VAST error codes / Ad type and trafficking
VAST error 202: Expecting different duration
Short answer: The creative duration does not match what the player expected.
Debug this tag now
If you only have a live URL, test it first. If the failure is in the wrapper chain, inspect each hop. Validate resolved XML when you already have the response.
What your player reported
202· Media player expecting different duration.
Wording from the IAB VAST 4.3 specification error table. Players may shorten or reformat it, but the code is the same.
What it means
The returned linear creative is longer or shorter than the slot allows.
Common causes
- `<Duration>` exceeds the pod or slot length
- Duration shorter than a minimum required by the placement
How to fix it
Verify `<Duration>` is well-formed (HH:MM:SS) and within the slot's limits.
VAST error codes are runtime buckets emitted by the player. They tell you where the failure happened, not which line of XML caused it. Paste the raw tag into the validator to map this code onto the exact element and rule.
Related vastlint rules
- VAST-2.0-linear-duration: <Linear> must contain <Duration>
- VAST-2.0-duration-format: <Duration> value does not match HH:MM:SS[.mmm] format
Related error codes
- VAST error 200: Trafficking error
- VAST error 201: Expecting different linearity
- VAST error 203: Expecting different size
Debug this tag now
Validate the XML, follow the wrapper chain, or check it in CI before launch:
# CLI: exits non-zero on errors, ideal for pipelines
vastlint check creative.xml