# What are in-feed ads?

> In-feed ads are advertisements placed inside the content feed of a social media, news or short-video app, designed to look like the posts around them and seen as people scroll. In Chinese they are called 信息流广告 (xìnxīliú guǎnggào).

- URL: https://www.mvpdata.net/en/glossary/in-feed-ads
- Updated: 2026-10-14
- Also known as: Feed ads, In-feed advertising, 信息流广告, Native in-feed ads
- 简体中文: https://www.mvpdata.net/glossary/in-feed-ads

What sets in-feed ads apart is that they look like content. Ocean Engine, ByteDance's ad platform in China, describes its feed ads as native in form, so that users read the ad the way they read the news, and lists formats such as large and small images, image sets, video and carousels.[^1] On YouTube the equivalent is the in-feed video ad, which appears in YouTube search results, alongside related videos and on the YouTube mobile homepage; it shows a thumbnail from the video with some text, and the video plays only when someone clicks.[^2]

## How do in-feed ads differ from splash ads and search ads?

The difference is where and when they appear: a splash ad shows when an app opens, an in-feed ad sits among the posts a user scrolls through, and a search ad appears among search results.

| Format | When it appears | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Splash ad (开屏广告) | Loads when the app opens and shows for a fixed time | Ocean Engine's description[^1] |
| In-feed ad (信息流广告) | Among the posts a user scrolls through | Same |
| Search ad (paid ranking, 竞价排名) | Among search results; in China it must be clearly labeled as an ad and set apart from organic results | Measures for the Administration of Internet Advertising, Article 9[^3] |

## Do in-feed ads have to be labeled as ads?

In China, yes. Online ads must be recognizable so that consumers can tell they are ads (Measures for the Administration of Internet Advertising, Article 9).[^3] The State Administration for Market Regulation's enforcement guidelines on the identifiability of online advertising list placing ads in news, audiovisual or other online content feeds without clearly labeling them as advertising among the practices regulators should act against (item 10(3)).[^4]

## Where can in-feed ads be bought?

The major content platforms in China and the social platforms abroad all sell in-feed ads through their own ad consoles: in China, for example, Ocean Engine (Douyin, Toutiao and other ByteDance apps), Xiaohongshu Juguang, Weibo Super Fensitong and Baidu Marketing; abroad, TikTok, Meta (Facebook and Instagram) and Google Ads (including YouTube). Each console's official site and use are listed under [platforms and tools](https://www.mvpdata.net/en/services#toolkit).

## Further reading

- Ads on platforms abroad for Chinese companies: [Going global: social ads](https://www.mvpdata.net/en/brands/go-global)
- Ads on Douyin, Xiaohongshu and other Chinese platforms for foreign brands: [China entry: PR & social ads](https://www.mvpdata.net/en/brands/china-entry)

## Related terms

- [What does zhongcao (种草, seeding) mean in Chinese marketing?](https://www.mvpdata.net/en/glossary/zhongcao): Zhongcao (种草, literally "planting grass") is Chinese internet and marketing slang for content that makes people want to buy something by sharing first-hand experience or recommending a product; zhongcao marketing is a brand promoting products through such posts by creators or users. It is industry usage with no official definition.
- [What does chuhai (going global) mean for Chinese brands?](https://www.mvpdata.net/en/glossary/chuhai): Chuhai (出海, literally "going out to sea") is the Chinese business term for a Chinese company expanding into markets outside China; brand chuhai (品牌出海) means doing so under its own brand, building recognition abroad and selling directly to overseas customers. It differs from exporting products under other brands, and it is not the same as cross-border e-commerce.
- [What is a KOL (key opinion leader) in marketing?](https://www.mvpdata.net/en/glossary/kol): A KOL (key opinion leader) is a person whose expertise or reach in a field shapes the opinions and purchase decisions of others. A KOC (key opinion consumer) reaches fewer people but feels closer to ordinary users.

[^1]: 《我的广告会如何展现？》 (How will my ads be shown?), Ocean Engine. https://www.oceanengine.com/help/guanggao-zhanxian (Checked 2026-10-14, Unofficial translation)
[^2]: About video ad formats, Google Ads Help. https://support.google.com/google-ads/answer/2375464 (Checked 2026-10-14, May be unavailable in mainland China)
[^3]: 《互联网广告管理办法》 (Measures for the Administration of Internet Advertising), State Administration for Market Regulation, 国家市场监督管理总局令第 72 号. Effective 2023-05-01. https://www.gov.cn/gongbao/2023/issue_10506/202306/content_6885261.html (Checked 2026-10-17, Unofficial translation)
[^4]: 《互联网广告可识别性执法指南》 (Enforcement Guidelines on the Identifiability of Internet Advertising), State Administration for Market Regulation. Published 2024-08-22. https://www.gov.cn/zhengce/zhengceku/202408/content_6970377.htm (Checked 2026-09-30, Unofficial translation)