Data Insertion API response types

The response type is the numeric segment of the endpoint path (the /1/ in /b/ss/examplersid/1/s234234238479). It selects the format of the server's response: a GIF, 204 No Content, JavaScript, JSON, XML, and so on. The response format is independent of how you send the request, with one exception: an XML request body is parsed only at the /6/ response type (see XML).

Every response type technically accepts both GET and POST; however, several response types would not make sense in practice. The type you choose does not change whether a valid hit is recorded; it changes only the response you receive and, for some types, how a validation failure is surfaced.

Response types

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var s_vid='355231C82E332200-4000195842CEFA67'

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<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<status>SUCCESS</status>

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{
  "status":"SUCCESS",
  "mid":"79616681662205094719519402412079274310",
  "id":"355231C82E332200-4000195842CEFA67"
}

{
  "status":"SUCCESS",
  "id":"355231C82E332200-4000195842CEFA67"
}

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<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<visitor>
  <status>SUCCESS</status>
  <mid>79616681662205094719519402412079274310</mid>
  <id>355231C82E332200-4000195842CEFA67</id>
</visitor>

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<visitor>
  <status>SUCCESS</status>
  <id>355231C82E332200-4000195842CEFA67</id>
</visitor>

Validation and failures

Whatever the response type, a 2xx status confirms only that the request was received, not that the hit passed validation or appeared in reporting. How a failure is surfaced depends on the HTTP method and the response type: a failure reason is computed only for POST requests, so GET responses never return one. The surest confirmation is to inspect the request with a packet monitor as you send it, or to check for the data in Adobe Analytics reporting.

A failed hit reports one of the following reasons. The same reason string appears wherever the response type surfaces it; a Reason header, the <reason> XML element, or the JSON body.

Statuses and reasons by response type

The reason value is the same everywhere; only the container differs by response type and HTTP method. A reason is computed only for POST requests, so every GET cell below is either Nothing or a bare Status.

Resolving failures

If hits return FAILURE, check the following:

• Encoding. When using XML encoding, make sure that the content is UTF-8 and that you're using a response type of /6/. When using query-string encoding, make sure that all values are properly URL-encoded.
• Reserved characters. In XML, replace ampersands (&), greater-than (>), and less-than (<) with their entities when they appear inside a value. For example, submit News & Sports <local> as News & Sports <local>. In query strings, these characters are handled by URL encoding.
• Required components. Confirm that the hit includes a report suite ID, page context, and a visitor identifier. See Required components.

POST request rejected

Some HTTP clients add an Expect: 100-Continue header to POST requests, which Adobe data collection servers reject. The request fails before the body is processed, so no FAILURE body is returned. Disable the header in your client. For example, in .NET, set ServicePointManager.Expect100Continue = false.