vastlint
VAST-3.0-skipoffset-format

VAST-3.0-skipoffset-format

Linear skipoffset does not match HH:MM:SS[.mmm] or n% format

WarningValuesIAB VAST 3.0 §2.4.1VAST 3.0, 4.0, 4.1, 4.2, and 4.3

Short answer

The skipoffset attribute on <Linear> must be either a time code (HH:MM:SS) or a percentage (n%). A value like "five seconds" is not valid.

Why this matters in production

This rule is a strong risk signal. Tags with this issue often still parse, but they become brittle across SDKs, SSAI resolvers, and CTV environments. Value-format rules tend to fail at the moment a player interprets a field such as duration, skipoffset, bitrate, or versioning. They are especially painful because the XML can look valid at a glance. Affected scope: VAST 3.0, 4.0, 4.1, 4.2, and 4.3.

How to fix

Set skipoffset to a timecode (HH:MM:SS) or a percentage (n%), e.g. skipoffset="00:00:05" or skipoffset="20%".

Invalid

<Linear skipoffset="five seconds">

Valid

<Linear skipoffset="00:00:05">
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