Guide · Agent skill
How to use the IMA SDK Client-Side Ads agent skill
Updated · written with AI from the project's own documentation and checked against our catalogue data
The IMA SDK client-side ads skill teaches an AI agent how Google's Interactive Media Ads (IMA) SDK works, so it can help you add in-stream video ads to a website or app. It is for ads played by the viewer's own device, not server-side insertion. After this guide you will know what the skill does, how to install it, how to phrase a request so the agent uses it, and what it needs before you start.
IMA SDK Client-Side Adsgoogle/skills · Apache-2.0 Download the skill Quick start
- 1Download the ZIP. Download the ima-sdk-client-side skill ZIP from this page and unzip it.
- 2Place the folder. Move the unzipped folder to ~/.claude/skills/ for personal use or to a project's .claude/skills/ folder for one project.
- 3Or upload it in the apps. In the Claude apps, go to Settings, then Capabilities, then Skills, and upload the skill.
- 4Confirm your platform and ad tag. Make sure you have the IMA SDK for your platform and a VAST or VMAP ad tag URL.
- 5Ask in plain language. Describe the platform and what you want, such as adding video ads with a VAST tag.
- 6Review the output. Check the SDK version, the code and the cleanup steps before you deploy.
What is an agent skill, and what does this one do?
An agent skill is a folder of instructions and reference files that an AI agent loads when a task matches the skill's description. This one is named ima-sdk-client-side and is published by Google LLC under the Apache-2.0 licence.
When it is installed, the agent knows how the IMA SDK works and follows platform-specific reference guides for Web, Android, iOS and tvOS. It walks through setup, ad requests using VAST or VMAP, handling load success or failure, pausing and resuming content around ads, and cleaning up the ad manager.
- Covers Web/HTML5, ReactJs, NodeJs and Angular, plus Android, AndroidTV and ReactNative, and iOS and tvOS.
- Covers client-side ad insertion, where the viewer's device plays the ads.
- Does not cover Dynamic Ad Insertion (DAI), SSAI or SGAI.
How do you install the ima-sdk-client-side skill?
Download the ZIP file from this page and unzip it. You can install the skill in one of two places. For a personal setup, put the unzipped folder in ~/.claude/skills/. For a single project, put it in that project's .claude/skills/ folder.
You can also upload the skill in the Claude apps. Go to Settings, then Capabilities, then Skills, and upload it there.
- Personal: ~/.claude/skills/ima-sdk-client-side
- Project: .claude/skills/ima-sdk-client-side inside your project
- Claude apps: Settings → Capabilities → Skills
What does the skill need before you start?
The skill assumes an existing integration. You need the Google IMA SDK for your target platform (web, Android, iOS or tvOS). You also need a VAST or VMAP ad server or ad tag URL to request ads from.
The skill does not set up accounts or ad servers for you. If you have neither an ad tag nor a target platform yet, the instructions will not be much use.
- The Google IMA SDK for web, Android, iOS or tvOS
- A VAST or VMAP ad server or ad tag URL
How do you trigger the skill with a natural request?
You do not need a special command. Describe the task in plain language and name the platform and ad format. The agent matches your request to the skill's description, which mentions IMA, client-side ad insertion, video ads, VAST and VMAP.
Mention the platform so the agent reads the right reference guide. For a web player, say so. For an Android or iOS app, say that instead.
- "Add IMA video ads to my HTML5 video player using a VAST tag."
- "Integrate the IMA SDK in my Android app and request VMAP ads."
- "Set up IMA on tvOS and make sure content pauses when an ad plays."
- "Clean up the IMA AdsManager when my player is destroyed."
What does the agent follow when it uses the skill?
The skill sets a general workflow and points to platform guides. Before integrating, the agent is told to read the guides for every platform your app supports. For web, that means the main web guide, the iframe mode guide and the mobile Safari guide. For Android, the Android guide. For iOS and tvOS, the iOS guide and the tvOS guide.
- 1. Import the SDK and its dependencies.
- 2. Initialize: warmup, settings configuration and ad UI setup.
- 3. Ad request, including user gesture compliance.
- 4. Handle load success (get the AdsManager) or early fatal errors.
- 5. Listen to playback events to coordinate content play and pause, and handle LOG and fatal playback errors.
- 6. Clean up by destroying the AdsManager to release resources and prevent memory leaks.
What are the safety notes for scripts and network use?
According to the skill's listing, it does not run scripts and does not use the network. It is a set of instruction and reference files.
The Android guide does tell you to install the latest IMA SDK from Google's download page, and the example shows version 3.39.0 as a dependency. Check that version against the official download page before you use it, because the skill's example is only a snapshot. Review any code the agent writes before you deploy it.
- Runs scripts: no
- Uses network: no
- Dependency install steps are described in the Android and iOS guides; review them before running.
implementation("com.google.ads.interactivemedia.v3:interactivemedia:3.39.0")What tips help the agent give better results?
Give the agent the details it needs: the platform, the ad format (VAST or VMAP), and whether you already have an ad tag URL. Say if you need server-side insertion, because the skill will not apply and you should choose a different approach.
- Name the platform: web, Android, iOS or tvOS.
- State the format: VAST or VMAP.
- Mention your ad tag URL or where it comes from.
- Ask for cleanup code too, so the AdsManager is destroyed properly.
What people use it for
- Adding in-stream pre-roll or mid-roll video ads to an HTML5 video player on a website.
- Integrating IMA into an Android or AndroidTV app with a VAST ad tag.
- Setting up IMA on iOS or tvOS, including pausing content during ad breaks.
- Requesting VMAP ad schedules for a player that plays ads at set points in content.
- Reviewing an existing IMA integration for missing cleanup or load error handling.
Frequently asked questions
Is the IMA SDK client-side ads skill free?
The skill is published under the Apache-2.0 licence, as stated in its SKILL.md. The IMA SDK itself and any ad server you use are separate and have their own terms, so check those before you build.
What do I need to use this skill?
You need the Google IMA SDK for your target platform and a VAST or VMAP ad server or ad tag URL. The skill assumes an existing integration and does not create accounts.
How do I install the ima-sdk-client-side skill?
Download the ZIP from this page and unzip it into ~/.claude/skills/ or a project's .claude/skills/ folder. You can also upload it in the Claude apps under Settings, then Capabilities, then Skills.
Can this skill handle server-side ad insertion?
No. The skill is for client-side ad insertion and explicitly excludes Dynamic Ad Insertion (DAI), SSAI and SGAI. Using it for those would give the wrong architecture.
Does the skill run scripts or use the network?
According to the listing, it does not run scripts and does not use the network. It consists of instruction and reference files that the agent reads.
How does this compare with just asking an AI for IMA code?
This skill adds Google's platform-specific reference guides for Web, Android, iOS and tvOS, so the agent follows the recommended steps for each platform. Without it, the agent has no such guides to follow.
New agent skills, repos and AI tools — every week
The best new skills and open-source projects, the fastest-growing repos, and one free prompt. Five minutes to read. Unsubscribe anytime.
Our verdict
Use this skill if you are a developer adding in-stream video ads with Google IMA on a website, Android, iOS or tvOS app, and you already have an ad tag. Pick something else if you need server-side ad insertion (DAI, SSAI or SGAI), are not a developer, or use an ad network that does not use IMA.
Download the skill