VAST tracking events / Linear
VAST interactiveStart tracking event
Short answer: Fires when a SIMID creative takes control. VAST 4.1+, expected on 4.2+ linear SIMID. Introduced in VAST 4.1.
When it fires
The interactive layer started. Linear SIMID tags on VAST 4.2+ should include it so measurement sees the handshake, not only start. vastlint flags the missing event as info. It does not run createSession; that is tester or studio work.
Where it is valid
| 2.0 | 3.0 | 4.0 | 4.1+ |
|---|---|---|---|
| No | No | No | Yes |
Legal containers: Linear. An event in the wrong container is not a player error. It is a URL nobody calls.
Using it in a tag
<TrackingEvents>
<Tracking event="interactiveStart">
<![CDATA[https://track.example.com/interactiveStart]]>
</Tracking>
</TrackingEvents>VAST XML fragment only. This excerpt belongs inside a complete VAST document, so standalone validation will fail until it is wrapped in a full <VAST>response.
Related vastlint rules
- SIMID-1.0-simid-interactive-start: Linear SIMID creative on VAST 4.2+ should include an interactiveStart tracking event
- VAST-4.1-tracking-event-value: Tracking event attribute not in the valid set for this VAST version
Related events
- start: Fires when linear playback actually begins, first frame rendered.
- creativeView: Fires when the creative is first displayed. Primary signal for NonLinear and companions.
Check the XML, then confirm the beacons fire
Validate the event names and containers on the document. Test a live URL when the XML is clean and reporting is still empty.