ever, they’re no longer just for big publishers with video production budgets.

Types of video ads

Not all video ads are created equal. Some play right before a cat video. Others float quietly at the bottom of an article. Some don’t even need a video player at all. Let’s go over the main types you’re likely to encounter or use as a publisher.

In-stream video ads

These are the ones most people think of first. They play within a video player, either before (pre-roll), during (mid-roll), or after (post-roll) video content. Have you ever watched a news clip online and had to sit through a 15-second ad first? That’s an in-stream ad.

As a publisher, this format usually only makes sense if your site already features video content. If you don’t have your own videos, you’d need to partner with a platform or network that supplies both the content and the ads.

Out-stream video ads

Out-stream ads are more flexible. They don’t need existing video content to ride on. Instead, they appear in places like between paragraphs in an article, in sidebars, or as floating video players that stick to the bottom of the screen as users scroll.

They autoplay (muted) when visible and pause when out of view. Because they don’t interrupt video content, they’re sometimes considered less intrusive. Plus, they open the door to video monetization for sites that are otherwise text- or image-based.

Native video ads

These blend in with your content and layout—usually as part of a feed or content recommendation section. They don’t scream “ad!” at first glance, which can make them feel more organic. The trade-off is usually lower upfront revenue but potentially better engagement.

You’ll often see native video ads on large publisher sites using third-party platforms like Taboola or Outbrain, but smaller publishers can access them too, depending on the network.

Video banners

These are basically display ads that play a video instead of showing a static image. They can appear in traditional banner placements, e.g., the top of the page or inside a sidebar, and behave more like regular ad units, just with moving pictures.

They don’t require a full video player and are often HTML5-based. If you already have display placements on your site, swapping one out for a video banner is usually straightforward.

Benefits of using video ads

Let’s be honest: no one ever said, “You know what I’d love right now? An ad.” But video ads have a few things going for them that make them genuinely valuable, both for advertisers and publishers.

Video ads capture attention

A moving image draws the eye more than a static one. Add motion, sound, and storytelling, and you’ve got a format that can stop a scroll, even when muted. Users might not love ads, but they do watch video. That simple fact makes video ads more effective than many other formats.

Video ads tend to pay more

Video ads usually command higher CPMs than display ads. Networks know they’re more engaging and harder to ignore, which makes advertisers more willing to open their wallets. For publishers, that can mean more revenue from the same ad space, particularly on pages that get a lot of engagement or time-on-site. Learn more about cost per mille (CPM).

Video ads fit a variety of placements

Video ads aren’t just limited to full-screen takeovers or YouTube prerolls. You can place them in a sidebar, float them on scroll, embed them mid-article, or even use them inside a traditional banner unit. That flexibility means you don’t need to rebuild your site layout to try them out. Learn more about Advanced Ads’ placement options.

They support storytelling (even in ads)

For advertisers, video means a chance to say more, show more, and connect emotionally, even if it’s just for 15 seconds. And while you might not be the one creating the ad, your site becomes the stage. When the message resonates, engagement rises. And so does performance.

Some advertisers are now designing entire campaigns around sound-off viewing, using captions, animated text, and expressive visuals to hook viewers even without audio. That trend works in your favor as a publisher: autoplay on mute is more user-friendly and browser-compliant.

Where video ads can be placed on a website

Once you’ve decided to use video ads, the next question is: where do they go? Placement can make or break their effectiveness. Not just in terms of revenue, but also for user experience.

Let’s look at some of the most common (and effective) places publishers insert video ads on their websites.

Video ads inside your content

One of the most popular options is placing a video ad directly in the content area, for example, between paragraphs in a blog post. These are often called in-article video ads. They behave a lot like out-stream ads: they load when scrolled into view and autoplay silently, usually with captions or text overlays.

Done right, this kind of placement feels native and catches the eye without being disruptive.

Video ads in sidebars or widgets

If your theme includes a sidebar, you can embed a video ad there like you would a regular image or banner ad. While these are a rather poor choice for a site with a considerable share of mobile traffic, they are always visible on desktop and can work well if the video is short, muted, and visually engaging. A “device switch” might help: learn more about them in this article.

Some publishers even rotate video ads in sidebar widgets to keep things fresh without needing to redesign anything. Learn more about rotating ads in this article.

Video ads as sticky, anchor, or floating players

Sticky video players are becoming more common, especially on mobile. A user scrolls past an in-article video ad, and the player shrinks and floats to the corner of the screen. It keeps playing, stays visible, and (when done well) doesn’t block content.

These tend to perform well for viewability and completion rates—two metrics ad networks love. If you’re using Advanced Ads to handle ads in WordPress, this kind of behavior needs JavaScript and a bit of styling, but it’s doable.

Video ads on landing pages, archives, or in popups

If you’re running a long-form landing page or category archive, a well-placed video ad can break up the monotony and provide a visual moment. Some publishers also experiment with video ads in lightbox-style popups triggered by scroll or exit intent, though this is trickier territory—annoying users is never a great monetization strategy.

Hosting and serving video ads

Now that you know where video ads can go, it’s time to talk about how they actually get there. Hosting and serving video ads involves a few moving parts, especially compared to static banners.

Self-hosted versus third-party video

If you’re working with your own video creatives—say, you’re running a direct campaign or promoting your own content—you’ll need to decide where those video files live. Hosting them directly on your site gives you control, but it can eat up bandwidth and affect page speed if you’re not careful.

Many publishers use third-party services like YouTube, Vimeo, or CDN-based video platforms to host and stream their videos efficiently. However, when it comes to monetized video ads, you usually won’t be uploading them yourself.

Most of the time, you’ll be working with ad tags—code snippets that call in video ads dynamically from an ad network or platform.

What are VAST tags for video ads?

If you dip your toes into video ad tech, you’ll almost immediately run into the acronym VAST, which stands for “Video Ad Serving Template.” It’s a standard format used by ad networks to deliver video ads to a compatible player on your site.

You’ll often be given a VAST tag, which is essentially a URL pointing to an XML file. That file tells the player which video ad file to play, how long it is, where to track impressions and clicks, what to do if it fails, and more.We’ve got a full article on how to set up VAST video ads in WordPress that walks through everything step by step.

If a video player says it supports VAST 4.0, that usually means it’s compatible with most modern ad networks. You’ll paste the VAST tag into the player or into your ad manager, and the ad will load when it’s triggered on your site.

A few technical things about video ads to keep in mind

Even if you’re not handling the code yourself, it helps to understand what’s happening under the hood. Here are a few technical details worth being aware of when setting up or troubleshooting video ads:

• Video player support
  Not every player supports VAST out of the box. Make sure yours is compatible—or can be extended with a plugin.
• Autoplay rules
  Most browsers block autoplay with sound. Your video ads should start muted and allow interaction. This is standard for most ad networks today.
• Tracking points
  Unlike banner ads, video ads can be tracked at multiple milestones, e.g., start, 25%, 50%, completion, and so on. You won’t need to handle this manually, but it’s good to know where the data comes from.
• Fallback behavior
  Sometimes, the ad just doesn’t load. A good setup will allow a fallback, like skipping the ad or displaying a static backup banner.

Video ad formats and technical considerations

Not all video ads are built the same, and that’s not just about where they appear. It’s also about how they’re delivered, displayed, and interacted with. Understanding a few technical basics can help you decide what works best for your site and your visitors.

File types, compression, and performance

Most video ads today are delivered through a player that handles things like file compatibility and playback behavior. But behind the scenes, the files are typically in MP4 (H.264) or WebM format. They’re compressed for fast delivery, and many networks offer multiple resolutions so the best version can load depending on the viewer’s connection.

Even if you’re not hosting the video yourself, it’s worth noting that large, unoptimized files are a common cause of poor performance. Whether it’s your own hosted campaign or a third-party ad, it’s good practice to check how quickly it loads and whether it’s slowing down the page.

Responsive design and mobile readiness

Video ads need to adapt to different screen sizes, just like the rest of your site. Most modern ad players are responsive out of the box, but if you’re embedding code manually or using a plugin that allows custom placements, you’ll want to test the layout on various screen widths.

On mobile, vertical video formats (like 9:16) are becoming more common. They feel more native to phone users—and some networks specifically offer vertical creatives.

Autoplay versus click-to-play

Thanks to evolving browser policies, autoplay video ads now default to muted playback, and for good reason. Users don’t want to be blasted with sound the moment a page loads.

Ad networks have adapted by encouraging short, eye-catching intros and using captions or motion graphics to pull viewers in. If your player tries to autoplay with sound, many browsers will block it entirely.

So: autoplay is fine, but keep it muted. If sound is important, give users a visible play or unmute button.

Controls and user interaction

In most setups, video ads are designed to play automatically and not allow skipping, unless it’s part of the ad’s format, like a skippable pre-roll ad. You typically don’t need to worry about custom controls unless you’re developing your own player or modifying an existing one.

Still, it’s smart to ensure users can pause or close a video ad if it’s sticky or floating. Forced attention is rarely good UX, and some networks require user-initiated controls to stay compliant.

Integrating Video Ads in WordPress

If you’re running your site on WordPress—and chances are, you are—you might be wondering: How do I actually get video ads onto my pages?

There’s no official “video ad” block or magic setting in WordPress core, but there are a few reliable ways to make it work.

Embedding video ads manually

The most direct approach is to paste the video ad code—often a VAST tag wrapped in JavaScript—into a Custom HTML block, a widget area, or directly into your theme. This assumes you’ve already received the ad code from a network or advertiser and that you’re comfortable dropping it into place.

That works fine for simple setups, but it can get messy quickly if you want to change placements, rotate ads, or conditionally display them.

Using a WordPress ad management plugin

If you’d rather not fiddle with raw code in multiple places, an ad management plugin can help you organize, place, and track your video ads more efficiently.

With Advanced Ads, you can:

• Insert video ad code via the Plain Text and Code ad type
• Choose where it appears: in content, in sidebars, after X paragraphs, etc.
• Add display conditions: only show the ad on specific post types, devices, or user roles
• Use hooks or shortcodes for more flexible placement
• Handle sticky/floating placements with positioning options via the Sticky Ads add-on

While Advanced Ads doesn’t have a dedicated video ad module, it gives you full control over where and how the ad appears. So if you’re using a VAST-compatible player or a third-party embed, it slots right in.

If you’re serving VAST ads with a player like Video.js or Prebid Video, you can manage the player container and ad code within an ad unit in Advanced Ads, then place it wherever it works best on your site.

Testing and troubleshooting

Always check your placements on mobile and desktop. Video ads behave differently depending on the device, browser, and player settings. Common issues include autoplay not working, ads not loading due to network blocks, or the ad area simply not showing up because of styling conflicts.

If you’re testing with a plugin, keep the browser console open and inspect the player container. It’s often the fastest way to figure out what’s breaking.

Monetizing with video ads

Let’s talk about why you’re probably here: making money with video ads. Whether you’re running a blog, a niche site, or a full-blown content hub, video ads can be one of the most lucrative formats in your monetization mix.

Joining a video ad network

The most common approach is to sign up with a video ad network that provides everything: the creatives, the player, the tracking, and often the placement script. Once approved, you just need to insert their code on your site with Advanced Ads, and they’ll handle the rest.

Popular options include:

• Teads
• Primis
• Google Ad Manager (with video integration)
• Unruly
• Brid.TV

These platforms often serve out-stream video ads: in-article or sticky placements that don’t require you to have your own video content.

If you’re using Advanced Ads, it’s easy to embed the network’s player script into a Plain Text and Code ad, then place it wherever you want: inline, in sidebars, or as a floating unit using the Sticky Ads add-on.

What revenue can you expect from network video ads?

Compared to standard display banners, video ads tend to pay significantly more, sometimes 2 to 5 times more per impression, depending on the setup. Here are some realistic CPM ranges to help set expectations:

Video ad format	Typical CPM range
Native video (feed-style)	€3 – €10
In-article (out-stream)	€5 – €15
Sticky/floating video	€8 – €20
Pre-roll (in-stream)	€10 – €30+
Direct-sold video ad slot	€20 – €50+

These are gross rates. Networks usually take a cut (anywhere from 15% to 50%) before you see the final payout.

A few things influence how much you earn: your visitors’ locations (Tier 1 countries like the US and Germany pay more), your niche (finance and tech outperform lifestyle or DIY), and whether the ad actually stays in view long enough to count as an impression.

Running direct campaigns

If you work with sponsors or advertisers directly, you can offer custom video ad placements and potentially charge more per impression or campaign. You’ll either:

• Host the ad video file yourself (and embed it in a player), or
• Ask the advertiser to provide a VAST tag, which plugs into your player or ad setup.

Direct campaigns are more work, but they give you full control… and full revenue.

Using affiliate video ads

Some affiliate programs provide video creatives, not just banners or text links. You can embed these like you would any other video ad, often with a trackable URL or clickthrough overlay.

While affiliate video ads don’t always pay per impression, they can perform well if the content is a good fit and the video is compelling.

Some video ad networks also offer dashboards with heatmaps or scroll depth analytics. Those are helpful for figuring out where your video ads perform best.

Best practices for video ads

Video ads can earn more and engage better, but only if they’re done right. A poorly placed or poorly timed video ad can tank your bounce rate, frustrate users, and even get you penalized by ad networks or search engines.

Here are a few tried-and-true practices to help you get the most out of video ads on your site.

Keep them short and relevant

Nobody wants to sit through a 60-second spot unless they chose to watch it. Most video ads are 15 to 30 seconds long, and that’s usually plenty. If you’re using affiliate or direct video creatives, try to keep them short, punchy, and as relevant as possible to your audience.

Respect the user experience

Video ads are attention-grabbing, but they shouldn’t hijack the page. Autoplay is fine as long as it’s muted. Stick to placements that don’t block content, and make sure users can pause, close, or scroll past if needed.

Avoid full-screen takeovers on mobile unless absolutely necessary. They tend to trigger high bounce rates and may conflict with Google’s mobile UX policies.

Lazy load when possible

Videos are heavy. Loading them only when they come into view (a technique known as lazy loading) helps preserve page speed and improve Core Web Vitals.

If you’re using a custom setup or a player that loads video files right away, check whether it supports lazy loading. For WordPress, Advanced Ads’ Lazy Loading feature delays fetching the video file until it’s actually needed.

Don’t overdo it

It’s tempting to squeeze a video ad into every post, sidebar, and pop-up. But the more you cram in, the more you risk slowing down your site, annoying your visitors, and reducing the performance of every ad. Start with one or two well-placed video ads per page. Then monitor the results and scale up from there.

Make sure it works everywhere

What looks fine on your laptop might autoplay too aggressively (or not at all) on someone’s phone. Test your video ads on:

• Desktop and mobile
• Different browsers (Chrome, Safari, Firefox)
• Slow connections or data-saving modes

If you’re running sticky or floating video ads, tools like Advanced Ads Sticky Ads or PopUp and Layer Ads can help you control how and when those ads appear, especially on mobile.

Yes, design matters even for ads

You don’t have to be a motion designer to get video ads right, but a few simple design choices can make a noticeable difference:

• Size and aspect ratio
  Stick to common formats like 16:9 for horizontal placements and 9:16 (vertical) for mobile-first placements. Most ad networks default to 640×360 or 1280×720, but responsive scaling is more important than pixel-perfect sizes.
  
• Text overlays and captions
  Many users, especially on mobile, watch video ads muted, so on-screen text is crucial. Use high-contrast fonts, large enough to read at small sizes. Avoid ultra-thin or fancy typography that disappears on low-res screens.
  
• Branding and CTA placement
  If you’re running your own video creatives (for a direct campaign or affiliate promotion), make sure your call-to-action appears early and clearly, ideally within the first few seconds. Viewers often scroll before the video ends.
  
• Color and contrast
  Whether it’s the video itself or the container it sits in, use a color scheme that pops but doesn’t clash with your site. Floating video ads especially benefit from a clean player design with clearly visible controls.
  

Safe zones
Some platforms, especially mobile apps, crop or overlay controls on the edges of the video. Keep key info, like logos or CTAs, away from the extreme corners just in case.

If you’re producing video ads in-house or customizing affiliate creatives, think of them as part ad, part mini landing page. The clearer and more engaging they are, the better they’ll perform.

Common mistakes to avoid

If you’re new to video ads, it’s easy to fall into a few traps. Some are technical, some are about placement, and some are just… let’s say overenthusiastic monetization choices. Here’s what to watch out for.

Autoplaying with sound

I’ve said it before in this article: Autoplaying video with sound is disruptive, and it won’t even work in many cases. Most browsers block it by default. If your video starts blaring audio, it’s either going to be blocked or drive users away.

Mute your video ads by default and make sure there’s a clear way for users to unmute if they want to. Sorry for repeating myself, but I need to drive this point home.

Poor placement

A video ad jammed at the very top of your page, or stuck in the middle of a product comparison table, isn’t helping anyone. Bad placements annoy users, reduce engagement, and can even hurt your search visibility. Think of your video ad as part of your layout. It should complement the content, not interrupt it.

Serving oversized video files

If your ad is 15 seconds long but weighs 15 MB, you’ve got a problem. That kind of payload slows down your site, especially on mobile, and hurts everything from user experience to Google’s Core Web Vitals.

Use lazy loading where possible, and if you’re hosting the video yourself, compress it appropriately. Many ad networks handle this for you, but it’s always worth checking.

Overloading the page

Just because video ads pay more doesn’t mean more of them will pay better. Multiple autoplaying videos can compete for attention, cannibalize each other’s performance, or even crash slower devices. One or two well-placed video ads per page are usually more effective than five mediocre ones.

Not testing

This might be the most common mistake of all: assuming it “just works.” Always test your video ads in real-world conditions. That means checking:

• Mobile and desktop
• Different browsers
• Logged-in vs. logged-out users (in WordPress)
• Ad blockers or cookie banners interfering with playback

Even better: use Advanced Ads to set Display Conditions, test placements, and rotate formats without editing your theme every time something breaks.

Conclusion

Video ads aren’t just for media giants or YouTube creators anymore. Thanks to modern ad networks, smarter browsers, and tools available right inside WordPress, almost any publisher can start running video ads and earning from them.

We’ve covered a lot here: the types of video ads you can use, where to put them, how they’re delivered, and what to watch out for. You don’t need to master every technical detail to get started, but having a solid overview helps you avoid common mistakes and make smarter decisions as you grow.

If you’re using WordPress, Advanced Ads can help you place and manage video ad code exactly where it needs to go, whether you’re embedding a VAST player, running a pop-up promo, or floating a video ad in the corner of the screen.

So, what’s next? Pick a format, choose your placement, and try your first video ad on a single page. You’ll learn more in that one step than you will by reading ten more guides. And when you’re ready to scale, you’ll already have the foundation in place.