Advertising Guidelines

Creative size	Max. initial load	Host-initiated subload	Max. initial file requests	Max CPU	Creative expansion	Expanded size (WxH)	Max. animation sequence	Max. animation loops	In-banner video
160×600	200 KB	300 KB	10	30%	*User-initated leftward* expansion only**	600×600	15 seconds	3 (within 15 seconds)	Not supported
180×150	200 KB	300 KB	10	30%	Not allowed	N/A	Not supported	N/A	Not supported
300×250	50 KB (cross-platform) 200 KB (desktop only)	300 KB	10	30%	Not allowed on SRP, VDP, or Mobile Apps User-initiated leftward expansion allowed elsewhere	600×250	15 seconds Not supported on mobile	3 (within 15 secs.) – where supported	User-initiated video (24 fps) allowed on expansion
300×600	200 KB	400 KB	10	30%	Not allowed	N/A	15 seconds	3 (within 15 seconds)	Not supported
320×50	50 KB	300 KB	10	30%	Not allowed	N/A	15 seconds	3 (within 15 seconds)	Not supported
728×90	200 KB	300 KB	10	30%	Not allowed on SRP or VDP User-initiated downward expansion allowed elsewhere	728×315	15 seconds	3 (within 15 seconds)	User-initiated video (24 fps) allowed on expansion
970×66	200 KB	300 KB	10	30%	*User-initiated downward* expansion only**	970×415	15 seconds	3 (within 15 seconds)	User-initiated video (24 fps) allowed on expansion
970×90	200 KB	400 KB	10	30%	*User-initiated downward* expansion only**	970×250	15 seconds	3 (within 15 seconds)	User-initiated video (24 fps) allowed on expansion
970×250	250 KB	500 KB	10	30%	Not allowed	N/A	15 seconds	3 (within 15 seconds)	Not supported

Version 2018.03; updated 07 September 2018

Terms of these specifications can change depending on advertiser and technical feedback, as well as updated market guidance.

General Guidelines

• Lead time for standard IAB banners: Five (5) business days

• Ad unit content must not mimic Cars.com site content and must have a one-pixel black border when the background is white.

• Creative may not interfere with other computer applications or other components of the Cars.com page.

• Content referencing Cars.com’s direct competitors is prohibited. Requests to include references to indirect competitors will be treated case-by-case as an exception. Ask your Cars.com Campaign Manager for details.

• All creative is subject to final approval by Cars.com.

• All campaigns go live at midnight (ET) on the scheduled start date. There are no exceptions.

Expanded Units

• A close button is required for the expanded creative pane in the upper right corner.

• Expanded banner elements must maintain the prescribed Z-index range (0-4,999).

In-banner Video

• Auto-play video is not supported.

• Video may omit controls until user initiates interaction (e.g. on mouse-over).

• Upon user interaction, video controls must include Play, Pause, Mute or volume control to zero (0) output.

Click Strategy

• For IAB banners, clicks may direct users to a device-optimized page on the client’s (advertiser’s) website.

• Creatives must employ the target=_blank attribute (or similar) for click-outs to spawn a new tab or browser window (depending on user preference settings).

• CTA (call-to-action) should be clearly displayed. When animation is present, render the CTA early in the animation sequence to promote user interaction.

Native Units

In general, native units on Cars.com require context-specific data elements. Click here for a copy of our native ad spec, or contact your Cars.com Campaign Manager for more information.

For impression tracking, please supply a 1×1 pixel (.gif). If click tracking is also requested, supply two impression pixels for units that will click internal to Cars.com. For external clicks, a click-command or URL may be supplied.

Additional Notes

1. File weight calculation: All files for the ad, including supporting files, libraries, style sheets, etc., must be included as part of the maximum file weight calculation for all file limits load.

2. Frame rate applies to video only. JS and CSS animations don’t have a frame-rate, per se. 24fps video is recommended to ensure smooth playback on older monitors. A 30fps rate is acceptable, but is not optimal for 100% of users.

3. The maximum CPU usage specification is a guideline based entirely on IAB recommendations. We have not established our own benchmarks. However, we may use consistent CPU violations as a bellwether for broader creative issues, and we reserve the right to remove ads from our site if they are found to harm page load or user experience.