Technical Guidelines

Last modified on June 6, 2011 | print

General

We accept SWF files published as Flash 9 or below and using Actionscript 2 or below
All graphical creative (including back up images) should have a border if their colour tone is not well contrasted with the background of the page
Any single banner may only feature one single advertiser; advertising multiple advertisers on the same banner is not allowed
For best results, we recommend having the button encompass the entire ad area throughout the entire timeline. Buttons must have the clickTAG expression (see below) attached
Do not embed any URLs in the Flash file
Make sure the dimensions of the movie meet the specs for the ad you are creating
Frame rate may not exceed 24 frames per second due to performance considerations. Banners that exceed 24 frames per second will not be accepted. 12 frames per second is preferred
A back up image (GIF or JPG) should usually accompany any inline Flash ad and it will be served to users without Javascript or the Flash plug-in on their browser
Loading files from cross domains is not permitted
Ad content must not mimick page content, eg, news modules, search boxes, etc; nor computer functionalities, eg, dialogue boxes, application windows, etc. Graphical User Interface elements portrayed in ads must be authentic, ie, a radio button in a form should not click through to the landing page
All creative are subject to approval by Yahoo!

Use clear call-to-actions, tell your audience exactly what they need to do with your ad. For example, ‘Click to play game’, ‘Roll over to see more’, etc
User-initiated events should have consistent entry and exit mechanisms: roll-over entry entails roll-out exit, click entry entails click exit
Empower the user to replay your ad rather than loop the animation
Ad formats that obscure page content (Expandable and Floating) should be treated with caution and sensitivity. Uninitiated overlays should be quick and as unintrusive as possible; they should act like teasers that lead the user to the base unit where further interactions should take place. All overlays should have a clear and reliable exit mechanism, usually in the form of a ‘close’ button

Consider users with slower connection speeds when using videos with larger filesizes. A balance must be sought between video quality/filesize and the number of users who have the technical capability to see your video in all its glory. Use the below table as a guide to determine what filesize suits your audiences’ needs.