Native Ads Integration for Android

Native ads are a form of advertising that you can customize to blend in with the other content in your app. This makes ads appear more organic, which leads to a better user experience and higher retention.

To integrate native ads, you need to follow three main steps: 

1. Load a native ad
2. Create a view and bind it
3. Destroy the native ad

Step 1. Load a native ad

You’ll need to create a native ad object using LevelPlayNativeAd.Builder class, which allows for custom configuration of the native ad object. We recommend creating a separate class to manage your native ads loading mechanism in a single place. 

Make sure to load the native ads after receiving the SDK initialization complete callback. 

    LevelPlayNativeAd nativeAd = new LevelPlayNativeAd.Builder()
            .withPlacementName(placementName)
            .withListener(listener) 
            .build();
// You can add the native ad object to a list of native ads (mNativeAds), which can be used to display the ad when needed
    mNativeAds.add(nativeAd);
    nativeAd.loadAd();

You can initialize the native ad with the placement name and set the listener for ad callbacks.

Step 2. Implement the Listener

Next, implement the native ad Listener in your code. The ironSource SDK fires several callbacks to inform you of native ad activity. The SDK will notify your Listener of all possible events listed below:

    // Invoked each time a native ad was loaded.
    @Override
    public void onAdLoaded(LevelPlayNativeAd nativeAd, AdInfo adInfo) {
        // Your implementation here
    }
    // Invoked when the native ad loading process has failed.
    @Override
    public void onAdLoadFailed(LevelPlayNativeAd nativeAd, IronSourceError error) {
        // Your implementation here
    }
    // Invoked each time the first pixel is visible on the screen
    @Override
    public void onAdImpression(LevelPlayNativeAd nativeAd, AdInfo adInfo) {
        // Your implementation here
    }
    // Invoked when end user clicked on the native ad
    @Override
    public void onAdClicked(LevelPlayNativeAd nativeAd, AdInfo adInfo) {
        // Your implementation here
    }

Step 3. Create a view and bind it

You are required to create a view, bind it, and set all relevant information manually before loading the native ad. This includes arranging the different assets such as

title, body text, advertising text, image, media view container, CTA button, and more. 

Each native ad is represented by a single NativeAdLayout, and this view is responsible for displaying all the elements of that ad.

Here’s a suggestion for an XML format that can be used as a baseline for displaying your ad:

<com.ironsource.mediationsdk.ads.nativead.NativeAdLayout
 xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
    android:layout_width="match_parent"
    android:layout_height="wrap_content"
    android:paddingStart="5dp"
    android:paddingEnd="5dp"
    android:paddingTop="10dp"
    android:contentDescription="com.ironsource.mediationsdk.ads.NativeAdLayout">
    <LinearLayout
        android:orientation="vertical"
        ...>
            <TextView
                android:id="@+id/badge"
                .../>
                <ImageView
                    android:id="@+id/ad_app_icon"
                    ...>
                    <TextView
                        android:id="@+id/ad_title"
                        .../>
                    <Button
                        android:id="@+id/ad_call_to_action"
                        .../>
             // Other assets such as  media view, etc.
         ...
                </LinearLayout>
</com.ironsource.mediationsdk.ads.nativead.NativeAdLayout>

Enhancing ad transparency

Privacy icon – This element should be incorporated into the bottom left corner of your native ad during the design process.

Ad indication – To make sure your users understand that this is an ad, you’re required to mark your native ads as “Ad”. This can be achieved by adding your own indication.

Create a NativeAdLayout and populate it

Inflate the layout

Inflate a layout XML file into a NativeAdLayout object that can be used to display native ad elements within the layout.

    LayoutInflater inflater = (LayoutInflater) getSystemService(Context.LAYOUT_INFLATER_SERVICE);
    NativeAdLayout nativeAdLayout = (NativeAdLayout) inflater.inflate(R.layout.native_ad, null);

Assets views population and registration

This code sample identifies the view used to display the title, icon, and MediaView. Then, populating the assets, and registering them with the nativeAdLayout object:

    // Locate all views to be populated
    TextView titleView = nativeAdLayout.findViewById(R.id.ad_title);
    ImageView iconView = nativeAdLayout.findViewById(R.id.ad_app_icon);
    LevelPlayMediaView mediaView = nativeAdLayout.findViewById(R.id.ad_media);
    // Populate the views
    String title = nativeAd.getTitle();
    if (title != null) {
        titleView.setText(title);
    }
    NativeAdDataInterface.Image icon = nativeAd.getIcon();
    if (icon != null) {
        if (icon.getDrawable() != null) {
            iconView.setImageDrawable(icon.getDrawable());
        }
    }
    // Register the views to be bound
    nativeAdLayout.setTitleView(titleView);
    nativeAdLayout.setIconView(iconView);
    nativeAdLayout.setMediaView(mediaView);
    nativeAdLayout.setCallToActionView(ctaView);

    // Setting the native ads 
nativeLayout.registerNativeAdViews(nativeAd);

For each asset provided by the native ad object that the app will display, repeat the process of locating the view that corresponds to that asset, setting its value, and registering it with the ad view class.

MediaView 

The MediaView is a designated container that is intended to display the main media element. It is recommended to use a fixed size for the container.

Step 4. Destroy the Native Ad

To destroy a native ad, call the following method:

nativeAd.destroyAd();

A destroyed native ad can no longer be loaded. If you want to serve it again, you must initiate it once more.

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