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No banner is displayed on my site by the invocation tag. Why?

There could be numerous reasons that no banner is displayed. Please go through this list for some tips on finding the cause

  1. If you are using an Image invocation tag, make sure that only image banners are being used. For other types of banners, including SWF banners, you should use any other type of invocation tag - IMG tags can only display image banners.
  2. Even if not using an Image tag, try using a different invocation method. XML-RPC and Local Mode tags require advanced knowledge and you might be using the tags incorrectly. For simplicity and versatility, try using Javascript or iFrame tags.
  3. Have you waited? There is a delivery cache for active servers. The default is 20 minutes - it can take time before new inventory or updated Limitation/Capping settings are added into rotation.
  4. Try placing the invocation tag on a plain/empty HTML page rather than on your website. Your website might have CSS or HTML which is interfering.
  5. If using a Zone Invocation tag, check the zone's probability tab to see what banners are expected to be used and how often. This page will also tell you if the banner has any Delivery Limitations or Capping. If all banners have limitations or capping, this can prevent delivery. Also, if capping is being used make sure to read:
    http://www.openx.org/node/792

    • You can clear your browser cookies to restart your session and allow yourself more impressions if the banner/campaign has session based capping.
    • If the banners simply don't add up to a 100% chance of invocation, this could be caused by using High Priority campaigns without having any Low Priority (Remnant) campaigns linked to the zone. A High Priority Campaign will limit impressions across a time frame and might currently have a very low probability. Linking a Low Priority banner with no capping or limitations will guarantee that a banner is always displayed.
  6. If using Direct Selection, be careful to make sure that the banner selection string that you are using actually does actually match a banner and that there is not capping or limitations on such banners which would cause this.
  7. Can your browser correctly render the banner being used when not using OpenX? Open the OpenX admin page and check the banner's properties - there should be a banner preview above the main options. If it isn't displayed here, it means that the actual banner has an issue rather than OpenX's rendering of it. You can also test by opening the browser in a test HTML page without using the OpenX invocation tag.
  8. Is any ad-blocking or internet security software being used? Try using a different browser, or even a different computer (hopefully not that of a co-worker who has the exact same ad blocking software being used!).
  9. If a flash banner is being used, make sure that your browser has the correct flash plugin version for displaying the version. You should make sure that the banner only requires a flash version that is common among users - when generating the SWF the producer has a choice of what flash version to require. If they require version 9 of the flash player, you might have only version 8 and therefore can't display the SWF.
  10. If you are using Local Mode or XML-RPC invocation there could be issues with the server-side code you are using. Make sure to check web server logs to see if there are any PHP (or other language) errors. You are placing PHP code directly on your website - test it on a test page alone or test another invocation tag to see if the banner works. You will need to debug the PHP code on your own website.
    If you upgraded from 2.0, using Local Mode code from 2.0 and from 2.4+ on one page can have issues. It is recommended to just use one or the other on a single page.

  11. If you are trying to display HTML banners on an SSL website please read this FAQ:
    http://www.openx.org/faq/why-do-my-html-banners-not-serve-my-ssl-https-website