A video player can trigger a variety of errors. Some of these are informational, and will still allow the ad to be played. These errors are considered “non-fatal” warnings. Other, “fatal” errors, may cause the video ad to stop the request for the problem ad and request another ad, or resume playback of the video content. Here’s a list of errors you may encounter.
List of contents:
- Fatal Errors:
- 100 VAST XML Parsing Error
- 101 VAST Schema Validation Error
- 102 VAST Response Version Not Supported
- 200 Video Player Expected Different Ad Type
- 300 Wrapper Error
- 301 VAST Redirect Timeout Reached
- 302 Wrapper Limit Reached
- 303 Empty VAST Response Returned
- 400 General Linear Error
- 401 Mediafile Not Found
- 402 Unable to Download / Timeout of Mediafile URI
- 403 VAST Response Declared Unsupported MIME Types for All Mediafiles
- 405 Mediafile Display Error
- 407 Mezzianine File Downloader for The First Time
- 408 Rejected Ad in VAST Response
- 409 Interactive Creative Defined in The Interactive creative file node did not execute
- 410 Code Refferenced in The Verification Node Did Not Execute
- 500 General Nonlinear Ads Error
- 501 Non-linear Ad Creative Dimensions Do Not Align with Creative Display Area
- 502 Unable to Fetch Nonlinear Ads/Nonlinear resource
- 503 Could Not Find Nonlinearresource With Supported Type
- 900 Undefined VAST 3 Error
- 901 General VPAID Error
- Non-fatal Errors:
- 201 Video Player Expected Different Linearity
- 202 Video Player Expected Different Duration
- 203 Video Player Expected Different Size
- 406 Missing Required Mezzianine File
- 600 General Companion ads Error
- 601 Companion Creative Dimensions Did Not Align With Companion Display Area
- 602 Unable to Display Required Companion
- 603 Unable to Fetch Companionads/Companion Resource
- 604 Could Not Find Companion Resource with Supported Type
- 900 VAST 2 Error
Fatal Errors
100 VAST XML parsing error
Cause: The buyer’s response is either malformed or an otherwise invalid XML document, or a redirect VAST URL that fails to resolve successfully.
Resolution: Verify that the VAST XML is correctly formatted and contains all of the required elements and attributes.
101 VAST schema validation error
Cause: The buyer’s response is missing required elements or attributes of the XML, or contains unrecognized elements, according to the IAB standard.
Resolution: Verify that the VAST XML is correctly formatted and contains all of the required elements and attributes.
102 VAST response version not supported
Cause: A video player does not support the VAST version specified in the bid request.
Resolution: Ensure that only supported VAST versions are sent in a response.
200 Video player expected different ad type
Cause: A video player does not expect or support an ad type requested in a bid request. For example, if a skippable ad is sent when a player is only configured to support linear ads, or if a skip offset is longer than expected.
Resolution: Ensure that only specified ad types are sent in a response, and that skippable linear creatives respect the skip offset attribute.
300 Wrapper error
Cause: This is a general wrapper error.
Resolution: Check that all VAST URIs are reachable and not timing out. Also ensure wrapper limit is not reached.
301 VAST redirect timeout reached
Cause: A VAST redirect tag does not return a response within the timeout (5 seconds is the default) specified in a wrapper element. It could include request errors, such as an invalid URI, unreachable or request timeout for a URI, security, or other exceptions related to requesting a VAST URI. This could be due to a poor internet connection or non-optimized page. Is Player timeout set too low?
Resolution: Ensure that the VAST redirect URI is reachable and no protocol issues exist (for example, responses hosted on HTTP and served to an HTTPS site. Check whether this occurs more on mobile devices.
302 Wrapper limit reached
Cause: The wrapper limit defined by the video player is reached. Either too many wrapper responses are received without an inline response, a circular loop of daisy chaining exists (one network bouncing to another and another), or too many empty VAST responses from video fallback.
Resolution: Verify that any VAST redirects are not redirecting again to another network. When too many redirects are called from a video player before a valid Media-File is returned, the player might abort the ad request. Look into increasing the wrapper limit of your player.
303 Empty VAST response returned
Cause: No ads are returned in a VAST response after one or more wrappers. This also includes empty VAST responses from video fallback. When working with third-party networks, the fill-rate can be less than 100%. If so, this is an expected error. For example, if the third-party expects to fill 60% of the time, you should expect 40% errors.
Resolution: Ensure that bids are not being returned with an empty VAST response, and that empty responses are not being returned by the advertiser or agency hosting the creative.
400 General linear error
Cause: A video player is unable to display the linear ad. It may occur when the Media-File is not a valid video file of the specified format, or because the browser restricted autoplay with sound, or other unknown reasons.
Resolution: Ensure that the VAST response returns a valid creative. Check for browser restrictions such as autoplay blocking, auto-mute, etc.
401 MediaFile not found
Cause: A file cannot be found from a Media-File URI.
Resolution: Ensure that all Media-File URIs in the VAST response return a valid video creative.
402 Unable to download / timeout of MediaFile URI
Cause: A problem fetching or playing the MediaFile, It could be any of the following:
- The loadVideoTimeout is set too low in the IMA SDK. The default is 8 seconds.
- Low bandwidth or poor website implementation with competing requests that delay loading of the Media-File.
- A video auto-plays in a mobile environment, whereas it should be click-to-play (there are some exceptions).
- Showing video ads in an auto-play environment (for example, a playlist), while the window is not in focus (either another tab is selected, or window is minimized).
Resolution: Ensure that any CDN-hosted creatives are returned within the specified media timeout. Increase the timeout limit of your player. For players that use the IMA SDK, video fallback may be helpful to avoid losing impressions.
403 VAST response declared unsupported MIME types for all MediaFiles
Cause: A VAST response that declares unsupported MIME types for all available Media-Files (for example, Flash on mobile, or WebM on iOS). It may indicate that the wrong creative type attempted to play. This error type is more common on mobile.
Resolution: Ensure that all returned creatives respect the video format in the bid request.
405 MediaFile display error
Cause: A faulty creative is returned. Creatives can fail due to a mismatch between the MIME type and the video file type, a CORS configuration on the creative’s CDN, or other transcoding-related reasons.
Resolution: Ensure that all creative MIME types and CDN configurations are accurate.
407 Mezzanine file downloaded for the first time
Cause: The mezzanine file is downloaded for the first time, so no ad is served. It can also occur when an ad insertion is missed because the creative is being transcoded. It continues to occur until the creative is available for insertion.
Resolution: This is expected while the video is being transcoded and no action is required. This error will stop once transcoding is complete and available.
408 Rejected ad in VAST response
Cause: The ad returned in the VAST response is rejected.
Resolution: Ensure that only approved creatives are returned in your VAST response, or that any advertisers or agencies hosting the creatives are aware of rejections.
409 Interactive creative defined in the InteractiveCreativeFile node did not execute
Cause: A creative defined in the InteractiveCreativeFile node does not execute.
Resolution: Ensure that any interactive creatives returned in your response successfully play when requested.
410 Code referenced in the Verification node did not execute
Cause: The code referenced in the AdVerification node does not execute.
Resolution: Ensure that the verification code referenced in the response is correctly implemented according to the verification vendor.
500 General NonLinearAds error
Cause: A video player is unable to display a non-linear ad, for an unknown reason.
Resolution: Ensure that the VAST response returns a valid creative.
501 Non-linear ad creative dimensions do not align with creative display area
Cause: A non-linear ad is unable to play because the creative dimensions did not align with creative display area (the creative dimension was too large). It may occur if you use CSS styles to set width and height of the video content element.
Resolution: Alert the publisher. Tell him to ensure that the set width and height match the display area. If you set the width and height of the video content element with CSS styles, set them with HTML attributes instead.
502 Unable to fetch NonLinearAds/NonLinear resource
Cause: The buyer’s response returns a non-linear ad that fails to return a valid creative.
Resolution: Ensure that valid creatives are returned in the non-linear ad response.
503 Could not find NonLinearResource with supported type
Cause: The publisher requests a creative size that is larger than the video player size, or an invalid media type.
Resolution: Alert the publisher. Tell them to ensure that requested creative sizes and media types are acceptable for the video player.
900 Undefined VAST 3 error
Cause: An unknown VAST 3 error, which likely stopped the ad request.
Resolution: CORS issue. Work with the publisher to troubleshoot the exact issue.
901 General VPAID error
Cause: A VPAID error, which could be any of the following:
- SSP VPAID wrapper not buying
- SSP VPAID wrapper timeout
- VPAID creatives required insecure mode
- An Ad Exchange “IMA Adapter” tag is used with the IMA SDK, and a VPAID ad is returned (the “Direct SDK” tag should be used)
Resolution: Ensure that any VAST responses that return HTML5 VPAID wrappers from IAS/DV/MOAT include an MP4 asset, and that the wrapper is not aborting playback. Also, ensure that you don’t bid on impressions without a determined advertiser or buyer, or attempt to initiate a client-side resale.
Non-Fatal Errors
201 Video player expected different linearity
Cause: The linearity in the buyer’s response does not match the video player’s request. For example, if a non-linear ad was sent in a response when a linear ad was specified in the request.
Resolution: Ensure that the response only includes linearity specified in the request.
202 Video player expected different duration
Cause: The creative returned is a different duration than specified. For example, a creative of duration 30 seconds is returned, but the actual Media-File duration is 60 seconds.
Resolution: Ensure that the response respects the max duration specified in the request.
203 Video player expected different size
Cause: A buyer’s returned Media-Files are incompatible with the device from which the bid request is sent. It often occurs when high bit-rate creatives are returned to mobile devices.
Resolution: Ensure that your response includes Media-Files that are compatible with different technologies and devices, including bit-rates.
406 Missing required mezzanine file
Cause: A VAST response is returned without a required mezzanine file. Publishers with server-side ad implementations often require mezzanine files, which are raw high-quality video files for ad-stitching, or to generate video files of appropriate quality.
Resolution: Ensure that a mezzanine file is included in your response when required by the publisher.
600 General CompanionAds error
Cause: A publisher is unable to display a companion ad, for an unknown reason.
Resolution: Ensure that the VAST response returns a valid creative.
601 Companion creative dimensions did not align with companion display area
Cause: The companion creative dimensions do not fit within the companion display area.
Resolution: Alert the publisher. Tell them to ensure that the requested companion ad size fits within the dimension of the ad unit from which the request is made.
602 Unable to display required companion
Cause: The publisher is unable to render the companion ad creative returned in the VAST response.
Resolution: Ensure that the VAST response returns a valid creative.
603 Unable to fetch CompanionAds/Companion resource
Cause: The buyer’s response returns a companion ad that fails to return a valid creative.
Resolution: Ensure that valid creatives are returned in the companion ad response.
604 Could not find Companion resource with supported type
Cause: A publisher requests an unsupported creative type for the companion ad slot.
Resolution: Alert the publisher. Tell them to ensure that specified creative types are supported for the companion ad slot.
900 VAST 2 error
Cause: A VAST 2 error occurs, even if VAST 3 is requested or your network default is set to VAST 3. CORS issue.
Resolution: Work with the publisher to troubleshoot the exact issue, or respond with VAST 3.
