InnovidXP FAQs: Spots and Spot Files

Last Updated: July 24, 2025 09:17

Purpose

This article provides tips and explanations about spot files, including locating blanks, upload errors, and data not being visible.

How long will my file take to process?

The process time depends on three factors:

The size of the spot file
The date range covered by the spot file
The amount of response data within the date range

In general, the more spots and responses across a longer date, the longer the file will take to process. We encourage small files to be uploaded consistently rather than large files covering an expansive date range.

Why is my file upload slow to process?

If your file takes longer than usual to load, check the size and date range of the file you are trying to upload.

For example, if you regularly upload a week's worth of data, and it typically takes an hour, and this time, the file contains three months of data, it will take a little longer to process. The platform is used to a different uploading pattern and needs to be adjusted.

If the file you try to upload follows your normal pattern, it may be a data processing issue. Our experts are constantly monitoring this and will contact your Account Manager.

If the problem persists, contact your Account Manager or email support-xp@innovid.com.

How do I check if my spot file has been uploaded successfully?

When the modeling is complete, an email is sent to your account email address with a summary and status confirmation for the completed modeling:

Green: Success - your spot data has been added to the model successfully
Amber: Caution - your spot data has been added, but one or more assumptions had to be made on your data, for example, by overwriting duplicate spots
Red: Failed - your file could not be loaded, for example, due to bad formatting or missing data

If your spot data file was successfully added and the email summary matches your expectations, you can also check the data in InnovidXP:

Select Data > Spots > Raw Breakdown and ensure the spot data displayed is correct. If relevant, you can select a different value in the Spot metric dropdown to view and confirm, for example, the cost or audience of each spot.
Navigating to Data > Spots > Upload File allows you to view the status of the uploaded spot files within the In Progress and Processed tabs.

How do I locate blanks in a spot file?

You might be alerted to blanks in your spot file, either via email or in InnovidXP.

When checking any file for blanks or any other data issues, you should apply a filter to all columns and check to see if you can isolate the blanks in the required fields.

When you select the blanks option in the field, it will return all rows where that field contains blanks. If the blank is part of the data you want to upload, you can fill in the blanks or remove the row completely.

Sometimes, files have blank rows at the end of the data that are different from having empty rows. You can solve this by selecting the rows from the end of the data to the end of the file and deleting them. Check that no more blanks remain by using the filter, and if they don’t, then you are good to go.

How do I fix spot upload errors?

If your spot file upload has errors or you have uploaded the wrong file, refer to this section for instructions on how to correct the issue.

Incorrect file upload

Sometimes, an incorrect spot file will be uploaded by mistake. If this happens, there are two ways to fix it:

The correct spot file can be re-uploaded. This will overwrite the corresponding date range of the existing spot file with that of the re-uploaded spot file.
Contact your InnovidXP representative or the Support team. They can help by purging the data.

Note: Uploaded spot files with the same or overlapping date ranges will always overwrite the existing date range within the platform. If you have multiple spot sources with the same date range, you can upload them using different data groups. This lets you see the separate data sources and prevents overwriting. To create data groups, contact your InnovidXP representative or the Support team, as this option is not available by default.

Failed file upload

You can view the status of your spot upload by navigating to Data > Spots > Upload File > Processed. The Processed page shows uploads in the last 14 days.

If a file has failed to upload, it is listed in the Failed Uploads section. Select the file to view the reasons.

The following table lists the possible reasons and suggests actions to resolve the issue with the file. Once you have fixed the errors, you can try uploading the file again.

Error Type (not displayed in the UI)	Error Code (displayed in UI)	Further Detail (not displayed in the UI)
Spot Not Shown	Spot was not broadcast.	A spot was marked as not actually broadcast.
Spot Channel Missing	The {columnName} was missing from a spot.	Blank values provided; text must be provided for all entries.
Spot Geo Unmatched	No match for {rawValue}.	We were unable to upload your file due to a matching issue with the values in the Market column. Please reload the file using valid markets.
Spot Out of Scope	Spot was out of scope.	A spot was determined to be out of scope for attribution, for example, a Canadian spot was received for a US-only client.
Spot Date Time Missing	The date and time were missing from a spot.	Blank values provided; date and time must be provided for all entries.
Spot Bad Feed	The {columnName} column is invalid.	Invalid entry, accepted values are "Single", "Dual", "Triple", "Quad", or the entry must be empty.
Bad Phone Number	Phone number contains restricted characters.	Invalid format entry must be a telephone number, for example, 917-499-0998.
Invalid Value	Value error.	Errors in input file. The data file is not readable, columns are missing, or there is bad data.

Will users receive an alert if their spot upload fails?

Yes, the user who uploaded the spot file will receive an email notification regarding the failure. There is a link to the Alerts Breakdown section for that upload within the email.

Why have my spots been overwritten?

When you upload a spot file, any spot data already in the system for the date range in the file will be overwritten. This ensures you always have the most recent data in the portal.

This business rule is especially helpful when you upload pre-logs and post-logs once your campaign is done.

If you have multiple source files for your spot data, you will need to consolidate these into a single file for upload. You will then be able to upload the file.

Why is no data visible on the platform?

If you are unable to view any data, try the following:

Ensure you are viewing the correct date range. You can adjust the date using the Date Selector at the top right of the screen:

Ensure you have the necessary permissions for the correct data group.

Why are some data fields missing?

You might notice that not all the fields in your file are accessible in the platform. This is due to the mapping process that takes place when you upload a file. Ensure you have mapped all the fields you need and follow the process to have access to all the data you require.

If you have already re-uploaded a file and cannot see the data you wish to see, re-upload the file with the correct mapping. The file will overwrite the old one, and you will be able to view the data in those fields you hadn't mapped before.

What is an invalid market error?

If an "invalid market" error message is displayed within the spot upload section of the platform, one of the markets listed in your spot file has an unknown name that our system does not recognize.

To view our list of accepted market aliases, click the Download Accepted Market Aliases link. You will be able to see all the different name conventions our system uses for the various markets. You can find the link here:

Data > Spot > Upload File > New Upload > Download Accepted Market Aliases

How does InnovidXP deal with overlapping spots?

We use audience numbers to weight response spikes appropriately. For example:

"Spot A" airs at 9.00 AM with 100,000 viewers and "Spot B" at 9.01 AM with 50,000 viewers. This results in only ONE spike in traffic. Spot A gets double the amount of response than Spot B.

This is apportioned evenly, based on audience.

Spot	Time	Viewers	Response percentage
Spot A	09:00	100000	66.67%
Spot B	09:01	50000	33.33%

How does InnovidXP deal with zero-rated spots?

InnovidXP ensures that zero-rated spots DO get attributed, and we calibrate to ensure they get attributed appropriately.

We know that even when a spot is zero-rated, i.e., a spot with no audience, people have still watched it, despite this not being captured. So, during our calibration process, we make sure that zero-rated spots get some attribution by giving them an average number based on audience figures.