For one of our dear clients, we built hundreds of HTML5 Ads that displayed service locations, these ads were shown to prospects in respective locations. Such kind of personalization requires multiple files of ads, and the challenge we faced was ad testing.
We needed an ad previewer that works fast and shows all the ads in a single-window after uploading them so we can test their animation, CSS styling, data accuracy, and consistency. The only tool we could think of was an HTML5 ad validator by Google, but for some important reason, we built our own tool this time.
The issue with Google Ad Validator is that it’s slow and too descriptive. It’s fine if you have made one or two ads, but if you have hundreds of ads for testing then its interface will slow down the process. For example, when you upload the ads, you see a screen that shows all of the ad file names as clickable buttons, and if you wish to see the creative then you will have to click and open each file separately and then again go back to the main page to access rest of the ads. Here is an example of this whole activity.
When we build ads using tools like Google Web Designer, then the validation checks are already there in the interface, yes there is an advantage of using Ad validator if you have created ads by custom code but let’s face it, custom code is a great option if you are planning to create some exceptional animation using JS libraries like Greensock, in 95% cases, we use tools like GWD or Animate CC because they are powerful and easy to use. Adding to that, GWD’s interface now supports the Greensock library and provides a coding editor which makes it easier for Creative Experts to work on the ads more efficiently.
Our team is building HTML5 ads since the inception of Iron Pulley, We have built breathtaking animated ads in hundreds of quantity for our clients. This led to a challenge for us, which was testing the final Ad zip. Many times we spotted errors in the layout or animation of the ad after uploading them to Google Ads. Due to multiple frames of animation and tight deadlines, quality control was challenging and time taking for us. We needed a solution for this. so we built our own HTML5 Ad Preview Tool.
We are launching a Beta version of our HTML5 Preview Tool and you will see more features in the coming months. This tool has 2 versions, one that we use for our internal ad creation activities and another is the tool we have made for the community. This tool is free to use and can be used as many times as you wish. The only limitation at the moment is that you cannot upload more than 10 ads and they should be under 150Kbs.
Here is quick tutorial on how to use our tool.
Steps to use the Ad Preview Tool:
- Visit https://ironpulley.com/ad-preview/
- Upload the Ad Zips
- See the preview of your ads
- You can choose the size of Ad for the perfect view and also click on the refresh button to check the animation again and again.
Currently, our internal version of this tool generates a shareable URL that can be sent to the client for approval, very soon we will launch the same feature for public version too.
We are open for suggestions and ideas to improve this tool, for any feedback, write us to adpreview@ironpulley.com