Ad Servers can have a lot of moving parts and sometimes it’s difficult to understand why an ad might or might not be appearing. Below are the first steps to take to troubleshoot why an ad might not be appearing on your site when using the MediaOS Ad Server.
1. Check If the Ad Is Booked #
The first step in troubleshooting is to confirm whether the ad is actually scheduled to run today. To check, go to Delivery > Line Items and click the magnifying glass icon to open the search options. Use the "Running Between" filter and select "Today" to display all line items scheduled to run on the current date. If the ad you're expecting doesn’t appear in the list, it means it hasn’t been booked to run at this time.
2. Verify the Correct Creative Is Assigned #
Even if a line item is scheduled, it won’t serve unless the creative is properly configured. To verify that your creative is ready to serve, hover over the assigned creative and click the “i” icon to view its details. Then, navigate to the line item and click on the ad artwork to open the Ad Library. Check that the file format is web-friendly (PDFs are not supported), and that the dimensions match the required ad space—for example, creatives smaller than 3200px won’t display correctly on pages wider than 500px. If you're supporting both desktop and mobile views, be sure to assign multiple creatives. Also, ensure a valid destination URL is included; to add or edit it, click Edit on the creative.
Note: After assigning or editing creatives, it may take 15–30 minutes for the changes to reflect on your site.
3. Confirm the Product Is Assigned to Your Site #
To ensure your ad can serve properly, confirm that the correct product is assigned to your site settings. Start by going to Websites from the left-hand menu, then click Settings for the site in question. Navigate to the Ad Server tab and verify that the appropriate product is selected. Also, make sure the MediaOS Plugin is installed, activated, and up to date to ensure full ad delivery functionality.
4. Use the Debug Tool #
To troubleshoot ad delivery, you can use the built-in Debug Tool in MediaOS. Simply add #debug to the end of your website URL—for example, https://yourwebsite.com/#debug. This will bring up a detailed debug log directly on the page, showing why an ad is or isn’t serving. If the debug panel doesn’t appear right away, try scrolling down the page to locate it.
5. Clear Your Cache #
Sometimes your browser cache can prevent updates from showing right away. To clear it, you have two options: click Disable Cookies in the bottom-right corner of your site, then select Clear Cache, or simply add #clear to the end of your URL—for example, https://yourwebsite.com/#clear. This forces a cache reset and often resolves display issues instantly.
Still Need Help? #
If you’ve walked through all the steps above and your ad still isn’t showing, don’t worry—we’re here to help. Please reach out to our Support Team and we’ll be happy to assist!
