Why is My URL Invalid?
Updated over a week ago

When you are adding creatives to the Creatives library, you need to provide a click URL. Our system then checks the validity of the URL to make sure users clicking on your ads will reach a functional landing page and be able to take the desired actions.

Sometimes, it can happen that your URL will be marked as invalid, and there are multiple reasons why this might happen.

In case you're having issues submitting your URL, make sure to check out a few common reasons below.

Server Error

The landing page URL might be experiencing a server issue that is preventing our system from accessing the page. Keep in mind that our system will reject all landing page URLs if it detects a server issue that causes the page to be unavailable. Make sure the landing page is working as expected before resubmitting the URL.

Crawler Block

Another reason might be that our system is unable to crawl the landing page because Zemanta's user-agent is blocked. Our crawlers need access to your site in order to pull the correct image and headline on the page. Make sure to enable access to our user-agent before submitting your ads.

Not sure what that means? Your IT department should know what to do. Send them over the user-agent below before submitting your content again.

Crawler IPs

  • 192.82.211.0/24>>192.82.211.1 – 192.82.211.254

  • 64.202.112.0/24>>64.202.112.1 – 64.202.112.254

  • 70.42.32.0/24>>70.42.32.1 – 70.42.32.254

  • 66.150.103.0/24>>66.150.103.1 – 66.150.103.254

  • 192.82.210.0/24>>192.82.210.1 – 192.82.210.254

  • 50.31.142.0/24>>50.31.142.1 – 50.31.142.254

  • 64.74.236.0/24>>64.74.236.1 – 64.74.236.254

  • 167.88.57.0/24>>167.88.57.1 – 167.88.57.254

  • 165.254.24.192/27>>165.254.24.193 – 165.254.24.222

  • 66.225.223.0/24>>66.225.223.1 – 66.225.223.254

  • 38.104.143.176/28>>38.104.143.177 – 38.104.143.190

  • 38.133.127.0/24>>38.133.127.1 – 38.133.127.255

Zemanta User-Agent

Mozilla/5.0 (compatible; Zemanta/1.0; +http://www.zemanta.com)

Please note: To avoid all user-agent block issues in the future, we recommend to allow access to all user-agents that include the Zemanta keyword or Zemanta's URL.

Click-tracking URL parameters

You might use click-trackers in the URL to track clicks. Zemanta accepts all types of click-trackers. However, it can sometimes happen your click-tracker will get rejected. See some advice below on how to prevent rejections:

  • Avoid too many redirects through the URL as this can cause the destination page to keep being redirected between different addresses and prevent our system to reach the end page. Using 5 or more redirects could cause this prevention. We do not recommend that.

  • Make sure the click-trackers are live and enabled in the ad server. The easiest way to do that is by simply pasting the click-through URL in the browser to check if you have reached the landing page.

  • Impression-tracking and click-tracking URLs will often look way too similar. Make sure you're not inserting the former in the URL field.

If the issue still persists, make sure to reach out to your CS representative.

Dynamic Parameters

Are you using dynamic parameters or tracking codes in your URL? If so, you’ll want to add them to the tracking section within Ad Group settings in the Zemanta dashboard and leave them off of the URL you’re submitting.

Metadata Issues

If your website’s metadata isn’t set up correctly or is excluding important information, it can prevent our system from properly accessing or categorizing your content. Make sure that your landing page metadata is set up properly.

If the issue still persists, please contact your CS representative.

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