Google Ad Manager is the ad server at the centre of most publishers’ stacks. It handles direct campaigns, Google demand and, often, header bidding. So when a publisher adds a new video experience, the natural question is whether it should run entirely through Ad Manager or whether a specialised video ad server belongs alongside it.
There is no single right answer, but there are clear ways to make the two work together.
Why publishers consider a second ad server for video
Video has needs that general-purpose setups do not always meet well:
- Formats that live inside the player, such as vertical video ads, display that temporarily takes the player’s place, or a unit below the player that runs while the content continues.
- Session-based pacing, where the right ad frequency depends on how many clips a reader has watched, not how many pageviews they have seen.
- Demand that bids specifically on video, through Prebid video, OpenRTB and video-focused partners.
- Creative handling, including checks on file size, duration and encoding before an ad reaches the player.
A dedicated video ad server can handle these natively while Ad Manager continues to do what it does well.
Three common ways to combine them
1. Ad Manager as a demand source
The video ad server runs the player’s ad decisions. Ad Manager is connected as one of its demand sources, so Google demand and the publisher’s own Ad Manager line items still compete for video impressions. This keeps video logic in one place while preserving everything already set up in Ad Manager.
2. The video ad server as a demand source in Ad Manager
The reverse arrangement: Ad Manager stays the primary decision-maker and calls the video ad server for certain placements. This suits publishers who want every decision to remain visible in Ad Manager reporting.
3. Split by placement
Ad Manager handles display across the page. The video ad server handles everything inside the video experience. Each is responsible for its own placements, and reporting is combined afterwards.
What to agree on before you start
Whichever arrangement you choose, a few decisions prevent confusion later:
- Which system owns which impressions. Avoid two systems competing for the same slot without clear rules.
- How direct campaigns are prioritised. Sold campaigns need guaranteed delivery regardless of where they are booked.
- How floors are set. Floors in one system should not undercut or block demand in the other.
- How reporting is reconciled. Agree on which numbers are the source of truth for revenue and delivery.
- Who owns ads.txt and sellers.json entries. Every path to your inventory should be declared correctly.
Keep your existing partners
A second ad server should add capability, not take demand away. You should be able to keep your Prebid.js and Prebid Server bidders, your OpenRTB connections, Google demand through Ad Manager and Amazon demand through TAM, and add new sources on top.
That is how we built ours: every Vortex format runs through the Vortex ad server, and publishers plug in whichever integrations they already use, with curated demand from Vortex Media as an option. The ad server page describes the setup, and the FAQ covers the question we hear most often: no, you do not have to leave Google Ad Manager.
The bottom line
Ad Manager and a specialised video ad server are not rivals. Set clear boundaries between them, keep every demand source you rely on, and let each system handle the impressions it is best at.
