How to track clicks on VAST 3.0 wrapped creatives?

StackOverflow https://stackoverflow.com/questions/13127087

  •  15-07-2021
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Question

My server returns VAST 3.0 XML with wrapper referring to 3rd party creative:

<VAST version="3.0">
   <Ad>
      <Wrapper>
         <AdSystem>MyAdSystem</AdSystem>
         <Impression>http://myserver/impression_tracker</Impression>
         <VASTAdTagURI>http://ad.doubleclick.net/pfadx/N270.126913.6102203221521/B3876671.21;dcadv=2215309;sz=0x0;ord=%5Btimestamp%5D;dcmt=text/xml</VASTAdTagURI>
         <Creatives>
            <Linear>
               <VideoClicks>
                  <ClickTracking>http://myserver/click_tracker</ClickTracking>
               </VideoClicks>
            </Linear>
         </Creatives>
      </Wrapper>
   </Ad>
</VAST>

Inserting it into Google's Video Suite Inspector either through specifying server handler URL or by copy/pasting XML correctly show pre-roll ad (video starting with cityscape/double click logo) followed by test video (android) and correctly pings impression tracking URL when first frame of ad is played.

My problem is: clicking on ad redirects to click-through URL specified inside wrapped creative and completely ignores <VideoClicks> section from my outer wrapper no matter if I use <ClickThrough>, <ClickTracking> or both.

After reading spec I'm still unsure, is it:

  1. Just limitation of Google's testing player?
  2. Error in my XML?
  3. Limitation of spec itself, that'd would make click tracking by wrapper possible only if it supported by additional parameters to handler on "real" ad in <VASTAdTagURI>?
Was it helpful?

Solution

You should have Creative element ie

<Creatives>
    <Creative>
       <Linear>

your xml is broken.

OTHER TIPS

It might be a limitation of the player.

I have experienced similar issues. When the VASTAdTagURI has a redirect in it, the Google Inspector shows this error:

Error: Malformed ads response received.

Though, when I use the same Vast Tag in http://www.videoplaza.com/demo/ I actually see the video.

Facing the same issue.

I didn't find any mention of such a situation in the VAST standard, so I guess that it totally depends on the player.

I found out that JWPlayer doesn't call the 1st party adserver's click tracking when using VAST wrappers

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