Skip to main content

Creative Audit

This article contains descriptions and recommendations related to creative audits.

O
Written by Oliver Andersson
Updated yesterday

For ads to run in Google and Xandr (formerly AppNexus) markets, creatives need to be audited.

Ads are automatically submitted for audit when they are part of an ad group connected to a bid strategy in an active campaign.

Audit status
The possible statuses for creatives are:

  • Pending – The creative has not yet been audited.

  • Audited – The creative has been approved.

  • Rejected – The creative has been audited but was not approved for serving.

Note: Audit status may change over time. If a creative is Rejected, you can inspect the rejection reason by editing the ad creative.

Review timelines

  • Google: Manual and automatic approval processes, usually completed within 1 to 24 hours.

  • Xandr: Manual approval only, typically takes 8 to 24 hours. No approvals on weekends or holidays.

Audit Rejection Feedback

Likely causes

How to resolve

Ad expired - re-audit to resume use

The creative is not bidding on Google inventory and has expired.

Review the campaign’s targeting. If Google inventory is important, create a separate strategy targeting specific Google sites, attach that strategy to the campaign, and then re-audit the expired ads.

LENGTH_OF_IMAGE_ANIMATION

The creative animates for longer than allowed.

Modify the creative so that the animation stops within the allowed time (typically 30 seconds), or use a static version instead.

BLANK_CREATIVE

The creative did not load when invoked.

If the issue persists when viewed in BidTheatre, verify that the campaign is active and that all settings appear correct. If everything looks good, contact support@bidtheatre.com

BROKEN_URL

The creative is clicked but no landing page opens.

A landing page opens but no content loads.

The page loads but displays an error.

Ensure the URL entered in the Click Target URL field leads to the intended website and renders correctly without issues.

DESTINATION_URL_SITE_NOT_CRAWLABLE

Google's web crawlers were not granted access to the required landing page(s).

Ensure the web server hosting the landing page has a properly configured robots.txt file placed in the root directory. This file must allow Google's crawlers access. See: Google’s robots.txt guide

INCORRECT_DESTINATION_URL_DECLARATION

The domain provided as the Click Through URL does not match the actual landing page domain.

Ensure the domain in the Click Through URL matches the domain of the actual landing page the user lands on.

PHARMA_GAMBLING_ALCOHOL_NOT_ALLOWED

The creative promotes restricted content (e.g. pharmaceuticals, gambling, or alcohol).

Ensure the ad complies with Google's content policies and does not promote any prohibited categories.

Audit Rejection Feedback

Likely causes

How to resolve

Creative Does Not Display Properly

The creative doesn’t display at all or only intermittently

Geo-targeting or impression caps prevent delivery

Expandable or interactive creatives don’t function properly

Verify the campaign is active and settings are correct. Re-audit the creative. If issues persist, contact support@bidtheatre.com

Creative Improperly Rotates Brands or Advertisers

A single creative ID represents multiple brands.

The creative leads to different brand landing pages.

A pre-roll video for another brand plays before the actual ad.

All creatives under a single ID must represent a single brand and lead to a matching landing page.

Creative Does Not Click Through Properly

No landing page opens on click

Page loads without content

Error prevents content display

Check that the Click Target URL leads to the correct destination and functions properly.

Creative Does Not Contain Sufficient Brand Notification

No visible brand in the creative

Branding is too vague

At least one of the following must be clearly visible in the creative:

  1. A recognizable logo (must also appear on the landing page)

  2. A clear landing page URL (must match the creative’s click-through URL)

  3. A distinct brand name (must not be a generic word and should appear on both the creative and landing page in a consistent way)


Creative Brand Does Not Match Creative Landing Page

The brand shown in the creative and the brand on the landing page do not match.

Ensure the landing page reflects the brand shown in the creative. Be careful with geo-targeted landing pages—make sure they're accessible from all regions during audit.

Creative Clicks Through In The Same Window

The landing page opens in the same tab

The full landing page loads within the iframe

Ensure the click opens the landing page in a new window or tab and not within the iframe.

Creative Does Not Meet Minimum Standards

No clear offer, branding, or purpose

The offer implied in the creative does not match the landing page

Ensure the creative clearly presents a legitimate offer and that the landing page fulfills what the creative promises.

Displaying PSAs (Public Service Announcements)

The creative is unintentionally serving Public Service Announcements (PSAs).

If the campaign is meant to serve PSAs, state this clearly in the creative description. Otherwise, ensure the campaign setup is correct.

Creative has Prohibited Content

The creative promotes piracy or adult content

It advertises free government services at a fee (e.g. green cards)

It promotes online pharmacies lacking a physical location

Ensure the creative follows AppNexus/Xandr’s content policies and does not advertise prohibited services or content.


Did this answer your question?