Moderation rules and creative auto-rejection
Set a creative status, apply moderation rules, and understand auto-rejection and the audit log.
Setting a Creative Status
Use the 'Approve', 'Reject' or 'Flag' buttons to set a status for the creative.
Moderation Rules
- Once the creative has been approved, the fields in the Creative Details section become read-only. You will need to change the status of the creative back to Pending Approval if you want to change any of the Creative Details.
- If you reject a creative, you must enter a reason for the rejection. Select 'Reject' to confirm.
- If you are not sure about a creative and need a colleague to review it, flag it for attention using the 'Flag' button. A flagged creative is not eligible for a campaign until the status has been changed to Approved.
- Deleted creatives can be found in the 'Deleted' tab, accessible via the Content Management section. You have 30 days to restore the creative. See Deleting and restoring creatives.
Creative Auto-Rejection
Creatives that do not match the aspect ratio of any frame in your inventory are rejected on submission, so they never enter your moderation queue.
Every creative a DSP submits is checked. Its dimensions are compared against every registered frame format in your inventory.
| Result | Status | What happens next |
|---|---|---|
| Aspect ratio match | Pending Approval | The creative enters your moderation queue as normal |
| No aspect ratio match | Rejected (auto) | The creative is rejected instantly, with the reason in the audit log |
The check works as follows:
- Tolerance threshold: a percentage tolerance safeguards against false rejections. This is set to 13.65% by default.
- Dynamic frame-awareness: the check uses live registered frame dimensions rather than a static list, and adapts when a new frame format is added.
- Audit transparency: every system rejection gives a clear reason in VIOOH Trading Manager and via the VIOOH Creative Submission API.
- Non-destructive routing: dynamic creatives, and files without declared dimensions, bypass the check and pass through for manual review.
The buyer sees the rejection reason too. It is returned via the VIOOH Creative Submission API, so DSPs can correct the file and resubmit.
Filter auto-rejected creatives using the creative status drop-down in Content Management, selecting 'Rejected (auto)'.
Please note: no configuration is required. If you would like a stricter tolerance than 13.65%, contact your Technical Solutions Manager or VIOOH representative and we will configure it for your business.
For a full walkthrough of how the aspect ratio comparison works, including how letterboxing is measured against the tolerance threshold, see Creative Auto-Rejection in the Product Materials Library.
Audit Log
The 'Audit Log' at the bottom of the page captures and presents any moderation actions — approval, flagging, rejection — as well as any creative deletion or restoration information.
The log includes the user, date and time of the change. Where a creative has been rejected automatically, the log records the system-generated rejection reason.
Next page
Bulk editing and bulk moderation — Edit metadata and approve, reject, delete or restore several creatives at once.
If you need more help, see Contacting support.