About Protections

Understand protections eligibility for transaction types

This article explains which protection settings apply to different transaction types in Google Ad Manager, including programmatic guaranteed, open bidding, and traditional line items.

Review your Private Auction settings to prevent delivery interruptions

Starting September 17, 2026, Private Auctions will respect publisher-level blocks for specific advertisers, brands, and buyers by default.

To prevent unintended delivery interruptions for active Private Auction deals where blocked advertisers, brands or buyers are permitted to serve, ensure the "Override blocks" toggle is on
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Transaction type	Protections
Programmatic Guaranteed	Only these protection settings apply: Ad content: These ad technologies: Interactive video ads (VPAID), Real player, Quicktime, Windows Media, Rollover Expandables ^(Beta) , and Google - Expandable ^(Beta) . Allow unknown or minimum platform policy compliance only ads (for advertiser-managed creatives only) Advertiser/Brand protections (only if "Apply to all direct traffic as well" is selected) Custom labels Cookies and data uses (non-Google demand) Competition: Only if Ad Category labels applied Network level: Remarketing ads opt-in/out Additionally, while not managed with Protections, the following also applies to Programmatic Guaranteed: Creative and advertiser blocks inserted through the Ads Review Center Competitive exclusions (via Labels)
Preferred Deals	Only these protection settings apply: Ad content: These ad technologies: Interactive video ads (VPAID), Real player, Quicktime, Windows Media, Rollover Expandables ^(Beta) , and Google - Expandable ^(Beta) Allow unknown or minimum platform policy compliance only ads (for advertiser-managed creatives only) Restricted category opt-ins Cookies and data uses (non-Google demand) Competition: Only when configured with “Enable pod-level competitive exclusions for all ad categories” ^(Beta) Network level: Remarketing ads opt-in/out Additionally, while not managed with Protections, the following applies to Preferred Deals: Creative and advertiser blocks inserted through the Ads Review Center
Open Bidding	These protection settings always apply to: Ad content: Cookies and data uses (non-Google demand) These protection settings apply to bidders who have been configured within Demand channel settings for "Filter creatives based on your Protections:" Ad content: All settings EXCEPT Cookies and data uses (non-Google demand) Competition
Open Auctions	All protection settings apply, EXCEPT: Ad content: Custom labels
Private Auctions	When the "Override blocks" option is off, all protection settings apply EXCEPT: Ad content: Custom labels Inventory exclusion When the "Override blocks" option is on, the Ad content: Ad experiences settings still apply.
Auction packages	Protection settings for an auction package are determined by its underlying deal, inheriting all eligibility rules and exemptions from the targeted Private Auction or Preferred Deal.
First Look	All protection settings apply EXCEPT: Ad content: Custom labels Inventory exclusion
Header Bidding Trafficking	Inventory exclusion protections configured for "Demand Sources = Header Bidding" apply to all header bidding trafficking bidders
AdSense	No Ad Manager protection settings apply. AdSense blocking controls are set in the AdSense user interface
Traditional	These protection settings always apply: Ad content: Custom labels Competition: Only if Ad Category labels applied These protection settings apply if: The checkbox for "Apply to all direct traffic as well" is selected when creating the protections Your line items are tagged with verified advertisers/brands: Ad content: Advertisers/Brands No other protection settings apply to Traditional transactions.

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About Protections

Understand protections eligibility for transaction types

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