On YouTube a skippable ad gets 5 seconds before the viewer can move on. If the brand and a reason to keep watching are not on screen by then, the rest of the script is rarely seen. The YouTube Ad Script Generator writes for that moment first, then builds the full ad around it.
From one brief you get three scripts, each as a timed table with visual, voiceover and on-screen text: a 30-second skippable in-stream ad, a 15-second version for non-skippable placements, and a 6-second bumper with one message and the brand always visible. Two alternative openings follow, so you can test which first 5 seconds work better.
Every version carries its key message in on-screen text, because many people watch with the sound off. The tool is part of the Advertising family. For radio, podcast or other video formats, use the Ad Script Generator.
What you get
- A 30-second skippable script with the brand and the hook inside the first 5 seconds, then problem, solution, proof and call to action
- A 15-second version of the same message for non-skippable placements
- A 6-second bumper with one idea and the brand on screen throughout
- Each script as a table with Time, Visual, Voiceover or dialogue, and On-screen text
- A headline of up to 15 characters and a call-to-action label of up to 10 characters
- Two alternative openings for the first 5 seconds, ready for an A/B test
What you fill in
- What should the ad say? optional
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Product or service, audience, key benefit, proof you can show, any real offer, and the action you want viewers to take
How to use it, step by step
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Describe the product and the viewer
In What should the ad say?, start with what you sell and who should watch, then the one benefit that matters most to them. The opening seconds are built on that benefit.
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Add proof you can actually film
A demonstration, a before and after, a feature in use. The scripts show proof taken from your brief, so list what exists on camera, not what you would like to claim.
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Include the offer and the action
Mention a real offer only if you have one, and say where viewers should go. If a link or price is missing, the script uses a [placeholder] instead of inventing it.
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Set language and tone, generate, then test
Choose the output language and tone under the form, then run the two alternative openings as variants and keep the one that holds viewers longer.
Example, input and output
Input
- What should the ad say?
- Lumen Desk Lamp, an adjustable LED lamp for people who work from home. Three color temperatures and a USB-C port in the base. Proof we can show: the lamp switching from warm to cool light on a real desk. Offer: free shipping in the US. Action: shop on our website.
Output
| Time | Visual | Voiceover | On-screen text |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0-5 | Dim home desk, the Lumen lamp clicks on | Working from home in bad light? | LUMEN DESK LAMP |
| 5-12 | Squinting at a laptop late in the day | Tired eyes by four o'clock. | Light that fits the task |
| 12-20 | Lamp switches warm to cool on the same desk | Three color temperatures, one tap. | 3 color temperatures |
| 20-25 | Phone charging from the base | And a USB-C port right in the base. | USB-C in the base |
| 25-30 | Lamp on a tidy desk, logo | Lumen Desk Lamp. Free shipping in the US. | Shop now at [website] |
**2. 15 seconds**
| Time | Visual | Voiceover | On-screen text |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0-4 | Lamp clicks on over a dim desk | Better light for your home desk. | LUMEN |
| 4-11 | Warm to cool switch, phone charging | Three color temperatures and USB-C in the base. | 3 tones, USB-C |
| 11-15 | Logo | Lumen. Free shipping in the US. | Shop now |
**3. Bumper, 6 seconds**
| Time | Visual | Voiceover | On-screen text |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0-6 | Lamp switches warm to cool, logo in corner | Lumen. The right light, one tap. | LUMEN DESK LAMP |
**Headline and CTA**
Headline: Lumen Desk Lamp
CTA: Shop now
**Alternative openings**
1. Close-up of a laptop screen glaring in a dark room, the lamp clicks on.
2. A hand taps the lamp and the light shifts from warm to cool.
Illustrative example written by the editorial team to show the expected format.
Tips for better results
- Put the brand on screen early. In a skippable ad the first 5 seconds are the only part everyone sees, so a logo at the end alone is not enough.
- Choose one proof point you can show, not three you can only say. The scripts work best with a demonstration taken from your brief.
- Test the openings, not the whole ad. Run the two alternative first 5 seconds against each other and keep the rest of the script the same.
Who uses it, and for what
Online shop launching a product on YouTube
Get the three formats a campaign typically needs from one brief, so the long and short ads tell the same story.
Small business filming with a phone
Use the Visual column as a shot list and film only what you can show.
Performance marketer testing creative
Use the two alternative openings as ready-made variants for an experiment on the first 5 seconds.
Limits and good practice
- It writes scripts. It does not create the campaign, targeting or bids.
- Ad formats, durations and text limits are set by Google and can change. Check the current specifications in Google Ads before production.
- It does not see your analytics or the results of past ads, so testing decides which opening works.
- One brief returns all three scripts in a single generation, which uses credits from your plan like any other output. Check the pricing page for the credits included in each plan.
Frequently asked questions
How long should a YouTube ad be?
It depends on the format. Skippable in-stream ads can run longer, and the tool writes them at 30 seconds, enough for a short story. Non-skippable in-stream ads are typically limited to 15 seconds, bumpers to 6. You get all three from one brief and choose by placement and budget.
Why do the first 5 seconds matter so much?
Viewers can skip a skippable in-stream ad after 5 seconds, so for many people those seconds are the whole ad. The script shows the brand and gives a reason to keep watching within that window, and the two alternative openings let you test which version keeps more viewers past the skip button.
What is a bumper ad?
A bumper is a non-skippable YouTube ad of up to 6 seconds. It is too short to explain a product, so it works best for one message and a visible brand, often as a reminder after a longer ad. The tool writes it as its own script, not as a cut of the 30-second version.
Will the ad work with the sound off?
That is one of the rules the scripts follow. The key message always appears in the On-screen text column as well as in the voiceover, so a viewer watching on mute still understands what you sell and what to do next. Check that the text stays on screen long enough to read once the video is edited.
Does it write the headline and button text too?
Yes. After the scripts you get a headline of up to 15 characters and a call-to-action label of up to 10 characters, for the formats that display them. Google Ads checks the length when you enter them, which is the final confirmation that they fit.
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