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Integrating the AdMob plugin into your Godot project, specifically for Godot v4.1+, is the initial and crucial step in enabling ad displays and revenue generation. After successfully incorporating this plugin, you'll have the flexibility to select from various ad formats, like Banner or Interstitial, and proceed with the necessary implementation steps.

This document is based on:

Prerequisites

Use Godot v4.1 or higher
Deploy Android:
- minSdkVersion of 19 or higher
- compileSdkVersion of 28 or higher
Deploy iOS:
- Use Xcode 14.1 or higher
- Target iOS 11.0 or higher
- CocoaPods
Recommended: Create an AdMob account and register an app.

Download the Godot AdMob Plugin from Poing Studios

The Godot AdMob Plugin from Poing Studios simplifies the process for Godot developers to incorporate Google Mobile Ads into their Android and iOS apps, eliminating the need to write Java/Kotlin or Objective-C++ code. Instead, this plugin offers a GDScript-based interface for ad requests, which can be seamlessly integrated into your Godot project.

To access the plugin, you can either download the Godot package provided or explore its source code on GitHub through the links below.

Download from GitHub Download from AssetLibrary Source Code

Importing the Godot AdMob Plugin on Project

The AdMob plugin for Godot is conveniently available via AssetLib. To import this plugin into your Godot project, follow these steps:

Open your Godot project.
Navigate to AssetLib within the Godot editor.
In the search bar, enter AdMob and ensure that the publisher is set to poing.studios.
Locate the AdMob plugin and click the Download button.
Once the download is complete, go to Project > Project Settings within the Godot editor.
In the Plugins section, find the AdMob plugin and activate it.
With these steps, you'll have successfully integrated the AdMob plugin into your Godot project without the need for additional manual file imports.

Obtaining external libraries

AndroidiOS

To integrate the required Android library for AdMob in Godot, follow these steps:

In Godot, navigate to Project > Tools > AdMob Download Manager > Android > LatestVersion.
This action will download the appropriate Android library into your project, which is located at res://addons/admob/downloads/android/.

If you encounter any issues with the download, you can try downloading the library manually by clicking here.

To integrate the required iOS library for AdMob in Godot, follow these steps:

In Godot, navigate to Project > Tools > AdMob Download Manager > iOS > LatestVersion.
This action will download the appropriate iOS library into your project, which is located at res://addons/admob/downloads/ios/.

If you encounter any issues with the download, you can try downloading the library manually by clicking here.

Installing

AndroidiOS

Install the Android Build Template by navigating to Project > Install Android Build Template.
Go to the directory res://android/plugins/ and extract the contents of the ads folder from the downloaded .zip located at res://addons/admob/downloads/android/. If you have Mediation, do the same for meta, adcolony etc....
Add your AdMob App ID to your app's res://android/build/AndroidManifest.xml file by adding a <meta-data> tag with name com.google.android.gms.ads.APPLICATION_ID, as shown below. If you don't do this then you App will crash on start-up.
```

<meta-data
    android:name="com.google.android.gms.ads.APPLICATION_ID"
    android:value="ca-app-pub-xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx~yyyyyyyyyy"/>
```
3.1. Important — App ID vs Ad Unit ID
- App ID (contains ~): used for app registration and manifest.
- Ad Unit ID (contains /): used to load specific ad formats (banner, rewarded, etc.).
When exporting your project, select Use Custom Build and ensure that Ad Mob is enabled, If you have Mediation, also mark Ad Mob Meta, Ad Mob AdColony etc...

Create the iOS Plugin folder if doesn't exists on res://ios/plugins/.
Go to the directory res://ios/plugins/ and extract the contents of the ads folder from the downloaded .zip located at res://addons/admob/downloads/ios/. If you have Mediation, do the same for meta, adcolony etc....
Within res://ios/plugins/poing-godot-admob-ads.gdip, if you are using Mediation, locate the SKAdNetworkItems section. Here, you can remove the comments associated with the Mediation Networks that you are using.
When exporting your project, update the GADApplicationIdentifier with your AdMob App ID and and ensure that Ad Mob is enabled, If you have Mediation, also mark Ad Mob Meta, Ad Mob AdColony etc... 4.1. Important — App ID vs Ad Unit ID
- App ID (contains ~): used for app registration and manifest.
- Ad Unit ID (contains /): used to load specific ad formats (banner, rewarded, etc.).
Once exported, go to {{ ios_xcode_export_folder }}/{{your_project_name}}/ios/plugins/poing-godot-admob/scripts/ folder and open the terminal (must be inside this folder) and run these commands:
```
chmod +x update_and_install.sh
./update_and_install.sh
```
This will create for your a {{ your_project_name }}.xcworkspace (e.g.: AdMobAddon.xcworkspace) file on your {{ ios_xcode_export_folder }}, open this file.
Go to the Target of your Application and them General -> Frameworks, Libraries, and Embedded Content and add all Pods in section.
Select all Frameworks (⌘ + A) and put as Do Not Embed
Run the Game.
If you are trying to run on Simulator and is not working read this.

Initialize the Google Mobile Ads SDK

Prior to loading ads, ensure that your application initializes the Google Mobile Ads SDK. You can accomplish this by calling MobileAds.initialize(). This function initializes the SDK and triggers a completion listener once the initialization process is finished, or if it exceeds a 30-second timeout. It's important to note that this initialization should occur only once, ideally during the app's launch phase.

func _ready() -> void:
    MobileAds.initialize()

If you are utilizing mediation, it's essential to wait for the completion handler to be called before proceeding with ad loading. This step ensures that all mediation adapters are properly initialized before ad requests are made.

Select an ad format

The Google Mobile Ads SDK is now successfully imported, and you are prepared to integrate an ad into your app. AdMob provides a variety of ad formats, allowing you to select the one that aligns best with your app's user experience.

Banner ads are rectangular advertisements, consisting of either images or text, that are integrated into an app's layout. These ads remain on the screen while users engage with the app and can automatically refresh after a designated time interval. If you're new to mobile advertising, banner ads provide an excellent starting point for your ad implementation journey.

Implement banner ads

Interstitial

Interstitial ads are expansive, full-screen advertisements that overlay an app's interface and persist until they are closed by the user. They are most effective when strategically placed during natural pauses in the app's execution, such as between levels of a game or immediately after the completion of a task.

Implement interstitial ads

Rewarded

Rewarded video ads are immersive, full-screen video advertisements that provide users with the choice to watch them entirely. In return for their time and attention, users receive in-app rewards or benefits.

Implement rewarded ads

Rewarded Interstitial

A Rewarded Interstitial is a specific form of incentivized ad format that allows you to provide rewards in exchange for ads that appear automatically during natural app transitions. Unlike regular rewarded ads, users are not obligated to actively opt in to view a Rewarded Interstitial; they are seamlessly integrated into the app experience.

Implement rewarded interstitial ads