VAST error codes / Ad type and trafficking
VAST error 205: Inline category violates wrapper block list
Short answer: The inline ad's category is on the wrapper's blocked list. Introduced in VAST 4.1.
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
205· Inline Category violates Wrapper BlockedAdCategories (refer 3.19.2).
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
An upstream wrapper declared `<BlockedAdCategories>` and the resolved inline ad falls into one of them.
Common causes
- Inline `<Category>` matches a wrapper `<BlockedAdCategories>` entry
How to fix it
Either the demand must not return that category, or the block list must change. Inspect the chain to see which hop set the block.
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 error codes
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