If you’re working with Ringba’s Real-Time Bidding (RTB) system, you already know how powerful it can be. To get the most out of it, it helps to understand exactly how it works and what happens when something goes wrong. This article walks you through how RTB functions, the most common error codes, and how to resolve them effectively.

Note: This article is for Buyers in Ringba X. If you are a Seller wanting to learn about RTB error codes, see For Sellers: Understanding Ringba RTB Error Codes.

This article contains the following sections:

• How RTB Works in Ringba
• Common RTB Error Codes
  • High-level view of common RTB errors
  • In-depth look at RTB rate-limiting errors (1024, 1025, 1026)
  • Final tips for avoiding rate-limiting errors
• Monitoring and Resolving RTB Issues
• Need Help?

How RTB Works in Ringba

Ringba’s RTB system lets you, as a buyer, compete for live calls in milliseconds. Here's how the process works:

• A campaign is set up with RTB mode enabled and configured with bid modifiers, filters, and routing options.
• Publishers send bid requests in real time, including data such as Caller ID, tags, and geo-location.
• Ringba matches each request against your parameters and filters.
• Your account responds with a bid or pass.
• The winning bid receives the call in real time.
• If something doesn’t match (such as filters or campaign status), Ringba returns an error code explaining why. 

Common RTB Error Codes

Below are the most common RTB error codes from Ringba, what they mean, and how to resolve them. For full details, visit RTB Error Codes in the Ringba User Knowledgebase.

High-level view of common RTB errors

This table summarizes the most common RTB error codes and what they mean. You can see the most common causes for each error and know how to address them.

In-depth look at RTB rate-limiting errors (1024, 1025, 1026)

Rate-limiting errors occur when your Ringba RTB activity exceeds system thresholds or sends duplicate requests too quickly. These safeguards exist to maintain system stability and prevent excessive or redundant bidding activity. Below is a simple breakdown of what each rate-limiting error means, why it happens, and how to fix it — even if you’re not technical.

Error 1024 – Rate-Limited

Meaning: You're receiving more bid requests than your campaign or account is allowed within a specific time window (per minute, hour, or day).

Why It Happens:

• Too many RTB requests sent at once.
• Retry loops or system resubmissions flooding the API.
• Instant Caller Profile (ICP) processing limits exceeded.
• Campaign rate-limit settings too restrictive.

How to Fix It (Step-by-Step):

If your rate limits are too restrictive, you can increase them:

1. navigate to Ringba Dashboard > Campaign Settings and click the RTB tab.
2. Review the Rate Limit per Minute/Hour/Day. If consistently hitting limits, increase slightly — but don’t remove limits entirely.

If you are using Instant Caller Profile, verify whether you need to enable it for every request.

Contact your Ringba account manager if you are scaling volume and hitting caps frequently.

Error 1025 – Ringba Rate-Limited

Meaning: Multiple bids with the same Publisher RTB ID, Caller ID, and tag combo are being processed simultaneously — you’re sending duplicates too quickly.

Why It Happens:

• The system sends multiple bids for the same call before the first one finishes.
• The retry logic lacks a delay timer.
• Multiple endpoints or integrations are sending duplicate requests.

How to Fix It (Step-by-Step):

This error must be address at a different part of the process. Contact Support so they can investigate the issue.

Error 1026 – Ringba Pool Rate-Limited

Meaning: Your account already has four active bids in progress for the same Caller ID. Ringba will block any new bids for that Caller ID until one clears.

Why It Happens:

• You’re attempting to bid on the same Caller ID across multiple campaigns.
• Older bids haven’t yet expired.
• System continuously sends new bids before existing ones are resolved.

How to Fix It (Step-by-Step):

1. Remember: Ringba allows only four active bids per Caller ID. Wait for one to expire before retrying.
2. Set bid expiration (TTL) reasonably low so slots open sooner.
3. Review logs to identify repeated Caller IDs causing 1026 errors.

Final tips for avoiding rate-limiting errors

Use these best practices to prevent errors related to rate-limiting:

• Pace bid requests evenly to prevent bursts.
• Always include retry delays instead of instant re-submissions.
• Track Caller IDs, timestamps, and bid counts in your logs.
• Check your RTB Rate Limit settings regularly.
• Work with your Ringba account manager to safely raise limits as you scale volume.

Monitoring and Resolving RTB Issues

To improve your RTB performance and avoid recurring issues, follow these steps:

• Review Bid Details in your Ringba dashboard to identify error codes and rejection reasons.
• Filter reports by error code to see which issues occur most frequently.
• Use the error table above to diagnose root causes and apply fixes.
• Re-test bids after adjustments to confirm the issue is resolved.
• Coordinate with dev teams or vendors for 3rd-party enrichment or rate-limit issues.
• Always verify: 
  • The campaign is active.
  • RTB is enabled.
  • The tags match the requirements.
  • The target has available capacity.
  • CID is formatted correctly. 
  • Rate limits are in place.

Need Help?

If you need help troubleshooting RTB errors, our team can review your campaign setup, logs, and bid configurations to help optimize your win rate and routing performance. Contact us at support@ringba.com or reach out to your account manager for a review session.