Contextual and personalized ads
Learn the difference between contextual and personalized ads, and how user consent determines which type of ads are shown.
Read time 1 minuteLast updated 3 months ago
The Unity Ads SDK supports two ad delivery modes based on the consent values your app provides: contextual and personalized.
The SDK automatically switches between contextual and personalized delivery according to the consent values your app sends.
You don’t need to configure these modes separately: just ensure your app passes the correct consent and child-directed signals during initialization.
Important
It’s your responsibility to ensure that you pass the correct consent signals to the Unity Ads SDK during initialization.
Contextual ads
Contextual ads are based on the content or context of the app rather than user-specific data.
They match the app the user is currently using (for example, the type or genre of the app) and don’t rely on any personal identifiers.
Contextual ads are automatically used in the following situations:
- The user has opted out of personalized ads.
- Your app is directed to children or includes a mixed-age audience.
- No consent signal is provided.
This mode ensures ads are relevant without using personal data.
Personalized ads
Personalized ads are based on user-specific data, such as interests or past app activity, to deliver more targeted ad experiences.
The SDK enables this mode only in the following situations:
- The app is not directed to children.
- The user has explicitly opted in to personalized ads.
When you meet both these conditions, the SDK adjusts ad selection to show personalized content based on the consent signal you provide.