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How to Troubleshoot No Bid Responses

A “No Bid” response occurs when an inbound RTB request is received, but no buyer chooses to purchase or accept the call. This is one of the most common RTB troubleshooting scenarios

Written by Luis Colmenares

Common Causes of No Bid Responses

Missing Required Fields

Many buyers require specific parameters before they can evaluate a request.

Common required fields include:

  • Caller ID (CID or caller_id)

  • ZIP code

  • State

  • Sub IDs

  • Caller consent or TCPA fields

If a required field is missing or empty, the buyer may immediately return a no bid response.

Example:

rejectReason: Missing required fields

Invalid Caller ID

Some buyers reject requests when:

  • The caller ID is malformed

  • The number is invalid

  • The caller ID is blocked or hidden

  • The area code does not match targeting requirements

Always verify the caller ID is being passed correctly and formatted properly.

Example:

+12125551212

ZIP Code or State Mismatch

Buyers often target specific geographic areas.

If the ZIP code or state:

  • Is missing

  • Does not match buyer coverage

  • Is invalid

  • Falls outside the campaign targeting

the request may receive no bids.


Buyer Caps Reached

A buyer may stop accepting traffic after reaching:

  • Daily caps

  • Hourly caps

  • Budget limits

  • Concurrency limits

When this happens, requests may continue reaching the buyer, but they will return no bid responses.


Bid Price Too Low

Some buyers only bid when the traffic meets a minimum payout threshold.

If:

  • The traffic quality is low

  • The payout is too small

  • The campaign is not competitive

buyers may choose not to bid.


Processing Timeouts

If a buyer takes too long to respond, the request may timeout before a bid is received.

High processing times can cause:

  • Delayed bids

  • Failed routing

  • No bid responses

Monitor processing times in reporting and logs.


Duplicate or Suppressed Calls

Some systems suppress:

  • Duplicate callers

  • Previously converted leads

  • DNC numbers

  • Fraudulent traffic

How to Troubleshoot No Bid Responses

1. Verify Required Parameters

Check that all required fields are being passed correctly.

Common fields to verify:

  • Caller ID

  • ZIP code

  • State

  • Sub IDs

  • Consent fields


2. Review RTB Logs

Inspect the RTB request and response logs for:

  • Reject reasons

  • Timeout messages

  • Missing data

  • Buyer responses

These logs usually provide the fastest way to identify the issue.


3. Check Buyer Availability

Verify that:

  • Buyers are active

  • Caps are not reached

  • Campaigns are enabled

  • Routing plans are correct


4. Review Geographic Targeting

Ensure the caller’s:

  • State

  • ZIP code

  • Area code

match the buyer’s targeting requirements.


5. Monitor Processing Time

High processing time may indicate:

  • Slow buyer responses

  • API latency

  • Integration issues

Reducing processing delays can improve bid rates.


Common No Bid Indicators

Issue

Possible Cause

Missing required fields

Incorrect request formatting

High requests but no calls

Buyer rejection or targeting mismatch

Long processing times

Buyer timeout

Zero bids across all buyers

Invalid campaign setup

Some states receive bids, others do not

Geo restrictions


Best Practices

  • Always pass complete caller information

  • Include ZIP and state whenever possible

  • Use consistent formatting

  • Monitor buyer caps regularly

  • Review RTB logs frequently

  • Test requests before going live

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