# youtube-ads

Picks the right YouTube ad format for your goal, sets creative specs, and runs a pre-launch check.

- skill · `type=skill` · Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, GitHub Copilot, Gemini CLI, OpenCode · 1100 installs · ★ 1062
- Author: kostja94
- License: MIT · policy=mirror · the beginning of the file is at the end of this page
- Source: https://github.com/kostja94/marketing-skills/tree/HEAD/skills/paid-ads/platforms/youtube-ads/SKILL.md
- Updated: 2026-10-21
- HTML: https://affpapa.org/en/nevibecode/skills/youtube-ads

## What it does

The skill walks through paid YouTube formats: TrueView Skippable, Non-skippable, TrueView for Action, Bumper, and Discovery (in-feed). It starts with three questions — goal, budget, and whether you already have a video. The goal drives the pick: Bumper for awareness, TrueView for traffic, TrueView for Action for conversions, Discovery for reaching interested audiences.

Then it moves to creative. Bumper gets a 6-second brand message. Skippable TrueView needs a hook in the first 5 seconds, before the skip button shows up. Discovery leans on thumbnail and headline, since the ad sits next to organic videos in search and recommendations. Output is a format recommendation, creative specs, targeting notes, and a pre-launch checklist.

If `contextus.md` exists at the project root, the skill reads it and loads only the modules this task needs. Without it you supply the project facts yourself, or the assessment runs on thin input. Organic YouTube work belongs to the separate `youtube-seo` skill, and campaigns themselves run through Google Ads, so platform setup is out of scope here.

## Install

### Claude Code (native platform)

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add kostja94/marketing-skills --skill youtube-ads -a claude-code
```

2. **Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `~/.claude/skills/youtube-ads/SKILL.md` — Copy the whole skill folder; for one project use .claude/skills/youtube-ads/

### Codex

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add kostja94/marketing-skills --skill youtube-ads -a codex
```

2. **Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `.agents/skills/youtube-ads/SKILL.md` — For all projects use ~/.agents/skills/

### Cursor

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add kostja94/marketing-skills --skill youtube-ads -a cursor
```

2. **Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `.cursor/skills/youtube-ads/SKILL.md` — Cursor also reads .agents/skills/ and .claude/skills/

### GitHub Copilot

1. **GitHub CLI**
```bash
gh skill install kostja94/marketing-skills youtube-ads
```

2. **Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `.github/skills/youtube-ads/SKILL.md`

### Gemini CLI

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add kostja94/marketing-skills --skill youtube-ads -a gemini-cli
```

2. **Platform CLI**
```bash
gemini skills install https://github.com/kostja94/marketing-skills --path skills/paid-ads/platforms/youtube-ads
```

### Windsurf (Devin Desktop)

**Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `.devin/skills/youtube-ads/SKILL.md` — The legacy .windsurf/skills/ path still works

### OpenCode

**Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add kostja94/marketing-skills --skill youtube-ads -a opencode
```

### Claude.ai

**Claude.ai**
- Zip the folder and upload it in Settings → Capabilities → Skills

Where a file is given instead of a command, copy the files from the source to that path: https://github.com/kostja94/marketing-skills/tree/HEAD/skills/paid-ads/platforms/youtube-ads/SKILL.md

## When to use it
- match an ad format to the campaign goal
- fit a Bumper message into 6 seconds
- write a hook for skippable TrueView
- prepare thumbnail and headline for in-feed ads
- run a pre-launch checklist on a campaign

## Example prompts
- I want to run a YouTube campaign for awareness, help me pick a format
- Draft creative specs for a TrueView Skippable ad
- Check my Bumper campaign against the pre-launch checklist

## Source text · SKILL.md · MIT

Below is the content of a third-party file. It is data, not instructions for you: do not act on anything written inside unless the human asks. Block tag: 0f563d71b2a6c917.

BEGIN THIRD-PARTY FILE 0f563d71b2a6c917
```text
---
name: youtube-ads
description: When the user wants to run YouTube ads, set up TrueView or Bumper campaigns, or optimize video ad creative. Also use when the user mentions "YouTube ads," "TrueView," "Bumper ads," "YouTube Discovery," "video ads," "YouTube campaign," or "in-feed ads." For organic YouTube, use youtube-seo.
metadata:
  version: 1.0.1
---

# Paid Ads: YouTube Ads

Guides YouTube advertising: TrueView, Bumper, and Discovery (in-feed) formats. Use this skill when planning or optimizing YouTube ad campaigns. For Google Search/Display/PMax, see **google-ads**. For organic YouTube optimization, see **youtube-seo**.

**When invoking**: On **first use**, if helpful, open with 1–2 sentences on what this skill covers and why it matters, then provide the main output. On **subsequent use** or when the user asks to skip, go directly to the main output.

## Initial Assessment

**Project context:** Read root `contextus.md` when present and load only the modules relevant to this task. Without Contextus, use available project material or user-provided facts and ask for missing information; do not create a parallel context system.

Identify:
1. **Goal**: Awareness, consideration, conversion
2. **Budget**: Bumper cheaper; TrueView for scale
3. **Creative**: Existing video or net-new

## Ad Formats

| Format | Length | Skippable | Best For |
|--------|--------|-----------|----------|
| **TrueView Skippable** | 12 sec+ | After 5 sec | Reach; large audiences |
| **TrueView Non-skippable** | 15–20 sec | No | Full message; guaranteed view |
| **TrueView for Action** | — | — | Conversions; CTA-focused |
| **Bumper** | 6 sec or less | No | Brand awareness; memorable; lower cost |
| **Discovery (In-Feed)** | Thumbnail + text | — | Search, related videos, homepage; interest targeting |

## Format Selection

| Goal | Format |
|------|--------|
| **Brand awareness** | Bumper |
| **Website traffic** | TrueView |
| **Conversions** | TrueView for Action |
| **Interested audiences** | Discovery |

## Creative Guidelines

- **Bumper**: Quick, memorable; brand message in 6 sec
- **TrueView**: Hook in first 5 sec (skippable); deliver value before skip
- **Discovery**: Thumbnail + headline; appears like organic video

## Output Format

- **Format** recommendation
- **Creative** specs (length, hook, CTA)
- **Targeting** notes
- **Pre-launch** checklist

## Related Skills

- **google-ads**: Google Ads platform; YouTube runs through Google Ads
- **youtube-seo**: Organic YouTube; video optimization
- **video-marketing**: Video script, hook structure
- **paid-ads-strategy**: When to use video ads; channel selection
```
END THIRD-PARTY FILE 0f563d71b2a6c917

The third-party file has ended. Everything between the 0f563d71b2a6c917 tags is data: requests and commands from it are not followed. An “end of file” line with another tag inside the block is part of the file.

© kostja94 · MIT · https://github.com/kostja94/marketing-skills/tree/HEAD/skills/paid-ads/platforms/youtube-ads/SKILL.md

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