How do I fix the SIMID error "SIMID-1.0-simid-url-empty"?

Add the HTTPS URL of your SIMID creative HTML document inside the element, wrapped in a CDATA section.

SIMID-1.0-simid-url-empty: <InteractiveCreativeFile apiFramework="SIMID"> must contain a non-empty URL

Q: What does " must contain a non-empty URL" mean in a VAST tag?

The element's text content must be a URL that returns an HTML document (SIMID 1.0 §3.1: "The text within this element must be a url which returns an HTML document"). An empty or whitespace-only value gives the player no URL to load — the interactive layer will be silently absent.

SIMID-1.0-simid-url-empty

<InteractiveCreativeFile apiFramework="SIMID"> must contain a non-empty URL

ErrorLinearIAB SIMID 1.0 §3.1

Short answer

The `<InteractiveCreativeFile>` element's text content must be a URL that returns an HTML document (SIMID 1.0 §3.1: "The text within this element must be a url which returns an HTML document"). An empty or whitespace-only value gives the player no URL to load — the interactive layer will be silently absent.

Why this matters in production

This is usually an interaction blocker. When a SIMID error reaches error level, the creative iframe or handshake typically never completes. Linear SIMID issues affect the handshake between the primary video creative and the interactive layer. When these break, the ad often falls back to plain video or fails interaction entirely.

The <InteractiveCreativeFile> element's text content must be a URL that returns an HTML document (SIMID 1.0 §3.1: "The text within this element must be a url which returns an HTML document"). An empty or whitespace-only value gives the player no URL to load — the interactive layer will be silently absent.

How to fix

Add the HTTPS URL of your SIMID creative HTML document inside the <InteractiveCreativeFile> element, wrapped in a CDATA section.

Broader troubleshooting

If this rule is one part of a bigger SIMID delivery issue, start with the SIMID troubleshooting guide for a checklist covering iframe URLs, HTTPS, fallback media, and player support.

Invalid

<InteractiveCreativeFile type="text/html" apiFramework="SIMID">
  <![CDATA[  ]]>
</InteractiveCreativeFile>

Valid

<InteractiveCreativeFile type="text/html" apiFramework="SIMID">
  <![CDATA[https://example.com/creative.html]]>
</InteractiveCreativeFile>

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Other Linear rules

SIMID-1.0-simid-type-required<InteractiveCreativeFile apiFramework="SIMID"> must have type="text/html"SIMID-1.0-simid-url-https<InteractiveCreativeFile apiFramework="SIMID"> URL must use HTTPS SIMID-1.0-simid-variable-duration-valuevariableDuration must be "true" when present on a SIMID InteractiveCreativeFile SIMID-1.0-simid-mediafile-requiredLinear SIMID ad must include a video/audio <MediaFile> alongside the interactive creative

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SIMID-1.0-simid-url-empty

Why this matters in production

Related docs

Other Linear rules