Integrate Unity Ads with mediation

This guide shows you how to use the Google Mobile Ads SDK to load and display ads from Unity Ads using AdMob Mediation, covering waterfall integrations. It covers how to add Unity Ads to an ad unit's mediation configuration, and how to integrate the Unity Ads SDK and adapter into an Android app.

Supported integrations and ad formats

The mediation adapter for Unity Ads has the following capabilities:

Integration
Bidding	^1
Waterfall
Formats
Banner
Interstitial
Rewarded
Native

¹ Bidding integration is in closed beta, reach out to your account manager to request access.

Requirements

• Android API level 21 or higher

• Latest Google Mobile Ads SDK

• Complete the mediation Get started guide

Step 1: Set up configurations in Unity Ads UI

Sign up or log in to Unity Ads.

Create a project

On Unity Ads Dashboard, navigate to Projects and click Create Project.

Fill out the form and click Create Project to add your project.

Navigate to Monetization > Get started, then click Get started.

In the Project Setup modal, select I plan to use Mediation and Google Admob for Mediation Partner, then click Next.

Select your ad settings, then click Next.

Fill out the form, then click Add Project.

Take note of the Game ID.

Create an Ad Unit

Navigate to Monetization > Ad Units, then click Add Ad Unit.

Enter an Ad Unit Name, then select your Platform and Ad Format.

Finally, click Create to save your ad unit.

Add a Placement

Bidding

Contact your Google account manager to create bidding placements.

Waterfall

Once the project is created, navigate to Monetization > Placements. To create a new placement, click Add Placement for your ad unit.

Fill out the necessary details and click Add Placement.

Take note of the Placement ID.

Locate Unity Ads Reporting API key

Bidding

This step isn't required for bidding integrations.

Waterfall

In addition to the Game ID and Placement ID, you will also need your Unity Ads API Key and Organization core ID for setting up your AdMob ad unit ID.

Navigate to the Monetization > Setup > API Management and take note of the Monetization Stats API Access Key.

Then, navigate to the Monetization > Organization Settings and take note of the Organization core ID.

Turn on test mode

Test mode can be enabled from the Unity Ads dashboard. Under your project's settings, select the Testing tab.

You can force test mode for your app by clicking the edit button beside Google Play Store , checking Override client test mode and selecting Force test mode ON (i.e. use test ads) for all devices.

Alternatively, you can enable test mode for specific devices by clicking the Add Test Device button.

Fill out the form and click Save.

Step 2: Set up Unity Ads demand in AdMob UI

Configure mediation settings for your ad unit

You need to add Unity Ads to the mediation configuration for your ad unit.

First, sign in to your AdMob account. Next, navigate to the Mediation tab. If you have an existing mediation group you'd like to modify, click the name of that mediation group to edit it, and skip ahead to Add Unity Ads as an ad source.

To create a new mediation group, select Create Mediation Group.

Enter your ad format and platform, then click Continue.

Give your mediation group a name, and select locations to target. Next, set the mediation group status to Enabled, and then click Add Ad Units.

Associate this mediation group with one or more of your existing AdMob ad units. Then click Done.

You should now see the ad units card populated with the ad units you selected:

Add Unity Ads as an ad source

Bidding

Under the Bidding card in the Ad Sources section, select Add Ad Source. Then select Unity Ads (SDK).

Click How to sign a partnership agreement and set up a bidding partnership with Unity Ads.

Click Acknowledge & agree, then click Continue.

If you already have a mapping for Unity Ads, you can select it. Otherwise, click Add mapping.

Next, enter the Game ID and Placement ID obtained in the previous section. Then click Done.

Important: The Game ID must be associated with the targeted app as in the Unity Ads UI.

Waterfall

Under the Waterfall card in the Ad Sources section, select Add Ad Source. Then select Unity Ads.

Select Unity Ads and enable the Optimize switch. Enter the API Key and Organization core ID obtained in the previous section to set up ad source optimization for Unity Ads. Then enter an eCPM value for Unity Ads and click Continue.

Note: You only need to set up ad source optimization once per network.

If you already have a mapping for Unity Ads, you can select it. Otherwise, click Add mapping.

Next, enter the Game ID and Placement ID obtained in the previous section. Then click Done.

Important: The Game ID must be associated with the targeted app as in the Unity Ads UI.

Note: Ad source optimization takes a few days to gather enough data to accurately calculate eCPM for a mediation network. In the meantime, the ad source optimization status is PENDING, so you must manually set an eCPM value for the network. Once the eCPM can be calculated, the ad source automatically starts updating the eCPM on your behalf.

Add Unity Ads to GDPR and US state regulations ad partners list

Important: Verify that you have Account Management permission to complete the configuration for EU Consent and GDPR, CPRA, and User Messaging Platform. See Manage user access to your account for details.

Follow the steps in GDPR settings and US state regulations settings to add Unity Ads to the GDPR and US state regulations ad partners list in the AdMob UI.

Step 3: Import the Unity Ads SDK and adapter

Note: Failure to integrate the compatible Unity Ads and Google Mobile Ads SDK versions might lead to build issues.

Android Studio integration (recommended)

In your app-level build.gradle.kts file, add the following implementation dependencies and configurations. Use the latest versions of the Unity Ads SDK and adapter:

dependencies {
    implementation("com.google.android.gms:play-services-ads:23.5.0")
    implementation("com.unity3d.ads:unity-ads:4.12.4")
    implementation("com.google.ads.mediation:unity:4.12.4.0")
}

Manual integration

1. Download the latest Unity Ads SDK (unity-ads.aar) from their GitHub repository and add it to your project.

2. Navigate to the Unity Ads adapter artifacts on Google's Maven Repository. Select the latest version, download the Unity Ads adapter's .aar file, and add it to your project.

Step 4: Implement privacy settings on Unity Ads SDK

EU consent and GDPR

Under the Google EU User Consent Policy, you must ensure that certain disclosures are given to, and consents obtained from, users in the European Economic Area (EEA) regarding the use of device identifiers and personal data. This policy reflects the requirements of the EU ePrivacy Directive and the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). When seeking consent, you must identify each ad network in your mediation chain that may collect, receive, or use personal data and provide information about each network's use. Google currently is unable to pass the user's consent choice to such networks automatically.

In SDK version 2.0.0, Unity Ads added an API to support privacy settings. The following sample code shows how to pass this consent information to the Unity Ads SDK. Should you choose to pass consent information to the Unity Ads SDK manually, it is recommended that this code is called prior to requesting ads through the Google Mobile Ads SDK.

Java

import com.unity3d.ads.metadata.MetaData;
// ...

MetaData gdprMetaData = new MetaData(this);
gdprMetaData.set("gdpr.consent", true);
gdprMetaData.commit();

Kotlin

import com.unity3d.ads.metadata.MetaData
// ...

val gdprMetaData = MetaData(this)
gdprMetaData["gdpr.consent"] = true
gdprMetaData.commit()

See Unity Ads' Privacy Consent and data APIs and Complying with GDPR guides for more details and the values that can be provided in each method.

US states privacy laws

U.S. states privacy laws require giving users the right to opt out of the "sale" of their "personal information" (as the law defines those terms), with the opt-out offered via a prominent "Do Not Sell My Personal Information" link on the "selling" party's homepage. The U.S. states privacy laws compliance guide offers the ability to enable restricted data processing for Google ad serving, but Google is unable to apply this setting to each ad network in your mediation chain. Therefore, you must identify each ad network in your mediation chain that may participate in the sale of personal information and follow guidance from each of those networks to ensure compliance.

In SDK version 2.0.0, Unity Ads added an API to support privacy settings. The following sample code shows how to pass this consent information to the Unity Ads SDK. Should you choose to pass consent information to the Unity Ads SDK manually, it is recommended that this code is called prior to requesting ads through the Google Mobile Ads SDK.

Java

import com.unity3d.ads.metadata.MetaData;
// ...

MetaData ccpaMetaData = new MetaData(this);
ccpaMetaData.set("privacy.consent", true);
ccpaMetaData.commit();

Kotlin

import com.unity3d.ads.metadata.MetaData
// ...

val ccpaMetaData = MetaData(this)
ccpaMetaData["privacy.consent"] = true
ccpaMetaData.commit()

See Unity Ads' Privacy Consent and data APIs and Complying with CCPA guides for more details and the values that can be provided in each method.

Step 5: Add required code

No additional code is required for Unity Ads integrations.

Step 6: Test your implementation

Enable test ads

Make sure you register your test device for AdMob and enable test mode in Unity Ads UI.

Important: Disable test mode for AdMob and Unity Ads before releasing your app.

Verify test ads

To verify that you are receiving test ads from Unity Ads, enable single ad source testing in ad inspector using the Unity Ads (Bidding) and Unity Ads (Waterfall) ad source(s).

Error codes

If the adapter fails to receive an ad from Unity Ads, publishers can check the underlying error from the ad response using ResponseInfo.getAdapterResponses() under the following classes:

com.google.ads.mediation.unity.UnityAdapter
com.google.ads.mediation.unity.UnityMediationAdapter

Here are the codes and accompanying messages thrown by the UnityAds adapter when an ad fails to load:

Error code	Reason
0-10	UnityAds SDK returned an error. See code for more details.
101	UnityAds server parameters configured in the AdMob UI are missing/invalid.
102	UnityAds returned a placement with a NO_FILL state.
103	UnityAds returned a placement with a DISABLED state.
104	UnityAds tried to show an ad with a null context.
105	Context used to initialize, load and/or show ads from Unity Ads is not an Activity instance.
106	UnityAds tried to show an ad that's not ready to be shown.
107	UnityAds is not supported on the device.
108	UnityAds can only load 1 ad per placement at a time.
109	UnityAds finished with an ERROR state.
200-204	UnityAds Banner specific error. See code for more details.

Unity Ads Android Mediation Adapter Changelog

Version 4.12.4.0

• Verified compatibility with Unity Ads SDK 4.12.4.

Built and tested with:

• Google Mobile Ads SDK version 23.3.0.
• Unity Ads SDK version 4.12.4.

Version 4.12.3.0

• Verified compatibility with Unity Ads SDK 4.12.3.

Built and tested with:

• Google Mobile Ads SDK version 23.3.0.
• Unity Ads SDK version 4.12.3.

Version 4.12.2.0

• Verified compatibility with Unity Ads SDK 4.12.2.

Built and tested with:

• Google Mobile Ads SDK version 23.2.0.
• Unity Ads SDK version 4.12.2.

Version 4.12.1.0

• Verified compatibility with Unity Ads SDK 4.12.1.

Built and tested with:

• Google Mobile Ads SDK version 23.2.0.
• Unity Ads SDK version 4.12.1.

Version 4.12.0.0

• Verified compatibility with Unity Ads SDK 4.12.0.

Built and tested with:

• Google Mobile Ads SDK version 23.1.0.
• Unity Ads SDK version 4.12.0.

Version 4.11.3.0

• Added bidding support for banner, interstitial and rewarded ad formats.
• Verified compatibility with Unity Ads SDK 4.11.3.

Built and tested with:

• Google Mobile Ads SDK version 23.1.0.
• Unity Ads SDK version 4.11.3.

Version 4.11.2.0

• Verified compatibility with Unity Ads SDK 4.11.2.

Built and tested with:

• Google Mobile Ads SDK version 23.0.0.
• Unity Ads SDK version 4.11.2.

Version 4.10.0.0

• Updated the minimum required Google Mobile Ads SDK version to 23.0.0.
• Verified compatibility with Unity Ads SDK 4.10.0.

Built and tested with:

• Google Mobile Ads SDK version 23.0.0.
• Unity Ads SDK version 4.10.0.

Version 4.9.3.0

• Verified compatibility with Unity Ads SDK 4.9.3.

Built and tested with:

• Google Mobile Ads SDK version 22.6.0.
• Unity Ads SDK version 4.9.3.

Version 4.9.2.0

• Verified compatibility with Unity Ads SDK 4.9.2.

Built and tested with:

• Google Mobile Ads SDK version 22.3.0.
• Unity Ads SDK version 4.9.2.

Version 4.9.1.0

• Updated the minimum required Google Mobile Ads SDK version to 22.3.0.
• Verified compatibility with Unity Ads SDK 4.9.1.

Built and tested with:

• Google Mobile Ads SDK version 22.3.0.
• Unity Ads SDK version 4.9.1.

Version 4.8.0.0

• Reports ad impression when Unity Ads SDK invokes its new onBannerShown() callback method.
• Verified compatibility with Unity Ads SDK 4.8.0.

Built and tested with:

• Google Mobile Ads SDK version 22.2.0.
• Unity Ads SDK version 4.8.0.

Version 4.7.1.0

• Verified compatibility with Unity Ads SDK 4.7.1.

Built and tested with:

• Google Mobile Ads SDK version 22.1.0.
• Unity Ads SDK version 4.7.1.

Version 4.7.0.0

• Verified compatibility with Unity Ads SDK 4.7.0.

Built and tested with:

• Google Mobile Ads SDK version 22.0.0.
• Unity Ads SDK version 4.7.0.

Version 4.6.1.1

• Updated adapter to use new VersionInfo class.
• Updated the minimum required Google Mobile Ads SDK version to 22.0.0.

Built and tested with:

• Google Mobile Ads SDK version 22.0.0.
• Unity Ads SDK version 4.6.1.

Version 4.6.1.0

• Verified compatibility with Unity Ads SDK 4.6.1.

Built and tested with:

• Google Mobile Ads SDK version 21.5.0
• Unity Ads SDK version 4.6.1.

Version 4.6.0.0

• Added support for forwarding COPPA information to the Unity Ads SDK.
• Verified compatibility with Unity Ads SDK 4.6.0.
• Updated the minimum required Google Mobile Ads SDK version to 21.5.0.

Built and tested with:

• Google Mobile Ads SDK version 21.5.0
• Unity Ads SDK version 4.6.0.

Version 4.5.0.0

• Verified compatibility with Unity Ads SDK 4.5.0.
• Updated the minimum required Google Mobile Ads SDK version to 21.4.0.

Built and tested with:

• Google Mobile Ads SDK version 21.4.0
• Unity Ads SDK version 4.5.0.

Version 4.4.1.0

• Verified compatibility with Unity Ads SDK 4.4.1.

Built and tested with:

• Google Mobile Ads SDK version 21.2.0
• Unity Ads SDK version 4.4.1.

Version 4.4.0.0

• Verified compatibility with Unity Ads SDK 4.4.0.
• Updated the minimum required Google Mobile Ads SDK version to 21.2.0.

Built and tested with:

• Google Mobile Ads SDK version 21.2.0
• Unity Ads SDK version 4.4.0.

Version 4.3.0.0

• Verified compatibility with Unity Ads SDK 4.3.0.
• The onAdOpened() callback is now forwarded when interstitial and rewarded ads start playing.

Built and tested with:

• Google Mobile Ads SDK version 21.1.0
• Unity Ads SDK version 4.3.0.

Version 4.2.1.1

• Updated compileSdkVersion and targetSdkVersion to API 31.
• Updated the minimum required Google Mobile Ads SDK version to 21.0.0.

Built and tested with:

• Google Mobile Ads SDK version 21.0.0.
• Unity Ads SDK version 4.2.1.

Version 4.2.1.0

• Verified compatibility with Unity Ads SDK 4.2.1.

Built and tested with:

• Google Mobile Ads SDK version 20.6.0.
• Unity Ads SDK version 4.2.1.

Version 4.1.0.0

• Verified compatibility with Unity Ads SDK 4.1.0.

Built and tested with:

• Google Mobile Ads SDK version 20.6.0.
• Unity Ads SDK version 4.1.0.

Version 4.0.1.0

• Verified compatibility with Unity Ads SDK 4.0.1.
• Updated the minimum required Google Mobile Ads SDK version to 20.6.0.

Built and tested with:

• Google Mobile Ads SDK version 20.6.0.
• Unity Ads SDK version 4.0.1.

Version 4.0.0.0

• Verified compatibility with Unity Ads SDK 4.0.0.
• Updated the minimum required Google Mobile Ads SDK version to 20.5.0.

Built and tested with:

• Google Mobile Ads SDK version 20.5.0.
• Unity Ads SDK version 4.0.0.

Version 3.7.5.0

• Verified compatibility with Unity Ads SDK 3.7.5.

Built and tested with:

• Google Mobile Ads SDK version 20.2.0.
• Unity Ads SDK version 3.7.5.

Version 3.7.4.0

• Verified compatibility with Unity Ads SDK 3.7.4.

Built and tested with:

• Google Mobile Ads SDK version 20.2.0.
• Unity Ads SDK version 3.7.4.

Version 3.7.2.0

• Verified compatibility with Unity Ads SDK 3.7.2.
• Updated the minimum required Google Mobile Ads SDK version to 20.2.0.

Built and tested with:

• Google Mobile Ads SDK version 20.2.0.
• Unity Ads SDK version 3.7.2.

Version 3.7.1.0

• Verified compatibility with Unity Ads SDK 3.7.1.
• Updated the minimum required Google Mobile Ads SDK version to 20.1.0.

Built and tested with:

• Google Mobile Ads SDK version 20.1.0.
• Unity Ads SDK version 3.7.1.

Version 3.6.2.0

• Verified compatibility with Unity Ads SDK 3.6.2.
• Fixed an issue where rewarded ads were not forwarding click callbacks.
• The UnityAds SDK has been removed from the bundled adapter build. Publishers are now required to manually include the UnityAds SDK as an additional dependency.
• Updated the minimum required Google Mobile Ads SDK version to 19.8.0.

Built and tested with:

• Google Mobile Ads SDK version 19.8.0.
• Unity Ads SDK version 3.6.2.

Version 3.6.0.0

• Verified compatibility with Unity Ads SDK 3.6.0.
• Updated the minimum required Google Mobile Ads SDK version to 19.6.0.

Built and tested with:

• Google Mobile Ads SDK version 19.6.0.
• Unity Ads SDK version 3.6.0.

Version 3.5.1.1

• Fixed an issue where when trying to request for multiple interstitial and rewarded ads.

Built and tested with:

• Google Mobile Ads SDK version 19.5.0.
• Unity Ads SDK version 3.5.1.

Version 3.5.1.0

• Verified compatibility with Unity Ads SDK 3.5.1.
• Fixed an issue that causes smart banner ad requests to fail.

Built and tested with:

• Google Mobile Ads SDK version 19.5.0.
• Unity Ads SDK version 3.5.1.

Version 3.5.0.0

• Verified compatibility with Unity Ads SDK 3.5.0.
• Added adaptive banner support.
• Updated the minimum required Google Mobile Ads SDK version to 19.5.0.

Built and tested with:

• Google Mobile Ads SDK version 19.5.0.
• Unity Ads SDK version 3.5.0.

Version 3.4.8.0

• Fixed a NullPointerException error that occurs when a banner ad is destroyed.
• Updated the minimum required Google Mobile Ads SDK version to 19.3.0.

Built and tested with:

• Google Mobile Ads SDK version 19.3.0.
• Unity Ads SDK version 3.4.8.

Version 3.4.6.1

• Created an adapter build that does not include the Unity Ads SDK bundled in. This gives publishers an option to use the Unity Ads Services when mediating on Unity to avoid conflicting dependency issues.
  • Publishers may opt to use this by including the com.google.ads.mediation:unity-adapter-only:x.y.z.p dependency on their app-level build.gradle file.

Built and tested with:

• Google Mobile Ads SDK version 19.1.0.
• Unity Ads SDK version 3.4.6.

Version 3.4.6.0

• Verified compatibility with Unity Ads SDK 3.4.6.
• Adapter now forwards the onAdOpened() callback when a banner ad is clicked.

Built and tested with:

• Google Mobile Ads SDK version 19.1.0.
• Unity Ads SDK version 3.4.6.

Version 3.4.2.3

• Added descriptive error codes and reasons for adapter load/show failures.
• Updated the minimum required Google Mobile Ads SDK version to 19.1.0.

Built and tested with:

• Google Mobile Ads SDK version 19.1.0.
• Unity Ads SDK version 3.4.2.

Version 3.4.2.2

• Fixed a ConcurrentModificationException crash that occurred when Unity Ads returns an error.

Built and tested with:

• Google Mobile Ads SDK version 19.0.1.
• Unity Ads SDK version 3.4.2.

Version 3.4.2.1

• Improved forwarding of Unity's errors to recognize initialization and ad load failures earlier and reduce timeouts.
• Updated the minimum required Google Mobile Ads SDK version to 19.0.1.

Built and tested with:

• Google Mobile Ads SDK version 19.0.1.
• Unity Ads SDK version 3.4.2.

Version 3.4.2.0

• Verified compatibility with Unity Ads SDK 3.4.2.
• Updated the minimum required Google Mobile Ads SDK version to 18.3.0.

Built and tested with:

• Google Mobile Ads SDK version 18.3.0.
• Unity Ads SDK version 3.4.2.

Version 3.4.0.0

• Verified compatibility with Unity Ads SDK 3.4.0.
• Updated the minimum required Google Mobile Ads SDK version to 18.3.0.

Built and tested with:

• Google Mobile Ads SDK version 18.3.0.
• Unity Ads SDK version 3.4.0.

Version 3.3.0.0

• Verified compatibility with Unity Ads SDK 3.3.0.

Built and tested with:

• Google Mobile Ads SDK version 18.2.0.
• Unity Ads SDK version 3.3.0.

Version 3.2.0.1

• Fixed a null pointer exception crash that occurred when calling loadAd() before calling UnityAds.initialize().
• Updated the minimum required Google Mobile Ads SDK version to 18.2.0.

Version 3.2.0.0

• Fixed an issue that caused Banner Ad requests to fail.
• Verified compatibility with Unity Ads SDK 3.2.0.
• Migrated the adapter to AndroidX.
• Updated the minimum required Google Mobile Ads SDK version to 18.1.1.

Version 3.1.0.0

• Added support for flexible banner ad sizes.
• Adapter fails the ad request if the requested size isn't compatible with any Unity Ads banner sizes
• Verified compatibility with Unity Ads SDK 3.1.0.

Version 3.0.1.0

• Verified compatibility with Unity Ads SDK 3.0.1.
• Fixed a bug that caused 'NPE' while showing an interstitial ad.

Version 3.0.0.2

• Updated adapter to support new open-beta Rewarded API.
• Updated the minimum required Google Mobile Ads SDK version to 17.2.0.

Version 3.0.0.1

• Added support for Unity Ads Banner.

Version 3.0.0.0

• Verified compatibility with Unity Ads SDK 3.0.0.

Version 2.3.0.0

• Verified compatibility with Unity Ads SDK 2.3.0.

Version 2.2.1.1

• Updated the adapter to invoke the onRewardedVideoComplete() ad event.

Version 2.2.1.0

• Verified compatibility with Unity Ads SDK 2.2.1.

Version 2.2.0.0

• Verified compatibility with Unity Ads SDK 2.2.0.

Version 2.1.2.0

• Verified compatibility with Unity Ads SDK 2.1.2.

Version 2.1.1.0

• Verified compatibility with Unity Ads SDK 2.1.1.

Version 2.1.0.0

• Updated the adapter to make it compatible with Unity Ads SDK 2.1.0.

Version 2.0.8.0

• Verified compatibility with Unity Ads SDK 2.0.8.

Version 2.0.7.0

• Using Unity Ads's click reporting (AdMob and Unity Ads click statistics will match up).
• Added onAdLeftApplication callback support.

Version 2.0.6.0

• Verified compatibility with Unity Ads SDK 2.0.6.

Version 2.0.5.0

• The adapters can now be added as a compile dependency by adding the following to the build.gradle file's dependencies tag: compile 'com.google.ads.mediation:unity:2.0.5.0'
• Moved to distributing the adapter as an aar instead of a jar file (see README for additional instructions).

Version 2.0.4.0

• Fixed a bug that caused rewarded video ads to fail to load when an interstitial ad was loaded first.

Version 2.0.2.0

• Changed the version naming system to [Unity Ads SDK version].[adapter patch version].
• Updated the minimum required Unity Ads SDK to v2.0.2.
• Updated the minimum required Google Mobile Ads SDK to v9.0.0.
• Apps are no longer required to call UnityAds.changeActivity(this).

Version 1.0.0

• Initial release. Supports reward-based video ads and interstitial ads.