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Unity Ads Monetization

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Unity Ads Monetization

Unity Ads Monetization process overview

Review the workflow to set up monetization with Unity Ads, for both mediated and non-mediated publishers.
Read time 5 minutesLast updated 3 days ago
After you’ve built your mobile app, the next step is to use Unity Ads monetization to grow your app into a business. With Unity Ads, you can customize your ad strategy and expand your reach. Publishers using Unity Ads monetization will typically follow a custom journey similar to the following:

Create an account in the Unity Ads Monetization dashboard

Create an account in the Unity Ads Monetization dashboard to integrate Unity Ads into your app and access and manage your app’s ad monetization. After you create an account, you can configure ad placements, track performance and revenue, monitor reporting and analytics, manage payment information, and optimize ad settings from this centralized platform.

Choose your monetization strategy

Choose whether to monetize your app through mediation with multiple ad networks or with Unity Ads as a standalone non-mediated solution.

Set up mediation

If you’re using mediation, configure your app to connect with mediation partners alongside Unity Ads. Setting up mediation partners provides your app with access to a wider pool of advertisers, increases fill rates, and helps you achieve higher revenue through bidding. To set up your mediation with LevelPlay or other third-party mediators, install the mediation SDK with the Unity Ads adapter, configure your app and create placements in the mediator dashboard, and use the LevelPlay public APIs to implement bidding. Refer to the mediation setup references below for more information.

Mediation solution

Mediation setup reference

Unity LevelPlayRefer to the ad network setup guides for Unity, Android, iOS, Adobe Air, Flutter, React Native
Third-party mediation partnersRefer to our partner guides for AppLovin MAX, Google, or your third-party mediator’s documentation

Set up Unity Ads non-mediated monetization

If you’re not using mediation and using only Unity Ads for ad fills, configure your app to connect to the Unity Ads network. Set up your app in the Unity Ads monetization dashboard, create placements, and use the Unity Ads public APIs. Refer to the Unity integration guide, Android integration guide, or iOS integration guide to get started.

Install the Unity Ads SDK

Install the Unity Ads SDK in the way that’s best suited for your app’s platform.

Installing for non-mediated publishers

If you're not using mediation for your app, refer to the following table to install the Unity Ads SDK as a native Android, native iOS, or made-with-Unity developer.

Publisher type

Installation method

Notes

Made with Unity (Unity Editor)Install the Advertisement Legacy package from the Unity Editor Package Manager.Best suited if your app is developed with the Unity Editor.
Native AndroidInstall the Unity Ads SDK from Maven Central. SDK asset also available from the Unity Ads Android release page.Integrates with Gradle and ensures compatibility with Android Studio build pipelines.
Native iOSInstall the Unity Ads SDK through CocoaPods. SDK asset also available from the Unity Ads iOS release page.Provides streamlined dependency management and automatic updates within Xcode projects.

Installing for mediated publishers

Using mediation partners like Unity LevelPlay simplifies SDK maintenance by letting you manage ad network integrations through adapters. For example, updating the LevelPlay (Ads Mediation) package in the Unity Editor automatically upgrades the Unity Ads adapter to the latest compatible version.

Initialize the SDK with your Game ID from the dashboard

Initialize the Unity Ads SDK with your Game ID to connect your app to your Unity Ads account in the Monetization dashboard. This enables Unity to serve ads, track performance, attribute revenue, or monitor post-install events. Successful SDK initialization ensures that ad impressions, user engagement, and earnings are correctly reported and managed for your app. To initialize the SDK, sign in to the Unity Ads Monetization dashboard, select your app, and locate its unique Game ID for each platform (iOS or Android). Then, in your app code, initialize the SDK by calling the initialization method and passing in your Game ID. For more guidance, refer to the initialization code sample for Unity, Android, and iOS.

Set up privacy consent

Publishers must implement a privacy consent flow before serving personalized ads or collecting user data, which can happen as soon as the Unity Ads SDK is initialized. Doing so helps ensure that your app remains compliant with regional privacy requirements (such as GDPR, COPPA, and other consumer data protection laws) and that user preferences are respected. For details on implementing user consent and managing consent management flows, refer to the Unity Ads privacy guide.

Configure app-ads.txt

For Android and iOS apps, add Unity’s entry to your app-ads.txt file to help prevent ad fraud and ensure ad partners can verify your app’s ad inventory. For more information, refer to the app-ads.txt support documentation.

Set up placements and integrate them into your app

If you’re a non-mediated publisher using only Unity Ads, insert placement IDs into your app code using developer APIs. By integrating the corresponding ad unit IDs in your app code, you can display ads at the preferred points in your app to shape your user’s gameplay experience. For more information on developer APIs, follow the API references for Unity, Android, and iOS. If you’re a mediated publisher using Unity LevelPlay or another mediation partner, you first must set up placements in the monetization dashboard. Then, configure the equivalent ad units in either Unity LevelPlay or your mediation partner dashboard so the mediation SDK can call the correct ad units in your app. Refer to your mediation partner setup guide for additional guidance.

Set up payments and revenue reporting

After integrating ads and before launching your app, set up your Unity Ads account so you can track your earnings and receive payments from Unity Ads. In some cases, like bidding setups with Google AdMob or Ad Manager, Google is responsible for payouts. To get set up with payments, refer to the Monetization dashboard Finance documentation.

Test your app to confirm ads are working as expected

Before publishing your app, test your Unity Ads integration to make sure ads are displayed correctly by enabling Test Mode from the Monetization dashboard and in your SDK initialization code. Test Mode ensures test ads are shown instead of live ads to prevent test clicks or impressions from affecting your real ad metrics. Run your app on a real device and trigger each ad placement to confirm that the ads load, display, and close as intended. Test all ad formats (rewarded, interstitial, banner) and check that rewards or user flows function as expected after an ad request. If you’re using mediation with Unity LevelPlay or another mediation platform, verify that ads from all configured networks are being served and that the mediation logic is working as intended. From your development environment, review logs for any SDK errors or warnings. To confirm correct integration between your app and Unity Ads, check the Monetization dashboard for impressions and test activity.