HTML5 validator tool for Campaign Manager to be deprecated in April 2025

The Google Campaign Manager html5 validator tool, a critical asset for creative developers and agencies working with digital advertising, will be deprecated in April 2025, according to an announcement posted on the validator's website three months ago.

The validator, accessible at h5validator.appspot.com/dcm/asset, has been experiencing functionality issues for several months, affecting creative teams' ability to test html5 assets before submitting them to advertising platforms. This announcement marks the second time Google has attempted to deprecate this tool, following a similar initiative in March 2021 that was postponed after significant community feedback.

According to user Opening_Lab_5158 on the platform Reddit, the Google Ads variant of the validation tool faced a similar deprecation announcement but remained operational after a last-minute decision reversal. The parallel between these situations has led some community members to hope for a similar outcome.

The html5 validator has been an integral part of the creative development workflow since its inception. The tool performs three critical functions: it allows users to upload html5 creatives in zip format, reviews validation results to determine acceptance by Campaign Manager, and provides detailed error messages for troubleshooting issues.

Bradley Lancaster, a member of the advertising operations community who identified himself as working with Google Partners, shared insights about potential alternatives: "The functionality will exist in Campaign Manager 360 / Display & Video 360. For Google Ads, validation will occur through direct input, and since Adwords is free to set up, this makes things easier."

However, this solution presents challenges for creative developers who lack access to the technical stack typically reserved for media agencies and brands. According to TJ Creative, another community member, "Google's decision might be driven by a strategy to encourage designers to use Google Web Designer, which includes built-in ad validation capabilities."

Several alternative solutions have emerged in response to the impending deprecation. Roy Advalify introduced a third-party html5 ad validator at advalify.io, which reportedly examines additional parameters not covered by Google's tool. Another alternative, PreviewAds.com, launched in beta with plans to replicate and expand upon Google's validation capabilities.

The original html5 validator tool has specific technical requirements for creative assets. It accepts zip files containing all necessary assets, with the condition that uploaded content must have appropriate legal rights and avoid sensitive material. The tool makes validated creatives publicly accessible via URL, maintaining transparency in the validation process.

According to feedback collected through Google Forms during the previous deprecation attempt, the tool serves various roles within the advertising ecosystem, including media planners, brand strategists, creative developers, account managers, and solutions consultants across media agencies, creative agencies, and third-party ad servers.

Looking ahead, creative teams face uncertainty regarding validation processes. While Google provides alternatives within its advertising platforms, the transition poses challenges for independent developers and agencies working across multiple platforms. The situation highlights the complex relationship between third-party creative development workflows and platform-specific tools in the digital advertising ecosystem.

For teams currently relying on the validator, the remaining months until April 2025 represent a critical period for establishing alternative validation workflows and potentially adapting to new tools or platform-specific solutions. The advertising operations community continues to monitor the situation, particularly given the precedent of the 2021 deprecation reversal.