VAST Tag Adjustments & Parameters

Owned by Estevo Paz
Last updated: Jan 02, 2024 by Justin Shackelford
2 min read

Default State of HootVid VAST Tags:

HootVid VAST Tags follow the most widely accepted format minimizing the adjustments needed by the user. This does result in occasional modification required by some platforms. Let’s first address the default format of our VAST Tags.

Default State Example: https://api-video.hootint.com/vast/1.0/last/296?cb={{CACHEBUSTER}}

HootVid VAST Tags are VAST 2.0 - The most widely accepted version of VAST, but we will continue to monitor the DSP landscape and if major shifts are made we will adjust accordingly.

Cachebuster - included by default as it is commonly required (learn more about cachebuster below)

The simplest way to use a HootVid VAST Tag is to use the default provided URL. Start there prior to making any modifications if you are a first time user.

VAST Tag Format Considerations:

1.- Do you want to prevent the user’s browser from caching?

By default, the answer is yes for dynamic videos that are updated within the video campaign.

To prevent the cache in the users side we must add a number that changes every time a user requests the page, usually this number is called CACHEBUSTER. This parameter is by default appended to the end of the HootVid VAST Tag links and looks like this cb={{CACHEBUSTER}}

i.e.: https://api-video.hootint.com/vast/1.0/last/296?cb={{CACHEBUSTER}}

Final URL becomes: https://api-video.hootint.com/vast/1.0/last/296?cb=0000029

Users may freely remove this parameter or adjust it to fit the format of their platform of choice.

Consult your DSP for platform specific cachebuster formats if you receive any errors. Hootvid, by default provides the most universally accepted format, but might not be the standard for your DSP.

2.- Is your platform/DSP asking for an XML URL?

Some platforms may give you an error “You must provide valid VAST XML URL” when uploading HootVid default Tags. To remedy this error in most cases, simply append .xml to the end of the default VAST Tag. If errors persist, please reach out to support for troubleshooting assistance.

Ensure that you use the VAST Tag and not the .mp4 file within the VAST tag when setting up your ad within your DSP. This can result in running the same non-dynamic ad instead of receiving the updated ads daily.

3.- Do you want to customize the Clickthrough URL?

By default, when you create your video ad you set the clickthrough URL in the ad settings.

Sometimes you might want to add tracking parameters in a dynamic way to this URL, so it can be overwritten by demand with the CLICK_URL parameter.

i.e.: https://api-video.hootint.com/vast/1.0/last/296?click_url=https%3A//www.foo.com%3Fsection%3Dbar%26from%3Dvideo