Learn how to create a VAST errors report and view how impressions are lost
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You can create a report to determine which video ad requests become served impressions, and which ad requests are lost. Many of these lost impressions are caused by VAST errors, which can be resolved.
VAST error reporting is available for VAST 3 and up.
Certain report settings allow you to make the most of a report for VAST errors. You can add more filters, dimensions or metrics, but these are ideal to use as your starting point:
- Create a report.
- Set the type of report to Historical with a date range.
- Click Filters (optional)
:
- Select Request type.
- Select is any of.
- In the "Type to search" field, type or select Video tag.
- Click Apply.
-
Add the following report dimensions:
- Line item type
- Line item
- Ad unit (Top-level)
-
Select the following metrics from the "Total" section:
- Select Total error count from the "Video viewership" section.
- Select all error codes in the VAST error section.
- Run your report and learn how to resolve VAST and SDK errors.
You can determine drop-off with the following formula:
Total code served count - (Total impressions + Total error count)
How impressions are lost due to VAST errors
- Request: A video ad request can be either code served or unfilled.
- Code served: A code served request can either lead to
- a successful ad impression
- a VAST error, or
- a drop-off
- Ad Impressions and VAST errors: An impression occurs when the player shows the first frame of the ad and then reports back to the ad server. A VAST error is reported when an issue occurs. These errors are categorized and reported with a numerical code. Some VAST errors can still result in an impression.
- Drop-off: A drop-off occurs when nothing is reported back to the server.
- Unfilled: An unfilled request is one that has no response, either one that had no matching line item or bid.
