Placements and Ad Formats

Placements

Placements are the contract between your app UI and Zerocost's serving logic. You declare where ads can appear, and Zerocost determines what to render based on configuration and policy.

What is a placement?

A placement is an ad slot with attributes such as:

• Location and size hints

• Allowed formats (Floating Video, Tooltip Ad, Sponsored Card, Inline Text, Display)

• Optional refresh behavior

• Optional viewability thresholds

In the SDK, you typically render by passing a mount id or placement key.

Format overview

Display

Includes:

• Sponsored Card (image + headline unit)

• Banner placements (header, footer, inline containers)

Best for:

• Structured UI layouts

• Card-based interfaces

• Low-friction monetization

Floating Video

Includes:

• Floating Video Widget (9:16 portrait video in bottom corner)

Best for:

• High attention surfaces

• Highest CPM monetization

• Brand storytelling

Notes:

• Autoplay (muted), dismissible

• Configurable timing and frequency

• Should be used sparingly in workflow-heavy UIs

Tooltip Ads

Includes:

• Small text overlay on hover or interaction

Best for:

• Minimal disruption

• Contextual hints inside UI

• Lightweight monetization

Inline Text Ads

Includes:

• Sponsored text inserted inside content or AI chat

Best for:

• AI chat interfaces

• Content-heavy surfaces

• Seamless integration into workflows

How to choose the right format

Start with the format that matches the UI surface:

• Inline content or chat → inline text or tooltip

• Between UI blocks → sponsored card

• Passive corner → floating video

• Header/footer surfaces → display

Then optimize based on:

• Revenue (RPM / CPM)

• Retention impact

• User experience friction

Guideline:

• Test what works best

• Measure performance