Support and compatibility

This page provides general information on HTML5 IMA client-side support and compatibility for browsers, video formats, and platforms.

Supported video formats and browsers

Support for various features differs among browsers, and there is no single default video format supported by all major browsers. The three main video formats used in the majority of browsers are H.264, WebM, and Ogg Theora.

Supported video players

A majority of IMA features are supported by typical HTML5 video players, including the HTML <video> tag. See Video Technology Partner Program for a list of known video players with IMA SDK support.

VAST event compatibility

This section lists the VAST events that are automatically reported to the server based on the information returned in the VAST response.

Fully supported

complete, creativeView, firstQuartile, impression, midpoint, pause, resume, rewind (fired when there is any significant seeking in the backward direction), start, thirdQuartile.

Partially supported

  • click

    The Click event is only sent for video ads. Clicks cannot be captured on the native fullscreen players on Android, iOS, or desktop, but clicks can still be captured by an in-page click tracking element when the video is closed. However, if the video element uses native controls on the iPad, clicks cannot be captured.

  • fullscreen

    The IMA SDK supports a simulated full screen mode, in which the video takes up the whole browser window. We consider a video to be in full screen mode when its offsetWidth and offsetHeight are at least the size of the document body. This mode is supported on all browsers. For an example of simulated full screen, download the sample.

    On the iPhone and pre-3.0 Android platforms, video will always play back in full screen mode.

  • mute, unmute

    iOS and Android only have native control of the volume. As such, the IMA SDK cannot determine the volume or mute state, nor are we notified of changes. Below is a list of the browser versions which do and do not support mute, unmute:

    • Supported: Firefox 3.5+, Chrome 8+, Safari 4+
    • Not supported: iOS, Android

For further details on VAST ad serving, refer to the IAB guidelines.

Caveats for JavaScript frameworks

There are certain considerations when using a JavaScript framework, such as React or AngularJS, with the IMA HTML5 SDK. These frameworks often move elements of the DOM, which can break IMA functionality since IMA expects the DOM to be static when the SDK is initiated. IMA supports JavaScript frameworks so long as IMA is initiated after the framework has finished moving DOM elements. Specifically, the HTML5 element passed as the containerElement argument when constructing the AdDisplayContainer should not be moved once it is instantiated.

Apple AirPlay support

The IMA SDK does not currently support Apple AirPlay. Either disable AirPlay or disable ad requests when AirPlay is detected.

Supported video player platforms

The Google IMA SDKs are supported on the following platforms:

Platform Version Ad Type
HTML5 Desktop: Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge, Opera
Mobile: Chrome/Android Browser (Android for phones and tablets), Safari and Chrome (iOS)
Linear, non-linear and companion ads, Ad Manager Video Solutions, Ad Exchange video, and AFV ads
iOS iOS 10.0+ Linear and companion ads, Ad Manager video, Ad Exchange video, and AFV ads
Android Android 4.4+ Linear and companion ads, Ad Manager video, Ad Exchange video, and AFV ads
tvOS tvOS 14+ Linear ads, Ad Manager video, and Ad Exchange video

Video features and SDK versions

To learn more about the following features, read video advertising overview.

HTML5 v3 iOS v3 Android v3 tvOS
IAB Video Suite
VAST 4 Warning 9 Warning 9 Warning 9 Warning 9
VAST 3 Checkmark Warning 1 Warning 1 Warning 1
VAST 2 Checkmark Checkmark Checkmark Checkmark
SIMID 1.0 Checkmark Checkmark Checkmark Red-X
VPAID 2 (HTML5) Checkmark Red-X Red-X Red-X
VMAP 1.0.1 Warning 2 3 Warning 2 Warning 2 Warning 2
OM SDK 1.3 Checkmark Checkmark Checkmark Red-X
Ad Manager Video features
Linear ads Checkmark Checkmark Checkmark Checkmark
YouTube-hosted assets Warning 4 Red-X Red-X Red-X
Non-linear ads (Overlays) Warning 5 Red-X Red-X Red-X
Companions Checkmark Checkmark Checkmark Red-X
VAST 3 alternate companion ad resources Checkmark Checkmark Red-X Red-X
Active View viewability Checkmark Checkmark Checkmark Red-X
Audio ads Checkmark Checkmark Checkmark Checkmark
VAST Redirects Checkmark Checkmark Checkmark Checkmark
Companion backfill with display request Checkmark Checkmark Checkmark Red-X
Google Publisher Tag (GPT) compatibility Checkmark Red-X Red-X Red-X
Content awareness Checkmark Checkmark Checkmark Checkmark
Ad rules Warning 3 Checkmark Checkmark Checkmark
Manual ad breaks in ad rules Checkmark Red-X Red-X Red-X
Frequency caps 6 Checkmark Checkmark Checkmark Checkmark
Competitive exclusions (stream) Checkmark Checkmark Checkmark Checkmark
Competitive exclusions (pod) Checkmark Checkmark Checkmark Checkmark
Competitive exclusions (whole page) Checkmark Red-X Red-X Red-X
Podding Warning 3 Checkmark Checkmark Checkmark
Bumpers Checkmark Checkmark Checkmark Checkmark
Reporting on multi-event tracking (MET) Checkmark Checkmark Checkmark Checkmark
Dynamic allocation (AdSense for video, Ad Manager Ad Exchange) Checkmark Checkmark Checkmark Checkmark
Skippable (non-TrueView) 8 Warning 5 Checkmark Checkmark Checkmark
InStream Select Checkmark Red-X Red-X Red-X
Asset Preloading Warning 7 Red-X Checkmark Red-X
AdSense for Video features
TrueView InStream Warning 5 Checkmark Checkmark Red-X
InStream Select Checkmark Checkmark Checkmark Red-X
Standard InStream Checkmark Checkmark Checkmark Checkmark
Full-slot Checkmark Red-X Red-X Red-X
Companions Checkmark Checkmark Checkmark Red-X
Companion backfill Red-X Checkmark Checkmark Red-X
Overlays Warning 5 Red-X Red-X Red-X
Asset Preloading Warning 7 Red-X Checkmark Red-X
Ad Manager Ad Exchange features
TrueView InStream Warning 5 Checkmark Checkmark Red-X
InStream Select Checkmark Checkmark Checkmark Red-X
Standard InStream Checkmark Checkmark Checkmark Checkmark
Full-slot Checkmark Red-X Red-X Red-X
Companions Checkmark Checkmark Checkmark Red-X
Companion backfill Red-X Checkmark Checkmark Red-X
Overlays Warning 5 Red-X Red-X Red-X
Active View viewability Checkmark Checkmark Checkmark Red-X
Asset Preloading Warning 7 Red-X Checkmark Red-X
Why This Ad? Checkmark Checkmark Checkmark Checkmark

1 The following VAST 3.0 features are not yet supported in the non-HTML5 SDKs:

  • Companion adSlotId
  • Companion delivery options
  • Icons

2 The following VMAP features are not yet supported:

  • VMAP-specific tracking events
  • VMAP-specific error codes
  • Overlay ads
  • Time offsets other than hh:mm:ss or "start" and "end"
  • Display breakType attribute
  • repeatAfter attribute

3 Support for VMAP and ad rules on iPhone requires custom ad playback.

4 YouTube-hosted creatives are supported on the desktop but not on mobile web.

5 Non-linear ads (Overlays), Skippable (non-TrueView), and TrueView InStream ads are supported on HTML5 mobile web on iOS 10+ when playsinline is used .

6 Ad rules frequency caps and competitive exclusions require cookies or PPID.

7 Native asset preload does not work with the following:

  • Mobile web on iOS devices
  • Mobile web on Android pre-4.0
  • YouTube-hosted ads, including TrueView formats
  • IMA manual break playback feature (any implementation that relies on the AD_BREAK_READY event)

8 The SDK does not support skippable ads that are less than 8 seconds long. When ads shorter than the minimum length are played, the Skip button is not displayed.

9 Of the VAST 4 features supported by Google Ad Manager, IMA support the following features: