Programmatic/Header Bidder Troubleshooting

Can't Calculate Impression due to Request Being Outside of Operating Hours

Description

The impression will be 0 due to missing audience for the date/time.

Possible Cause

The screen is trying to transact outside of the assigned hours of operation.

Suggested Solution

Make sure that the date/time in question is not outside of operating hours set within the CMS /audience schedule.

Bid Response Invalid Bid Error

Description

The bid sent by the Demand-Side Platform (DSP) is invalid.

Possible Cause

• The bid is not within the allowed range for the auction. It is likely too low, too high, or negative.
• The bid is not in the correct currency.
• The bid is not in the correct format.

Suggested Solution

To ensure a successful bid, verify that it meets these criteria:

• Confirm that the bid amount falls within the auction's allowed range.
• Ensure that the bid uses the correct currency and format.

If the issue persists, contact the DSP to investigate.

Bid Response Invalid Click Tracker Error

Description

The click tracker sent by the Demand-Side Platform (DSP) in the bid response is invalid.

Possible Cause

• The click tracker is malformed.
• The click tracker is missing some important parameters.
• The click tracker is not a valid URL.

Suggested Solution

Check the click tracker to make sure it is a valid URL and contains all the required parameters.

If the issue persists, contact the DSP to investigate.

Bid Response Invalid Creative Error

Description

The creative sent by the Demand-Side Platform (DSP) in the bid response is invalid.

Possible Cause

• The creative is missing some required fields, such as impression tracker, click tracker, or ad type.
• The creative has a format issue, such as wrong format for the creative or malformed HTML.

Suggested Solution

Check the creative to make sure it contains all the required fields and that it is in the correct format.

Bid Response Invalid Impression Tracker Error

Description

The impression tracker sent by the Demand-Side Platform (DSP) in the bid response is invalid.

Possible Cause

• The impression tracker is malformed.
• The impression tracker is missing some important parameters.
• The impression tracker is not a valid URL.

Suggested Solution

Check the impression tracker to make sure it is a valid URL and contains all the required parameters.

If the issue persists, contact the DSP to investigate.

Bid Response Parse Error

Description

Broadsign SSP (Reach) could not parse the bid response sent by the Demand-Side Platform (DSP).

Possible Cause

• The bid response is malformed (wrong format for the bid response , malformed JSON).
• The bid response contains invalid fields.
• The bid response is missing some important fields such as bid or adm.

Suggested Solution

Check the bid response to make sure it contains all the required fields and that it is in the correct format.

Bid Response Timeout Error

Description

The Demand-Side Platform (DSP) did not respond to the ad request within the allowed time limit.

Possible Cause

• The DSP is either busy or has a slow connection.
• There is an issue with the DSP's server.
• The DSP is not configured to respond to ad requests from our solution.

Suggested Solution

Check the DSP's logs to see if there are any errors. If there are no errors, try to increase the timeout for the ad request.

If the issue persists, contact the DSP to investigate.

Can't Grab Creative URL from VAST Response Error

Description

The creative copy URL is not being grabbed by the creative ingestion from the VAST response from the Demand-Side Platform (DSP).

Possible Cause

• The creative URL from the VAST response is missing.
• The creative URL from the VAST response has a formatting issue.

Suggested Solution

Confirm with the DSP these details:

• The creative URL is present in their response and does not contain special characters.
• The target URL has public access and requires no additional authentication.

Creative Approval is Pending Error

Description

Creative approval is not set to approved.

Possible Cause

When you upload a creative to Broadsign SSP (Reach) for a publisher, the publisher receives a notification displaying the creative. Its approval status remains pending until the publisher updates it.

Suggested Solution

Approve the creative.

Creative Does not Support this Ad Type Error

Description

The creative sent as the auction winner does not support the type of ad you are trying to play (video , image , HTML).

Possible Cause

The creative is a video; however, the ad request only supports images and HTML because of the player settings.

Suggested Solution

• Contact the DSP and request they send a creative compatible with the requested ad type.
• Alternatively, if the creative is an image or HTML, consider changing its format to video to support video content, especially if no image is available.

Additional Action Item

In your CMS system, check the player's loop settings to ensure the player receives the correct ad type for its current location.

Creative Issue Due to Incorrect Size Error

Description

The auction winner's creative must maintain an aspect ratio within 10% of the display area, not the screen's dimensions. The display area refers to the frame dimensions that the bid request sends.

Possible Cause

The aspect ratio of the creative and the display area exceeds a 10% difference. To calculate the aspect ratio for any resolution, divide the width by the height.

Suggested Solution

Follow these guidelines for creative frame sizes in Broadsign SSP (Reach):

• Single Frame Screen – In Broadsign SSP (Reach), ensure the frame size matches the screen size if the screen uses a single frame.
• Multiple Frame Screen – If the screen uses multiple frames, ensure the DSP sends a creative with an aspect ratio within 10% of the requested frame size.

Aspect Ratio Calculation Method Example:

To calculate the aspect ratio, divide the width by the height.

Example: 1920 x 1080 --> 1920 / 1080 = 1.77.

Therefore, the creative's aspect ratio should fall within +/- 0.177 of 1.77, relative to the requested frame size.

Additional Action Item

Verify the requesting frame in your CMS setup.

• Broadsign CMS (Control) – Check the Loop Snapshot Report for a specific frame to see if a Broadsign SSP (Reach) campaign is scheduled. For more information, refer to Loop Snapshot Report in the Broadsign CMS (Control) documentation.
• Broadsign Ayuda – Check the Loops section in NOC for a specific Zone, or review that zone's timeline view in the Digital Avails section. For more information, refer to Previewing Loops in the Broadsign Ayuda documentation.

Creative MIME Type not Supported Error

Description

The ad request does not specify the creative MIME type sent to the Demand-Side Platform (DSP).

Possible Cause

When the player sends an ad request, it includes a list of all acceptable MIME types. The uploaded creative's MIME type, such as JPG or PNG, does not match any of these acceptable types.

Suggested Solution

Contact the DSP and make sure they send a creative compatible with the MIME types requested.

Creative Missing Copy URL Error

Description

When you upload a creative in Broadsign SSP (Reach), it must include the required fields. The most important of these is the Copy URL field, which the player uses to download the creative.

Possible Cause

The creative uploaded did not have the copy URL data attached in the response.

Suggested Solution

Fill out the creative Copy URL field manually or ask the DSP to reupload the creative.

Creative Not Found Error

Description

The creative from the auction winner's response cannot be found.

Possible Cause

The creative has not yet been uploaded to Broadsign SSP (Reach). The cause could be:

• The creative is in the download/upload queue and has not made it to Broadsign SSP (Reach).
• There was an issue accessing the file URL for download due to the location needing an authentication or being unreachable.
• There was an issue during creative upload with Broadsign SSP (Reach).

Suggested Solution

Search for the creative in Broadsign SSP (Reach). If it is not there yet, wait for 10-15 minutes and search again. if it is still missing, contact Broadsign Services.

Screen Missing from Broadsign SSP (Reach) Error

Description

The screen ID is invalid or the screen is missing and not registered Broadsign SSP (Reach).

Possible Cause

• Invalid ID in Broadsign SSP (Reach) that is not matching the player.
• The screen is not yet registered.

Suggested Solution

Make sure to register a screen for that display unit in Broadsign SSP (Reach). The ID must correspond with the player ID.

The naming convention is "Broadsign.com:[playerID]".

Invalid Ad Request Error

Description

The ad request sent to the Demand-Side Platform (DSP) contains missing or invalid fields. This prevents the DSP from responding.

Possible Cause

• The ad request is missing some important information such as bid floor, domain, or player ID.
• The ad request has a format issue such as wrong format for the ad request or malformed JSON.

Suggested Solution

Verify the ad request contains all required fields and uses the correct format.

Invalid or Missing Header Bidder Settings Error

Description

The settings for target SSP is not found.

Possible Cause

The SSP credentials such as API Key, Network ID, or Client secret are missing or invalid on the Broadsign Platform settings.

Suggested Solution

Check the Broadsign Platform Header Bidder settings section to see if the correct credentials have been set for each SSP. For more information, refer to Programmatic Settings in the Broadsign Platform documentation.

Invalid VAST/JSON Format Error

Description

The response's formatting does not match the ad server's criteria.

Possible Cause

The bid or ad response from the target DSP is either in an incorrect format or missing a required field.

Suggested Solution

ContactBroadsign Services.

Request Server Timeout Error

Description

The connection dropped from the player to the server waiting for a response.

Possible Cause

The player's poor internet connection or server-side issues.

Suggested Solution

Verify the players have a stable internet connection. Also, confirm that no VPN or proxy services run on them as these can block incoming and outgoing connections.