‍YouTube is changing how mid-roll ads appear in videos. Starting May 12, 2025, mid-roll ads will be placed at more natural breakpoints, such as pauses and transitions, to reduce interruptions that could drive viewers away. 

The update will also affect older videos uploaded before February 24, 2025, that have manually placed mid-rolls. Unless creators opt-out through YouTube Studio, these videos will receive additional, automatic ad slots.

Why is YouTube changing mid-roll ad placements?

YouTube is changing mid-roll ad placements to prevent ads from appearing in the middle of a sentence or action sequence, which could frustrate users and make them abandon video content.

The idea is to improve the visibility of mid-roll ads and reduce ad skipping, as viewers may be less likely to skip or leave videos due to disruptive ad placements. 

New features in mid-roll ads for manual users

For advertisers who rely on automatic mid-roll placements, nothing changes. However, for those who manually insert mid-roll ads, YouTube will now supplement them with additional, automatic ad slots unless they opt-out.

To support this update, YouTube is rolling out two new features this week in YouTube Studio. 

The video platform will introduce mid-roll ad feedback to indicate whether an ad placement is considered interruptive. This will enable advertisers to place ads where there are natural breaks.

YouTube’s system will also automatically identify additional ad opportunities alongside manually placed mid-rolls. This means that advertisers can place ads manually and then let the system dictate breaks that fit the ads. 

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