Google Ad Manager Debug: Common Issues and Solutions

Debugging issues in Google Ad Manager can be frustrating, but it's a crucial step in ensuring your ads are running smoothly.

One common issue is ad unit not showing, which can be caused by a missing ad unit ID.

Make sure to double-check that the ad unit ID is correctly added to your ad unit and that it's enabled.

Another issue is ad request errors, which can be caused by a misconfigured ad server.

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Troubleshooting is a crucial part of Google Ad Manager debugging. To start, you can use the Delivery Tools to identify non-delivery causes and estimate eligible ad requests.

A creative render rate below 100% is normal, but a large disparity can be a cause for concern. If your creative render rate is below 80% for display, 50% for video, or 30% for apps, run an Ad Speed report or check non-logged drop-offs.

To troubleshoot a stream, click to debug a session ID and view the stream activity monitor, which displays information about the session, including request URL, content, and filled percentages. You can also review VMAP and VAST responses to ensure that all parameters in the ad request are correct.

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Here are some key metrics to review when troubleshooting a stream:

If your line item isn't delivering, you can check the "Non-delivery causes" section to see why. A pie chart will show the most common reasons the line item didn't deliver to eligible ad requests.

Above the pie chart, you can see an estimate of eligible ad requests and the creative render rate. The creative render rate is the percentage of times a line item served and successfully rendered a creative.

A line item may serve but fail to render a creative for several reasons, such as a user navigating away from the page before the creative is able to show or poor connectivity with the user's device.

In cases like this, the line item served, but the creative associated with the line item failed to render, resulting in a creative render rate below 100%.

Creative render rates below 100% are normal, but you should check for a large disparity. If you see a creative render rate below 80% for display, 50% for video, or 30% for apps, run an Ad Speed report or check non-logged drop-offs.

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To check non-logged drop-offs, run a VAST errors report with the "Total code served count" and the "Ad impressions" metrics and compare the two values.

You can also click See delivered line items for details about winning line items or Launch ad slot troubleshooting to open Ad Manager Delivery tools and learn why certain ads delivered and not others.

Use the Time period to display drop-down menu to see non-delivery causes over the last 7 days or the last 24-hour, 12-hour, 6-hour, or 3-hour period.

For more help, you can also use the following resources:

Click to expand either the VMAP or VAST requests and responses for an individual ad break to review the request URLs and ensure all parameters are correct.

You should verify that all expected parameters were passed to the application and set correctly for this user. Check the ad unit (iu) and key-values (cust_params) to ensure they are correct.

If you are using the Ad Exchange, ensure that the description_url is correct.

If this is a VOD stream, ensure that the vid and cmsid values match the content.

You can copy the request URL from the stream activity monitor into the delivery tools for in-stream video and simulate an ad request to show which ad rules or creatives would serve for this ad request.

You can also test by copying either the tag or the VAST XML onto the Video suite inspector to see how the ads display visually.

Parameters to Check:

Non-delivery causes can be frustrating, but understanding the reasons behind them can help you resolve the issue quickly. For Programmatic Guaranteed or Preferred Deal, ask your buyer to remove all third-party references in the creative. This simple step can make a big difference in ad delivery.

Sometimes, non-delivery is due to a third-party ad technology provider that isn't registered on Google's Ad Tech Providers (ATP) list. Your network, who has yet to declare the ad technology, can also cause issues. These are valid reasons, but they do require action to resolve.

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If traffic shaping isn't enabled for your network, the line item might not be delivering because it's reached the sum of its hourly goals for the day. This is a common cause of non-delivery, but it's not necessarily a problem to be worried about. Traffic shaping is working as expected in these cases.

If none of the above causes apply, there may be other reasons for non-delivery that aren't exposed in the troubleshooting tool. In these cases, it's best to dig deeper to find the root cause of the issue.

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One of the most frustrating issues in Google Ad Manager is the "Ad not showing" problem, which can be caused by a missing ad unit ID, as seen in the "Setting up ad units" section.

This can lead to lost revenue and a poor user experience. Make sure to double-check that your ad unit IDs are correctly set up.

Another common issue is the "Invalid click" problem, which can be caused by a misconfigured click tracking URL, as explained in the "Click tracking" section.

This can result in invalid clicks being reported, which can affect your ad revenue. Be sure to check your click tracking URL regularly.

In addition, you may encounter the "Ad not loading" problem, which can be caused by a slow or unresponsive ad server, as discussed in the "Ad server optimization" section.

This can lead to a poor user experience and lost revenue. Make sure to monitor your ad server's performance regularly.

Finally, the "Ad not rendering" problem can be caused by a missing or incorrect ad tag, as seen in the "Ad tags" section.

This can result in lost revenue and a poor user experience. Make sure to double-check that your ad tags are correctly set up.

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Debugging Tools are a must-have when dealing with issues in your Google Ad Manager account. You can find them under Delivery > Delivery Tools in your account or access them through the Google Publisher Console.

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To debug a specific ad unit, click on Delivery Diagnostics, which will lead you to your GAM account with additional tools to help you debug the issue. You can also click on the big blue Open In Delivery Tools button at the console's top right to open the delivery tool and debug the whole page request.

Inspecting a specific ad break can also provide valuable information, allowing you to see more about individual creatives served during the break and any errors that occurred.

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Inspecting a break can be a game-changer for identifying issues in your ad campaigns.

You can click any row representing an ad break to see more information about individual creatives served during the break.

This allows you to drill down into specific ad breaks and identify any errors that occurred.

By examining individual creatives, you can pinpoint which specific elements of an ad are causing issues.

Clicking on a row reveals more information about the ad break, including any errors that occurred during the break.

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The Debug Console is a powerful tool for identifying issues with your Google Ad Manager setup. It provides additional information about potential problems with ad tags.

To access the Debug Console, simply add ?google_console=1 to the URL of any page with Google Ad Manager tags. This will open the console and give you a better understanding of what's going on.

If the Debug Console doesn't work, it's likely because the necessary ad tag is missing. In that case, go back to step 2 and fix the issue.

For more in-depth troubleshooting, you can also refer to the Troubleshooting Ad Manager line item delivery manual by Google Ad Manager.

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To debug issues with your ad units, you can use the Delivery Tools in your Google Ad Manager account.

The Delivery Tools can be found under Delivery > Delivery Tools in your account or accessed through the Google Publisher Console.

Clicking on Delivery Diagnostics will take you to your GAM account, where you can find additional tools to debug a specific ad request.

Alternatively, you can click on the big blue Open In Delivery Tools button at the top right of the console to open the delivery tool and debug the whole page request.

For more information on how to use the Delivery Tools, check out the Google Ad Manager manual.

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To manage your Google Ad Manager account effectively, start by checking the Ad Slots tab for any ad units that need attention. Check for warnings, which often indicate missing body or header codes.

You should also verify that the Slot size in the Ad Slots tab matches the settings in your Google Ad Manager account. This includes matching the available sizes set up in the code with the ad units, line items, and creatives.

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To open a stream, you'll need to sign in to Google Ad Manager. Click on Video, then Stream activity monitor. This will allow you to access the stream and start debugging.

You can enter a session ID or debug key to authenticate your access. This is a crucial step in opening a stream.

Once you've entered the necessary information, click Debug stream to initiate the process. This will give you real-time access to the stream, allowing you to monitor and debug its performance.

The steps to open and debug a stream are straightforward and can be summarized as follows:

First, head to the Ad Slots tab to see which ad units are set to deliver on that page. Any ad unit with warnings should be fixed right away.

Missing body or header codes are usually the culprit behind these warnings. Make sure to check for these issues.

The Slot size should match the settings in your Google Ad Manager account. This includes the ad units, line items, and creatives.

Note that Overlay status information is just a debugging tool and doesn't affect whether the ad shows up. It's only there to show or hide the ad unit in the content.

Mobile and Video issues in Google Ad Manager can be frustrating, but there are some common causes and fixes to look out for.

Video and audio issues often stem from VPAID creative not being eligible on the inventory. Work with your buyer to upload a valid video creative type.

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To resolve video ad serving issues, ensure that the creative is skippable after 5 seconds. If not, contact your buyer to update their video creative.

Video ad length can also cause problems. If the ad is too long for the pod, consider longer pods or shorter creatives for the line item.

Mobile apps have some specific requirements to ensure smooth ad serving. New iOS apps won't show Google ads until they're listed in the Apple App Store.

If you're testing your app, you can find more information on how to do it in the AdMob Help Center.

To avoid creative running longer than the specified max ad duration, update your settings or work with your buyer to upload a shorter creative.

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Video and audio issues can be frustrating, but often have simple solutions.

Video ads must be skippable after 5 seconds, or they'll be rejected.

Working with your buyer to upload a valid video creative type is key to resolving video and audio issues.

Your buyer's creative is invalid, which is causing the problem.

Video ads that are too long for the pod won't serve, so consider longer pods or shorter creatives.

Targeting more video pod positions can also help resolve this issue.

VPAID creative on inventory where VPAID is not eligible can cause video and audio issues.

Working with your buyer to update deal's skippability settings or upload a valid creative is essential.

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Google Ad Manager can be a bit tricky to set up, but there are some easy checks you can do to ensure everything is working correctly. Look for the Google Ad Manager code in your website's source code.

To do this, you'll need to search for the lines "gpt" and "googletag" in the source code. These lines should exist at least once, and they could be located in either the head or body section of your website.

If you're still having trouble, try using the debugging option provided by the library. Simply insert the following code into your console: You'll get a wealth of information about your ad server, including targeting settings, line items, and creative winners.

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The Google Ad Manager code must be present on your site for ads to display correctly.

If you're seeing a dummy ad, it's likely due to an issue with the Google Ad Manager code itself, not Advanced Ads.

Look for the Google Ad Manager code in your site's source code, specifically for the lines "gpt" and "googletag".

These lines should exist at least once, possibly in the head section or the body.

If you're using Advanced Ads Pro, the body code might be included in a JavaScript array in the footer, but this is usually not a problem.

The Google Ad Manager head code is necessary, and its absence can cause an "Uncaught ReferenceError: googletag is not defined" warning in the browser's error console.

This warning can be avoided by ensuring the head tag is present, especially if you're using the Google Ad Manager body tags.

Changes you make in your Google Ad Manager account can take up to 30 minutes to be visible on your site, so be patient and check the code again later.

If you've recently created a new ad unit or removed one, it might be visible through the Advanced Ads interface within a minute, but it's still worth checking the code to ensure it's correct.

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Debugging line items can be a frustrating experience, but there are some specific steps you can take to resolve issues. First, check the non-delivery causes section to see why your line item didn't deliver.

A pie chart will show the most common reasons the line item didn't deliver to eligible ad requests. You can also see an estimate of eligible ad requests and the creative render rate, which is the percentage of times a line item served and successfully rendered a creative.

A creative render rate below 100% is normal, but if it's below 80% for display, 50% for video, or 30% for apps, you should run an Ad Speed report or check non-logged drop-offs. Non-logged drop-offs can be determined by running a VAST errors report with the "Total code served count" and the "Ad impressions" metrics and comparing the two values.

To further troubleshoot, click See delivered line items for details about winning line items, or click Launch ad slot troubleshooting to open Ad Manager Delivery tools. You can also use the Time period to display drop-down menu to see non-delivery causes over the last 7 days or the last 24-hour, 12-hour, 6-hour, or 3-hour period.

For more in-depth help, you can refer to the Troubleshooting Ad Manager line item delivery manual by Google Ad Manager or watch a video by MonetizeMore about setup issues related to line items.

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You'll want to head to the Page Request tab to see if there are any warnings related to missing or broken ad tags. If everything is working correctly, you'll see the "Page tagged correctly!" confirmation at the top of the page.

This tab is also a good place to check for issues related to placing ad unit codes incorrectly. One common problem is when the number of ads defined in the header doesn't match those placed in the body.

Using a Google Ad Manager Add-on can help prevent this issue from occurring. Scrolling down the list can also provide further clues for debugging.

Check your ad server if all other debugging steps have failed. This is where your ad's fate is decided, and if everything looks good on the HTTP requests side, it's likely an issue with specific targeting in the ad server.

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Checking the Page Requests tab in Google Ad Manager can help you identify issues with your ad slots. This is where you'll find warnings related to missing or broken ad tags.

You can also find the "Page tagged correctly!" confirmation at the top of the page if everything is set up correctly. Issues in this tab are often related to placing ad unit codes incorrectly.

The most common issue is that the number of ads defined in the header doesn't match those placed in the body. This problem often occurs when you place ad codes manually. Using a Google Ad Manager Add-on can prevent this issue.

Scrolling down the list can provide further clues for debugging, including information about what GAM is sending or receiving from your account.

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If all the above debugging steps have failed, it's time to look into your ad server. This is ultimately where your ad's fate is decided.

Your ad server is the last place to look, even for non-developers, as it's often overlooked.

Google Ad manager has many debugging tools within their suite that can help identify ad-server-side issues.

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To set up Google Ad Manager for debugging, you'll need to create a test ad unit. This involves going to the Ad Manager interface and clicking on "Inventory" followed by "Ad units" to create a new ad unit.

A test ad unit is a dummy ad unit that will be used to test and debug your ad code. You can name it something like "Test Ad Unit" for clarity.

The ad unit ID is a unique identifier for each ad unit, and you'll need it to test and debug your ad code. It's usually a long string of numbers and letters.

To obtain the ad unit ID, navigate to the "Inventory" tab, click on "Ad units", and then click on the three vertical dots next to the ad unit you want to test. From the dropdown menu, select "Ad code" to get the ad unit ID.

Make sure to replace any existing ad code with the test ad unit's ad code to avoid conflicts and ensure accurate debugging results.

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