Frequently Asked Questions

Find answers to common questions about the Adlocaite API and platform integration.

Getting started

How do I get API access?

API access is provided through our onboarding process. Contact our onboarding team at support@adlocaite.com to begin the integration process. We conduct a technical evaluation to ensure compatibility before providing API keys.

What authentication method do you use?

We use Bearer token authentication. Your API key will be provided during onboarding and should be included in the Authorization header of all requests:

Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY

Is there a sandbox environment?

Yes, we provide a sandbox environment for testing. Your API key will work in both sandbox and production environments, with different base URLs provided during onboarding.

API usage

What's the difference between POST and GET for offers?

The offers endpoint uses POST (not GET) because it creates a new offer request each time. Each request generates a unique offer with its own expiration time.

How long are offers valid?

Offers typically expire after 10 minutes by default, but you can specify a custom expiration time using the expires_minutes parameter when requesting offers.

Can I request multiple offers for the same screen?

Yes, but each offer request creates a new offer with its own ID and expiration. Previous offers remain valid until they expire or are accepted/declined.

What happens if I don't respond to an offer?

Offers that are not responded to simply expire after their timeout period. No action is required, and this doesn't affect your ability to request new offers.

How do I know which assets to cache?

Use the /functions/v1/api/screens/[screenId]/cacheable-assets endpoint to get a list of assets that are likely to be offered for your screens. This helps optimize performance by preloading relevant content.

Troubleshooting

I'm getting a 401 Unauthorized error

Check that:

Your API key is correctly formatted
The Authorization header includes Bearer (with a space)
Your API key hasn't expired or been revoked
You're using the correct API key for the environment (sandbox vs production)

I'm getting "NO_MATCHES" responses

This means no advertisements currently match your screen's criteria. This can happen when:

Your screen's geographic location has no active campaigns
All matching campaigns have insufficient bids
Your minimum bid requirement is too high
No ads are scheduled for the current time period

The API is responding slowly

Check if you're making requests during peak hours
Verify you're not being rate limited (see rate limiting section below)
Ensure your network connection is stable
Contact support if response times consistently exceed 5 seconds

How does rate limiting work?

Our intelligent rate limiting system is designed to be fair and supportive:

Automatic scaling: Your limits increase with the number of screens you operate
Performance rewards: Successful ad displays improve your rate limits
No unfair penalties: We never reduce limits for issues beyond your control (network problems, advertiser issues, platform outages)
Transparent: If you hit rate limits, you'll receive clear HTTP 429 responses

My accepted offers aren't working

Verify that:

You accepted the offer before it expired
You're using the correct offer ID
The offer hasn't already been accepted or declined
Your API key has the necessary permissions

How do I test my integration?

Start with the sandbox environment
Request test offers for your screens
Practice accepting and declining offers
Test error scenarios (expired offers, invalid IDs)
Verify your error handling works correctly
Contact our technical team for integration testing support

Need more help?

If you can't find the answer to your question here, check our support page for contact information and how to get technical assistance.