Clarification for requirement 4.4

The key rule here is that ads should be expected by users and must not interfere with gameplay or take up extra time. Unexpected ads interrupt the gameplay and may be frustrating, so you need to find the right time for ad impressions.

When can I serve ads?

Outside the gameplay

You can show ads in any game after it starts on Yandex Games or when the player performs a non-gameplay action.

With this ad placement, you should display the ad immediately following the player’s action to avoid taking up their time. The maximum acceptable delay between the user's action and the ad display is 0.33 seconds.

We recommend the following mechanism:

1. Wait for the user to perform a non-gameplay action.
2. Show the ad immediately after that. The user will close it when convenient for them.
3. Continue the gameplay after completion of the non-gameplay action. For example, start a level or open the game store.

Examples

During the gameplay

Games can be classified as turn-based and real-time. The suitable placement of ads during gameplay depends on the game mechanics and the duration of the levels.

* When played by an average adult.

Conditional turn-based games

In these games, the user takes an action and waits for the app's response before continuing. Examples of these games include quizzes, puzzles, and games with merge mechanics. As a result, accidental clicks during a level are less likely in these games.

In conditional turn-based games, ads should be shown directly after the user takes action, without any notice, to avoid taking up their time. The maximum acceptable delay between the user's action and the ad display is 0.33 seconds.

Examples

Real-time games with long levels

Advertising within a level is not permitted for real-time games with short levels (those that an average adult completes in less than five minutes). However, in these games, ads can be displayed after any non-gameplay action.

If an adult user takes more than 5 minutes to complete a level, ads can be shown at any point during the level without restrictions. With this ad placement, it's important to pause the game and use a countdown timer to notify the player.

Ad notices must:

• Be noticeable and easy to read.
• Last for 2 seconds. Players may lose interest in playing if game pauses are too long.
• Not be excessive. One notice is enough before a single ad display.

Users are actively interacting with the screen during the game, so an unexpected ad may result in an accidental ad click. A high share of unintentional ad clicks leads to bounce backs on advertisers' landing pages, lowering the advertiser's revenue.

Examples

Opening Dialog Windows

The rules for displaying advertisements are determined by the type of window that appears during the game — modal or non-modal.

	Modal Window	Non-Modal Window
Turn-based Games	After a user action
Real-time Games	After a user action	By timer, if levels are longer than 5 minutes

Modal Window

This is a UI element that temporarily blocks the gameplay. It appears over the main game area or to the side of it. The user cannot interact with the game until the modal window is closed.

Allowed:

• Animations and sounds under the modal window.
• Clickability of non-game elements (e.g., Menu and Settings buttons).
• Opening one modal window on top of another.

Examples of modal windows

Game	Commentary
	A tutorial window is open, the gameplay is paused — this is a modal window.
	The window opens over the game in the center of the screen, the gameplay is paused — this is a modal window.

The display of ads in a modal window depends on how it is opened:

• If the window is opened following a user action, then the ad display must comply with the Outside of Gameplay section, starting from the moment the modal window is called.

• If the window opens without a user action (e.g., when a character approaches a certain point or the game notifies about progress), its call is considered part of the gameplay. Any operations inside the window after this, including its closure, are then considered outside of gameplay.

Examples

Non-modal Window

This is an interface element that does not block the game process. It appears on top of the main game area or beside it. The user can perform actions in the open window and interact with the game (for example, control a character or camera).

Examples of Non-modal Windows

Game	Comment
	The window opens over the game in the center of the screen, but the game process is not paused — this is a non-modal window.
	The window opens over the game in the center of the screen, but the game process is not paused — this is a non-modal window.
	The shop window is on the side, and the game process is not blocked, allowing for both continuing the game and making purchases — this is a non-modal window.

Displaying ads in a non-modal window is carried out according to the advertising call rules during the gaming process depending on the type of game.

For example, for long real-time games, a warning with a timer appears, and the game is paused. It's also acceptable to display an ad warning overlay on top of the non-modal window.

Examples

Delay before ad

The delay between the action that triggers the ad and the start of the display should not exceed 0.33 seconds. To check if there is a delay, follow these steps:

1. On any regular device.
2. On the same device in incognito mode.
3. On a different device.

If there was no delay in at least one of the checks, the requirement is considered fulfilled, as in other cases, the delay could have been a coincidence.

If the delay is consistently reproduced in all checks, determine if it complies with the set limit of 0.33 seconds:

1. Record a video with the ad display delay.

2. Determine the frame rate.

3. Calculate the allowable delay in the number of frames.

   Since the allowable delay is one-third of a second, the allowable number of frames between the ad call and its start is 1/3 of the frame rate per second. For example:

   Frame Rate	Maximum Allowable Delay
   24	8 frames
   30	10 frames
   60	20 frames

4. Open the file in a video player or editor, such as VLC player.

5. Pause the video and locate the user action moment on the timeline that triggers the advertisement.

6. Count the number of frames from the user action to the start of the advertisement.

7. If the number of frames is less than the allowable delay, then the application meets the requirement. If more, it does not.

Contact moderators

If you believe that ads are integrated correctly into your game and that your game has been removed or rejected in error, please fill out the form below.

Our Moderation Quality Control team will re-evaluate the decision and restore your game if it was unfairly banned.

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