AdError.AdErrorCode.VAST_EMPTY_RESPONSE

[Brian Chu]

in android IMA sdk b11, there is a new error code  AdError.AdErrorCode.VAST_EMPTY_RESPONSE. Does it mean the VAST response is empty (no string at all) or it has XML response but nothing about the VAST? Thanks.

[Tyler Sidell (IMA SDK Team)]

Hi Brian,

The error code AdError.AdErrorCode.VAST_EMPTY_RESPONSE means that there is a XML response but it is empty with no further information.  An example of an empty VAST response would be:

<VAST>

</VAST>

  

You can see information on this error code along with other AdErrorCode here.

If you need further assistance, please feel free to reach out to us.

Thanks,

Tyler

IMA SDK Team

[Brian Chu]

Thanks! 

I just try the link single Skippable inline at https://developers.google.com/interactive-media-ads/docs/sdks/android/tags using a browser.

http://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/ads?sz=640x480&iu=/124319096/external/single_ad_samples&ciu_szs=300x250&impl=s&gdfp_req=1&env=vp&output=vast&unviewed_position_start=1&cust_params=deployment%3Ddevsite%26sample_ct%3Dskippablelinear&correlator=

It returns

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<VAST xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance" xsi:noNamespaceSchemaLocation="vast.xsd" version="3.0"/>

but it works in android demo app. 

I guess I just can't paste the URL in browser and expect it returns the same thing I would see in the app (which use the SDK of course), right? I end up have to look at the network traffic to figure out the response is indeed okay.

[Tyler Sidell (IMA SDK Team)]

Thank you Brian,

It is not an SDK implementation issue but more likely it could be an ad frequency capping scenario or related to the correlator parameter.  There are frequency caps to make sure users don't see the same ads over and over again, which can lead to no ad being returned if you're making a lot of requests from the same site.  

The tag is intended to be used by the SDK.  The SDK will automatically generate and fill in the correlator parameter for you.  The correlator value is a random number, usually the timestamp of the page view, that is shared by multiple request coming from that same page view.

Example: http://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/ads?sz=640x480&iu=/124319096/external/single_ad_samples&ciu_szs=300x250&impl=s&gdfp_req=1&env=vp&output=vast&unviewed_position_start=1&cust_params=deployment%3Ddevsite%26sample_ct%3Dskippablelinear&correlator=randomNumberGeneratedBySDK

Tyler Sidell

IMA SDK Team

[Brian Chu]

Thanks Tyler,

I guess there is no way from client side to understand this is a capping or related issues? since there is no <error> tag coming back from the server and hence no AdError event...

[Brian Chu]

Also, why the example has &correlator= correlator equals to empty?

I am thinking to do a PR to remove them as SDK will add them anyway. It did confuse me :>

[Tyler Sidell (IMA SDK Team)]

Hi Brian,

For the sample ad tag provided, it is due to no correlator value being assigned.  These examples are provided with intention to be used with the SDK.  As noted below, the SDK it will handle that parameter and generate a unique value.  

If you are seeing an empty VAST for your own ad tag, check if a correlator value is being populated.  The correlator value is used for frequency capping.

Let us know if you have any further questions.

Thanks,

Tyler Sidell

IMA SDK Team