FAQs & Troubleshooting
If your question is not answered in this page please contact the Watching That Support team who will be able to help you.
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1. Account & Access
Why didn't I receive an email invitation?
My invitation link has expired
Forgotten password
Single Sign-On (SSO) support
I get an error when clicking the Watching That app in my SSO platform
Invited but can't log in
User seat limit reached
Q: Why didn't I receive an email invitation to create my user account?
A: Check your junk/spam folder — invitation emails can be routed there by corporate email policies. If it's not there, contact Watching That support as it may be related to your corporate email provider or firewall settings.
Q: I clicked the invitation link but it says it's expired. What do I do?
A: Invitation links do expire after a set period. Contact support@watchingthat.com and we'll resend a fresh invitation.
Q: I've forgotten my password. How do I reset it?
A: Use the "Forgot Password" link on the login page. You'll receive an email to reset your password. If you don't receive it, check your spam folder or contact support.
Q: Does Watching That support Single Sign-On (SSO)?
A: Yes. Watching That supports enterprise-grade SSO via SAML 2.0 with providers such as Okta and Microsoft Entra ID. If your organisation has enabled SSO, you will log in using your corporate credentials rather than setting a separate password. Contact your Watching That administrator or support to confirm whether SSO has been enabled for your account. For setup instructions, see the Single Sign-On (SSO) page.
Q: I get an error when I click the Watching That app tile in Okta / Microsoft Entra. Why?
A: This is the most common SSO issue and is caused by using the wrong login flow. Watching That only supports SP-initiated SSO, which means the login process must always start from Watching That — not from your SSO platform.
This flow will not work:
User goes to their SSO platform (e.g. Okta or Microsoft Entra)
User clicks the Watching That app tile
User expects to land in Watching That as an authenticated user
The correct flow is:
User navigates to Watching That and enters their email address
Watching That detects the SSO configuration and redirects the user to their SSO platform
User authenticates on the SSO platform (password, 2FA, etc.)
User is redirected back to Watching That as an authenticated user
Please make sure all users in your organisation know to start the login process from the Watching That login page, not from within Okta or Microsoft Entra.
Q: I've been invited but when I try to log in normally, it doesn't work.
A: You must click the invite link first to activate your account before you can log in via the normal login page. If you've skipped this step, try clicking the original invite link from your email. If it has expired, contact support for a new one.
Q: My organisation has reached its user seat limit. Can I still get access?
A: User seats are tied to your licence agreement. Contact your Watching That Customer Success representative to discuss adjusting your entitlement.
2. Navigating the Platform
Home page is blank on first login
What are the different modules?
Organisation vs Profile
Reports changed after switching Organisation/Profile
Q: When I first log in, my Home page is blank. Is something wrong?
A: No — this is expected if your data sources haven't been activated yet. Once data begins flowing, the Home page will populate. If you believe your data sources should be active, contact support.
Q: What are the different modules in Watching That and what are they used for?
A: The platform has the following modules, accessible from the top navigation bar:
Home — Your landing page with account information and platform updates.
Reports — Build and share visual dashboards and export them to PDF.
Analysis — An interactive data workbench for ad-hoc queries and exploration.
Inspect — A real-time log-level data viewer for drilling into individual sessions.
Monitoring — Set up Anomaly and Validation monitors to detect issues automatically.
My Account — Manage your account settings, notifications, and team members.
Note: The modules available to you depend on your platform licence configuration.
Q: What is the difference between an Organisation and a Profile?
A: An Organisation represents your top-level account in Watching That. A Profile is a segment or bucket within a data source — for example, separating data by product, app, region, or inventory type. Profiles allow you to tailor reports and monitors to specific subsets of your data. Make sure you have the correct Organisation and Profile selected (top-right corner) when viewing your data.
Q: I switched the Organisation/Profile selector and now my reports look different. Why?
A: Reports and widgets are sensitive to the Organisation and Profile selected in the top-right corner. If you see unexpected data, confirm the correct source is selected. Individual widgets can also have their data source overridden in the widget settings, which will take priority over the report-level selection.
3. Reports Module
Widget showing wrong date range
Filtering widgets independently
Blank or missing widgets in PDF download
Sharing a report
Pre-built report templates
Copying a widget to another report
Q: Why isn't my widget showing the correct date range?
A: Check whether a date range override has been set within the widget itself. If not, the widget defaults to the report's main date range (top-right corner of the screen). Some widgets are intentionally configured with fixed date ranges (e.g., always showing YTD or MTD).
Q: Can I filter one widget differently from others in the same report?
A: Yes. Each widget has its own settings where you can apply unique filters, dimensions, metrics, and even data source overrides independently from the report.
Q: My PDF report download is blank or has missing widgets. What's happening?
A: This can occasionally occur if the report takes too long to render before the PDF is generated. Try the following: refresh the report to ensure all widgets have loaded, then attempt the download again. If the issue persists, contact support with the report link so we can investigate.
Q: How do I share a report with someone in my organisation?
A: Reports are visible to all users in your organisation by default. To share a specific report, use the Share Report icon within the report — this is the recommended way to share with colleagues. You can also export the report to PDF using the download icon and distribute it via email to stakeholders who may not have platform access.
Q: Can I use pre-built report templates?
A: Yes. When creating a new report, you can choose from preassembled Watching That templates designed by our product experts. These are a great starting point and all widgets within them are fully editable. You can also start from a blank slate.
Q: How do I copy or transfer a widget from one report to another?
A: Click the ellipsis icon on the widget you want to copy and select Duplicate. In the widget editor that opens, look at the right-hand panel where you name the widget — from there you can select a different report to save the duplicated widget to. This makes it easy to reuse widgets across your reports without having to rebuild them from scratch.
4. Analysis Module
Data access and retention period
Table vs Pivot Table vs Timeline vs Correlation Table
Exporting data
Pivot Table download doesn't match the UI
Filter dropdown values changed
Saved exploration visibility
Custom formulas
Can't find metric settings
Q: What data can I access in Analysis and how far back does it go?
A: Analysis provides access to raw event-level data. The default view covers the previous 7 days from the current date, but this depends on the data retention period included in your account.
Q: What's the difference between a Table, Pivot Table, Timeline, and Correlation Table?
A:
Table — Standard tabulated data. Best for large datasets with multiple dimensions and metrics.
Pivot Table — Collapsible, hierarchical view. Great for drilling into one dimension within another (e.g., Sites → Site Sections). Includes a quick filter button next to each row.
Timeline — Plots one metric over time, broken down by one dimension. Requires a Time Interval to be selected.
Correlation Table — Compares a single metric across two dimensions. Useful for analysing eCPM, fill rates, etc. across your network.
Q: How do I export data from Analysis?
A: Click the download icon on the right-hand side of the screen. This exports your exploration as an Excel (.xlsx) file. Note: only the Table and Correlation Table visualisations support downloads — the Pivot Table and Timeline views do not. If the download button appears greyed out, check that you are using one of the supported visualisations, or try refreshing the page.
Q: I downloaded a Pivot Table but the data doesn't match what I see on screen. Why?
A: This is a known nuance. The Pivot Table in the UI loads data step-by-step as you expand rows, using parent dimensions as filters. The download fires a single query for all data at once, which can produce different results when multiple dimensions interact. For the most accurate export, use the Table visualisation rather than Pivot Table.
Q: I applied a filter in Analysis and now I can't see other values I want to add. What happened?
A: When you select a filter value, the dropdown list updates to show only values that exist within the filtered dataset. To add additional filter values, use the manual filter bar at the top of the exploration to type in or search for more values.
Q: Will my saved explorations be visible to other users?
A: Yes. Saved explorations are shared across your organisation, so other users can open and reuse them.
Q: Can I create custom formulas in Analysis?
A: Yes — the Analysis module supports building formulas using your existing metrics. Click the formula icon to define calculations such as fill rates or completion percentages.
Q: I see "metric settings" mentioned but I can't find them. Where are they?
A: Metric settings (accessible via the three-dot icon next to metrics) are only available to Admin users. If you don't see them, your account may be set to a standard user role. Contact your administrator to adjust your permissions if needed.
5. Inspect Module
What is Inspect used for?
Volumes change with time range selected
Not seeing expected data
Bulk export from Inspect
Q: What is Inspect used for?
A: Inspect is a real-time event viewer that allows you to see individual sessions as they occur. It's primarily used for troubleshooting ad behaviour, validating that parameters are being passed correctly, and getting a quick overview of volume in the last 24 hours.
Q: Inspect shows different volumes depending on the time range I select. Is this a bug?
A: Not a bug — this is related to how the Inspect graph works. The graph splits your selected time range into approximately 30 buckets, each representing a dynamic granularity. A "Today" view shows near-real-time 10-minute intervals, while a "Last 7 days" view uses wider bars. The bars at the trailing edge of the selected range may appear to have less data because of how the buckets align with partially-complete intervals.
Q: I'm not seeing the data I expect in Inspect. What should I check?
A: Make sure you have the correct Data Source and Profile selected in the left-hand sidebar. Inspect is sensitive to these selections and will only display events matching the selected source.
Q: Can I export sessions in bulk from Inspect?
A: Bulk export is currently not available, but you can use the Copy JSON button on any individual session to copy the full raw session data to your clipboard.
6. Monitoring Module
Anomaly Monitors vs Validation Monitors
Types of Anomaly Monitor
Alarm triggered but data looks normal
Reducing false alarms / noise
All monitors triggered at once
Slack notifications not working
Validation Monitor ad server support
Validation Monitor returning no results
Q: What is the difference between Anomaly Monitors and Validation Monitors?
A: Anomaly Monitors track real-time output data (e.g. from log files, pixels, or plugins) during ad playback. They detect unexpected behaviour in live delivery — such as drops, spikes, or flatlines. Validation Monitors check input data by calling your ad server's API at regular intervals to confirm that key settings, tag configurations, and trafficking rules are correct.
Q: What types of Anomaly Monitor are available?
A: There are four types:
Flatline — Triggers when a metric stops reporting data entirely.
Relative Change — Triggers when there is a significant deviation from established normal trends.
Threshold — Triggers when a metric crosses a defined upper or lower limit.
Lookback — Triggers when there is a deviation from expected daily or weekly seasonal patterns.
Q: My Anomaly Monitor triggered an alarm, but when I look at the details the data looks normal. Why?
A: Monitors run using rollups, which are a snapshot of the data at the time they ran. If data arrived late (common with log file data), the numbers may have filled in by the time you checked. The alarm was legitimate when it fired, even though the data has since backfilled. You can verify this by checking Reports for the same time period within 24 hours.
Q: I'm getting too many false alarms on my monitors. How do I reduce noise?
A: Consider the following adjustments:
For Flatline monitors — Set a minimum volume threshold so low-traffic dimensions don't trigger alerts.
For Relative Change monitors — Increase the deviation percentage or the comparison window. Use the 24-hour preview graph to calibrate.
For Threshold monitors — Require consecutive breaches (e.g., 2 or 3) before triggering.
For Lookback monitors — If traffic patterns are weekly, use the weekly lookback rather than daily.
For all monitors — Use filters to narrow the scope and consider increasing the time window from 10 minutes to 1 hour.
Q: All of my monitors went off at once. What should I do?
A: A mass trigger typically indicates either a platform-wide data delay or an issue on your data source's side (e.g., your ad server stopped sending log files). First, check the Inspect module to see if data is still flowing in real-time. If data has stopped, the issue is likely upstream from Watching That. Contact support to confirm and, if needed, temporarily mute monitors.
Q: My Slack notification channel isn't receiving monitor alerts. What's wrong?
A: Verify that the Slack channel you configured is still active and that the Watching That Slack integration is installed in that channel. If the integration is set up correctly but alerts aren't arriving, file a support ticket with the monitor name and channel details.
Q: Can I use Validation Monitors on any ad server?
A: Validation monitors are currently available for customers using Freewheel or Google Ad Manager (GAM). If you use a different ad server, contact your Customer Success representative to discuss options.
Q: I've created a Validation Monitor but it's not returning any results even though I think it should.
A: Ensure your ad server API is connected to your Watching That account. Contact support to confirm the API integration is active. Also verify that the filter query you've built accurately represents the condition you're looking for — creating a test entity in your ad server that should be flagged is a good way to validate.
7. Data, Metrics & Dimensions
What are Metrics and Dimensions?
Base vs Conditional vs Formulaic vs Custom Metrics
What do 0 and 1 mean in boolean dimensions?
Data in Analysis but not in Reports
Data doesn't match my ad server
Derived Dimensions not populated
Viewing available metrics and dimensions
Q: What are Metrics and Dimensions?
A: Metrics are quantitative measures, like counts of impressions, ad requests, fill rate, or revenue. Dimensions are descriptive attributes that provide context, such as genre, site, device type, or advertiser name. Metrics tell you "how much" and dimensions tell you "of what".
Q: What is the difference between Base, Conditional, Formulaic, and Custom Metrics?
A:
Base Metrics — Map directly to events in your data source (e.g., "Ad Request" = count of ad request events).
Conditional Metrics — Apply a condition to a Base metric (e.g., "IVT Impressions" = impressions where IVT is TRUE).
Formulaic Metrics — Calculated from other metrics (e.g., Fill Rate = Impressions / Ad Requests × 100).
Custom Metrics — Defined specifically for your account. Contact your account manager for details.
Q: What do the values 0 and 1 mean for dimensions like "GAM: Order Is Programmatic"?
A: These are boolean (true/false) values. 0 = False and 1 = True. So "GAM: Order Is Programmatic = 1" means the order is programmatic, and "0" means it is not.
Q: I see data in Analysis/Explore but not in Reports. Why?
A: Reports use rollups — periodic aggregations of the raw data. If data arrives late (which is common with log file sources like GAM or Freewheel), it may appear in Analysis (which queries raw data) before it appears in Reports (which depend on the next rollup cycle). Rollups typically reprocess within 24 hours. If data is still missing after that, contact support.
Q: My data numbers in Watching That don't match exactly what I see in my ad server. Why?
A: Small discrepancies between Watching That and your ad server are normal and can result from several factors: timing of data delivery, late-arriving log files, rollup processing windows, and rounding in formulaic metrics. For GAM log files in particular, Google's documentation notes that data can be delayed up to several days. If the discrepancy is significant (e.g., 20%+), contact support with specific examples for investigation.
Q: What are Derived Dimensions and why are some of mine not populated?
A: Derived Dimensions are synthetic dimensions created by the Watching That platform based on various conditions. For example, a "Is Clickable" dimension can be created for all site sections containing "clickable" in their title, allowing you to compare the performance of clickable ads against the rest. If a Derived Dimension isn't populated, it may be because the conditions required to generate it haven't been met for that data, or the dimension hasn't been configured for your account. Contact support if you believe a Derived Dimension should be populated but isn't.
Q: Can I see which metrics and dimensions are available to me?
A: Yes. When building an exploration in Analysis or configuring a widget in Reports, the available metrics and dimensions are displayed in the selection panels. For a full glossary with descriptions, visit the Metrics & Dimensions Glossary section in the User Guide.
8. Troubleshooting Common Issues
Data flatlined or gone to zero
Data gap for a specific time period
Platform slow or not loading
Q: My data has flatlined or gone to zero. Is this a Watching That issue?
A: Start by checking the Inspect module to see if events are still being received in real-time. If Inspect shows data flowing, the issue may be with rollup processing — contact support. If Inspect also shows no data, the issue is likely upstream (your ad server, pixel, or log file delivery stopped). Check your data source configuration and contact support for assistance.
Q: I see a data gap for a specific time period. Will it fill in?
A: If the gap is in Reports but data exists in Analysis/Explore for the same period, it will likely fill in after the next rollup cycle (within 24 hours). If the gap exists in both Analysis and Reports, the data may not have been delivered from your data source. Check with your ad server provider to confirm log file delivery for that period.
Q: The platform seems slow or a specific module isn't loading. What should I try?
A: First, try refreshing the page. If the issue persists, try clearing your browser cache or using an incognito/private window. If a specific module (like Inspect) isn't loading for a particular data source but works for others, this may be a data-specific issue — contact support.
Still Need Help?
If your question isn't answered here, please contact the Watching That Support team:
Email: support@watchingthat.com
Support Portal: Raise a ticket via our Service Desk