Summary
At least one vertical and two horizontal assets is what a VRC Efficient reach campaign needs for full coverage. The horizontal videos serve skippable in-stream and in-feed placements, and the vertical video opens up YouTube Shorts, so the auction can reach the same audience across every surface at the lowest possible CPM.
Nitin Batra is a Google Video Ads certified professional who plans and manages YouTube Video reach campaigns, including Efficient reach and Target frequency buys, for brands running multi-format creative.
Last updated: August 23, 2026
For a VRC Efficient reach campaign, best practice is to upload at least one vertical and two horizontal assets, so the campaign can serve across skippable in-stream, in-feed and Shorts inventory without gaps.
- Five different vertical videos
- One 60-second horizontal video
- Only vertical videos
- At least one vertical and two horizontal assets
The correct answer is: At least one vertical and two horizontal assets
Key Takeaways
- – For full coverage in a VRC Efficient reach campaign, upload at least one vertical and two horizontal assets.
- – The vertical asset is what unlocks YouTube Shorts inventory; horizontal assets carry skippable in-stream and in-feed placements.
- – Efficient reach is a multi-format buy, so the more valid orientations you supply, the more inventory the auction can access at a lower CPM.
- – Uploading only one orientation does not block the campaign, but it silently limits where your ad can serve and pushes reach costs up.
Why does an Efficient reach campaign need both vertical and horizontal videos?
Efficient reach serves across skippable in-stream, in-feed and Shorts in a single campaign. Shorts is a vertical, full screen surface, while in-stream and in-feed are built around horizontal playback. Supplying both orientations means Google Ads can pick the right asset for each impression instead of cropping or skipping inventory it cannot fill well.
Where do I add multiple video assets in a Video reach campaign?
In Google Ads, create the campaign under Awareness and consideration with the Video campaign type, choose Video reach campaign and then Efficient reach. On the ad creation step you paste or select YouTube video URLs, and the interface lets you add several videos to the same ad group. You can also add or swap assets later from the Ads section of the campaign.
Is a square video enough instead of a vertical one?
A square asset will serve, but it does not fill a Shorts screen the way a true 9:16 vertical asset does. The best practice guidance for Efficient reach specifically asks for a vertical asset alongside horizontal ones. Treat square as a fallback, not a replacement for vertical.
What happens if I only upload one 60-second horizontal video?
The campaign will still run, but it leans almost entirely on skippable in-stream and in-feed, and Shorts delivery suffers. Longer single assets also give the system no shorter option to test, so frequency builds on a small pool of inventory. You usually see a higher CPM and lower unique reach than the same budget with a mixed set of assets.