For app publishers, making the most of every impression is significant to boosting ad revenue. That’s where Programmatic Guaranteed (PG) deals come in. With PG, you can reserve a set number of impressions for advertisers at a fixed CPM, ensuring predictable income and stronger relationships with premium buyers.
The best part? It’s faster and more efficient than traditional direct deals. A Boston Consulting Group study found that publishers save 57% more time with PG while still maintaining full control over pricing, targeting, and reporting. For publishers, this means less time managing operations and more time scaling revenue.
In this guide, we’ll walk you through exactly how to set up PG deals in Google Ad Manager. Let’s get started.
What is a Programmatic Guaranteed Deal?
As an app publisher, securing steady and predictable revenue is just as important as maximizing yield. Programmatic Guaranteed (PG) deals help you achieve that. It allows you to negotiate directly with an advertiser to deliver a fixed number of impressions at a pre-agreed CPM. In return, the advertiser commits to buying that exact inventory at that set price.
PG deals come with tagless trafficking, advanced audience targeting, and consolidated reporting and billing all within Google Ad Manager.
For app publishers, this means less time buried in manual processes and more time focusing on growing the audience and scaling ad revenue.
Also read: PMP Deals in Google Ad Manager.
Why Should App Publishers Choose PG Deals?
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Amplified Revenue & Predictability
PG deals let publishers charge premium CPMs by negotiating directly with advertisers. They don’t have any reliance on auction-based floor prices. This ensures guaranteed fill, eliminates the risk of unsold inventory, and creates a stable, predictable revenue stream. App publishers can confidently forecast revenue and plan ahead, instead of depending on fluctuating demand in open auctions.
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Improved Brand Safety & Control
Since publishers work directly with advertisers, they gain visibility into the creatives and products being promoted. This control safeguards their app’s reputation, prevents unwanted ads, and strengthens trust with users. Brand safety is particularly important for apps in sensitive niches (finance, kids, health, etc.), where one poorly matched ad can hurt credibility. With PG, you know exactly what runs in your app before it goes live.
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Better User Experience & Engagement
PG ensures ads are more relevant to the audience, reducing the risk of disruptive or irrelevant ads. This improves user satisfaction, boosts engagement, and enhances overall retention while protecting brand perception. When users see ads that align with their interests, they’re less likely to churn and more likely to interact positively.
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Streamlined Operations & Automation
PG automates much of the campaign setup and negotiation process in platforms like Google Ad Manager. Advertisers host creatives themselves, removing the burden of ad management for publishers. This reduces back-and-forth emails, manual trafficking, and troubleshooting.
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Stronger Content & Audience Strategy
By analyzing which inventory and user segments attract advertiser interest, publishers can refine future content and monetization strategies. This makes inventory packaging smarter and more valuable over time. For example, if advertisers consistently target a specific app category, you can double down on producing more content or ad placements around that niche for long-term yield.
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Faster & Reliable Payments
Unlike open marketplace programmatic where payouts may take 60–90 days, PG deals usually pay within 30 days. This improves cash flow, making budgeting and reinvestment easier for publishers. Having predictable, faster payments means publishers can reinvest in user acquisition campaigns, app updates, or even expanding content faster.
For app publishers, PG Deals provide a stable and premium revenue stream. They also enhance brand safety, improve user experiences, and streamline operations.
Also read: GAM deprecated sensitive category for this protections block.
How to Set-up PG Deals in Google Ad Manager?
Prerequisite
For mobile apps: integrate the Google Mobile Ads or IMA SDK and verify traffic in your Ad Manager inventory report.
Step 1. Navigate to Proposals
In Google Ad Manager, go to the Sales section and select Proposals.
Step 2. Create a New Proposal
Click on the New Proposal button to start.
Step 3. Add Proposal Details
- Enter a Name for the proposal.
- Select the Advertiser from the dropdown.
- Choose a Buyer.
- Add a Seller Contact, Salesperson, and Trafficker.
Step 4. Configure Additional Settings
- Select the Currency and fill in other relevant details.
- Click Save.
Step 5. Add a Proposal Line Item
- Click New Proposal Line Item.
- Choose the Ad Type: Display or Video. Select Display.
- Enter a Name for the line item.
Step 6. Select Line Item Type
Choose from: Sponsorship, Standard, or Preferred Deals.
- Select Standard.
Note: Standard Line Items are part of Programmatic Guaranteed campaigns. They allow you to sell impressions reserved for a buyer according to the agreed campaign dates and terms.
Step 7. Define Inventory and Creatives
- Under Inventory Type, select Mobile in-app. This ensures ads will serve only on mobile apps.
- For Creative Source, select Advertiser Provided.
- Fill in any additional optional details.
Step 8. Set Dates and Rates
- Select a Start Date and End Date.
- Enter the Contracted Quantity and set the Rate.
- Click Save to save the proposal line item.
Step 9: Request Acceptance
- Locate the order (e.g., under DFP Training).
- Click on Request Acceptance.
Once the proposal is accepted, Google Ad Manager will automatically create the corresponding delivery line items.
Conclusion
Programmatic Guaranteed deals help app publishers secure predictable revenue and cut operational hassle.
At YieldMonk, we make it easy for you. We connect you with premium advertisers, boosting yields through real-time bidding and dynamic refresh, and integrating engaging video ads.
Partner with YieldMonk to maximize your app revenue with less effort.
