Troubleshoot deals: problems and solutions
Overview
This article describes how to troubleshoot deals if you are facing one of the following problems:
- Buyer is not getting any bid request
- There are bid requests but no bids
- There are bid requests and bids, but no wins
- There are bid requests, bids and wins but no impressions
You will find tips on how to use Equativ’s troubleshooting tools as well as potential sources of error in the configuration on the buyer’s side.
Tools
Deal list
The deal list allows you to determine quickly which deals in your network are not delivering. Check the Not delivering filter and select one of the status filters No Bid requests, No Bids, No Wins and No impressions. For more information about the deal list, see Monitor deals.
RTB health
The RTB health tool visualizes the entire auction process from the initial bid request to the final impression. At each point in the process, KPIs are presented with detailed information on the bid status. For more information, see Troubleshoot deals with RTB Health.
Problems and solutions
Problem 1 - Buyer is not getting any bid requests
A buyer not getting any bid requests means that in the buyer’s tool (DSP) there are no incoming bid requests from Equativ (the SSP). This type of problem occurs in approx. 10% of all deal troubleshooting cases.
The following table summarizes all the checks to be done when a buyer is not getting any bid requests:
| Check | Details | Help articles |
|---|---|---|
| Does the DSP support the used format? | Check if the partner (DSP) supports the ad format (Desktop, Mobile Web, App, Banner, Native, In-stream video, Out-stream video) | |
| Does the partner support deals? | Check if the partner actually supports deals | |
| Is the DSP blocked by a delivery rule? |
|
Set delivery rules |
| Is the RTB insertion active? | Check if the RTB insertion connected to your deal is active (put online). | Activate open auctions |
| Is there sufficient inventory available (forecast)? |
|
Use the forecast |
| When did bid requests stop? |
|
Monitor deals |
Problem 2 - There are bid requests but no bids
When bid requests are being sent but no bids are returned by the buyer, you need to compare the deal settings in Equativ’s system with the deal settings in the buyer’s platform to determine if there are mismatches or other inconsistencies. Typically, this comparison is done by sharing screenshots or exports of the settings in both systems.
This type of problem occurs in approx. 80% of all deal troubleshooting cases.
The following list summarizes all the settings to be checked for mismatches/inconsistencies in Equativ and the buyer’s platform:
- Is the deal live in the buyer’s system?
- Is the deal ID identical in both systems?
- Is the advertiser blocked on the buyer’s side?
- Is there a mismatch of the:
- selected seat ID and seat name?
- price, currency, format or banner size?
- ad exchange targeting?
- protocols (e. g. secure creative served on non-secure site)?
- targeting: platforms, domain, audience, devices, country (or other geo-targeting)
Note on Xandr Xandr is a special case in its handling of private auctions: a deal in Equativ configured as a private auction will be handled as an open auction by Xandr. Read about all Xandr specifics and other DSP specifics.
Problem 3 - There are bid requests and bids, but no wins
When bid requests and bids are occurring but there are no wins, you need to check the bid status to determine the source of the problem. This type of problem occurs in approx. 5% of all deal troubleshooting cases.
Related help articles / documentation:
- Troubleshoot deals with RTB Health (chapter “Bid Status”)
- Bid Status in Big data reports (see above)
| Check | Details |
|---|---|
| Is a delivery rule blocking the deal? | Check if the bid status “Blocked by one of your delivery rules” (Id 15) occurs. To determine the bid status, either use the RTB Health tool or generate a Big Data Report with the Bid Status. |
| Is the creative blocked by Smart’s quality tool? | Check if the bid status “Sensitive Creative blocked by Smart Quality Tool” (Id 35) occurs. To determine the bid status, either use the RTB Health tool or generate a Big Data Report with the Bid Status. |
| Is the deal floor price OK? |
Check if one of the “below bid floor” bid status occurs:
To determine the bid status, either use the RTB Health tool or generate a Big Data Report with the Bid Status. |
| Is the seat id and the seat name sent in the appropriate fields? | Check if the bid status “Buyer does not respect Deal parameters” (Id 21) occurs. To determine the bid status, either use the RTB Health tool or generate a Big Data Report with the Bid Status. |
Problem 4 - There are bid requests, bids and wins but no impressions
When bid requests, bids and wins occur but there are no impressions, you are typically dealing with a problem of the ad itself delivered on the website. To troubleshoot these cases, you need to inspect the live ad delivery on the actual publisher website using web developer tools such as Chrome DevTools. This type of problem occurs in approx. 5% of all deal debugging cases. The following list describes some common issues (keep in mind that this list is not exhaustive since there are too many possible sources of error for this type of problem):
| Check | Details | Help resources |
|---|---|---|
| Is the creative named appropriately? | Check if the naming of the creative file could be the reason for the problem (e. g. spaces or special characters used in the creative file name) | |
| Is the used creative template compatible with the retrieved creative? | Check if the retrieved creative works with the used RTB+ creative template (for instance, the creative is in VAST format but the selected interstitial creative template is not designed for VAST creatives) | check the specifications of the creative template, e. g. Interstitial (web) |
| Is there a video player mismatch | In case of video ads, check if there is an error in the video player integration | Supply in-stream video inventory: get started |
| Is there an incompatibility between the creative and the website? |
To test this:
|