What is MRAID ?

What is MRAID ?

MRAID stand for "Mobile Rich Media Ad Interface Definitions",its common API (Application Programming Interface) which allow to show the mobile ads inside App.

Common API - MRAID is a common command set that creative developers may use. All apps that support MRAID support the same common commands so any creative that uses an MRAID feature will run correctly in different apps and different devices using the same creative code.

MRAID provide the universal guidelines to developers of mobile rich media regarding the ad interactions and what those ads do (expand, resize, get access to device functionalities such as calendar events, etc) with the apps they  are being served into.

MRAID is only relevant in case of the creatives that are running inside app and not on the mobile web.

Why we need MRAID

There are two types of creative that can preview on mobile , these are as below

1) Mobile Creatives

Creative is loaded inside iframe and can interact using HTML5 and JS.The container and the creative can interact freely with each others.

The creative can ask the webpage to perform set of functionalities on it such as expand,resize.

2)  In-App Mobile creatives

No use of HTML5/JS for interaction instead we are using native code of the mobile operating system.

If app is running on Android then creative is using java and if its running on ios device then its using objective-C.

Why we need MRAID ?

As creative only speak in HTML5/JS and app can only understand java in case of android and Objective-C in case of  iOS.This is where MRAID comes into the pictures,it defines set of instruction that allow creative to interact using JS with objective-C/Java.

What happen if we don't use MRAID?

There will be plenty of API that will be used to communicate with app which will create confusion also the same creative must be rewritten in order to run across different apps.

If we use MRAID then Mobile rich media ads will run within applications using any MRAID-compliant SDK.

MRAID therefore enables creative agencies and rich media shops to more quickly and easily build rich creative that will run in different publishers’ mobile apps.

There are six test ads that need to run correctly along with its specified functionality.

• Single-Part Expandable Ad

• Two-Part Expandable Ad

• Full-Page Ad

• Resize Ad

• Resize Ad Designed to Cause MRAID Errors

• Video Interstitial Ad 

To test the MRAID creative IAB creative free online tool 

http://webtester.mraid.org/

Step by step guide to test the creatives

Latest version  is MRAID 3.0, Download Here

Below are the highlights of MRAID 3.0

• VPAID events now integrated into MRAID 3.0 for uniform reporting and measurement of video ads

• Support for MRC-compatible viewability measurement

• Audibility measurement to understand the user’s context for use of audio in ads

• Access to information about app environment like the software development kit (SDK), Apple Advertising Identifier (IFA) and Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA), to prepare the creative before rendering

• Access to location data when shared by the user and app publisher for personalization

• Standardized close button for expanded and interstitial ads

Please keep checking the blog post for new updates ..