VAST tracking events / Linear
VAST timeSpentViewing tracking event
Short answer: Existed only in VAST 4.0. Removed in 4.1. Introduced in VAST 4.0. Removed in VAST 4.1.
When it fires
A 4.0-only event for time spent viewing. It did not survive into 4.1. A 4.1 tag that still emits it is silently ignored. Prefer quartiles and progress.
Where it is valid
| 2.0 | 3.0 | 4.0 | 4.1+ |
|---|---|---|---|
| No | No | Yes | Removed |
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="timeSpentViewing">
<![CDATA[https://track.example.com/timeSpentViewing]]>
</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
- VAST-4.1-tracking-event-value: Tracking event attribute not in the valid set for this VAST version
Related events
- progress: Fires at a declared offset. The only tracking event that takes a parameter.
- complete: Fires when linear playback reaches the end of Duration.
- overlayViewDuration: Fires with how long a NonLinear overlay was in view. VAST 4.0+.
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.