Ad Validation Checklist (50+ data points)

Written by Roy

Oct 14, 2021 • 3 min read

Host-initiated subload, document.write(), CPU usage... Are you working in ad ops and have to validate ads regularly?

Use this checklist to tick off tests you've performed for a creative.

List for Ad Tags and HTML5 Ads

	Data point	Description
	Load Size (Total)	The total load size of all network responses after loading the creative.
	Initial Load	The total load size of all network responses before the DOMContentLoaded event.
	Host-initiated Subload	The total load size of all network responses after the DOMContentLoaded event.
	Network Requests	The total number of network requests after loading the creative.
	CPU Usage	The total CPU time devoted to loading the ad.
	Ad Load Speed	The time it took for the DOMContentLoaded event to fire.
	Ad Size	The detected ad size in pixels.
	Has Video	Whether or not the creative plays video (even muted).
	Memory Usage	The amount of RAM the ad claimed when fully loaded.
	SSL-Compatibility	Whether or not all requests were made over TLS/SSL.
	Iframe Count	The number of iframes created by the ad.
	Cookies Dropped	The number of cookies dropped by the ad.
	Heavy Ad Intervention	Removed by Chrome's HAI, based on an educated guess.
	JavaScript Errors	JavaScript errors thrown while loading the ad.
	Console Warnings	Console warnings thrown while loading the ad.
	Visual Artifacts	For example, 300x251 pixels.
	Creative Rendered	Returns true if something was painted on the screen.
	Blocked by AdBlock	Probability to be blocked by ad blockers.
	Uses document.write()	Based on the detection of synchronous JS calls.
	Creative Border	High-contrasting border, based on image edge detection.
	Missing Assets	Requests to non-existing assets, resulting in 404s.
	Dialogs and Modals	Detection of JavaScript's confirm() and alert().
	Measurement Pixels	Pixels sent using IMG, XHR and sendBeacon.
	Local Storage	Items set in window.localStorage after loading the ad.

Extra tests for HTML5 Ads

	Data point	Description
	Meta tag ad.size	Presence of the meta tag ad.size to define the dimensions.
	Click Tag	Presence of a clickTag (all 4 variants).
	CSS/JS Minified	Whether or not all files have been minified.
	External Assets	Requests to third-party servers, not hosted by the publisher.
	Uses jQuery	Detection of jQuery used in HTML5 ads.
	HTML5 Library	Library detection, based on AdValify's database with fingerprints.

List for VAST Video Ads

	Data point	Description
	Audio Sample Rate	Detected audio sample rate from the video.
	Audio Codec	Detected audio codec from the video.
	Audio Loudness	Detected audio loudness from the video.
	Video Aspect Ratio	Detected aspect ratio from the video.
	Video Dimensions	Detected dimensions from the video.
	Video Definition	Based on industry standards.
	Video Duration	Detected video duration in seconds.
	Video Bit Rate	Detected video bit rate.
	Frame Rate	Detected video frame rate.
	Video File Size	Video file size when fully downloaded.
	Container Format	Detected video container format.
	Video Codec	Detected video codec.
	MOOV Atom Location	Should be in the beginning for direct playback.
	Delivery Type	As reported by the VAST document.
	VAST Version	As reported by the VAST document.
	Download Speed	Download speed may vary throughout the day.
	Skip Offset	As reported by the VAST document.
	SSL-Compatibility	Returns true if all assets were loaded over TLS/SSL.
	CORS Header	Based on the HTTP header of the XML document.
	Wrapper Redirects	Based on internal VAST wrapper redirects (not 302's).
	Video Mime-Type	Based on the HTTP response header of the video.
	Ad System	As reported by the VAST document.
	Creative Count	As reported by the VAST document.
	XML Load Time	Time it took to download the XML file.
	XML HTTP Code	Based on the HTTP response header of the XML file.
	XML File Size	The total size of the XML file.
	XML Content-Type	Based on the HTTP response header of the XML file.

Perform all tests in a couple of seconds?

No time to check each test manually? Use these free online scanners to validate Ad Tags, HTML5 Ads or VAST tags. Here's a screenshot of what the result looks like. Scanners provided by AdValify.io

Automated scans using APIs

Increase your workflow by scanning hundreds of ads automatically. First, download this PHP class from Github:
https://github.com/AdValify/ad-validator-php

Then, run these lines of code:

include("AdValify.php");
$AdValify = new AdValify();
$result_tag = $AdValify->scanTag("This is an ad tag...");
$result_zip = $AdValify->scanZip("Binary Zip data here...");
$result_vast = $AdValify->scanVAST("URL pointing to VAST document...");

The result will be an array, which you can use further down in your logic. Check out the complete API Documentation for a list of all data points collected by the scanner.

External Resources

open_in_newFree Online Ad Tag Tester

open_in_newFree Online HTML5 Ad Validation

open_in_newFree Online VAST Inspector