Troubleshoot MSN media, video, and inline embed errors
Embedding images, video, or social content incorrectly can result in broken displays, ingestion failure, or limited exposure on MSN. This page addresses common issues related to media formatting, syndication rights, and supported embed types.
Why aren’t my images appearing on MSN?
Images must be embedded in the article using either <img> tags with valid src URLs or <media:content> in RSS/ATOM. URLs must be absolute and in supported formats like JPG, PNG, or WebP. Images without syndication rights must be properly flagged.
Do I need syndication rights for images to auto-publish?
Yes. If you don’t have syndication rights, you must set HasSyndicationRights=false and include the image licensor name. Otherwise, omit the image to avoid rejection.
What is the required image size and format for ingestion?
Images should be at least 720px wide and under 15MB in size. Thumbnail images must be at least 1200x624px (1.91:1 ratio) and under 2MB.
Why is my video failing to ingest?
Ensure the video is in a supported format (MP4, AVI, WMV, M4V) and has a valid file extension. Videos must be at least 10 seconds long and under 2GB. Videos without proper metadata or hosted on unsupported platforms (e.g., Dropbox) may fail.
Why is my video not displaying in the MSN Player?
Only 1PP videos hosted on MSN via MRSS or the Video Uploader Tool are rendered in the MSN Player and distributed to Watch. YouTube embeds use <iframe> and only appear in article feeds.
Important
Due to recent platform changes on YouTube’s side, MSN cannot currently moderate YouTube embeds. As a result, all YouTube 3PP videos submitted through feeds or article HTML will be rejected during ingestion. This issue affects a small portion of global content, but partners should avoid using YouTube embeds until further notice. We will update this guidance once support is restored.
Can I use <media:content> and inline <img> tags together?
Yes, but if the src URL matches, the image is ingested once and placed based on the <img> tag. <media:content> metadata takes precedence.
Why is my slideshow not displaying correctly?
Slideshows must have a minimum of 4 slides (2 in some regions), each with valid image metadata. For inline HTML slideshows, use <div class="slideshow"> with <figure> tags. For MRSS, use <media:group> with <media:content>.
What are the supported social media embeds?
MSN supports embeds from X, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Infogram, Spotify, Flourish, Google Maps, Giphy, Reddit, and TikTok. Always use HTTPS and the default embed code from the source site.
Why is my video thumbnail not displaying?
Video thumbnails must be included for 3PP videos (except YouTube) and meet size and format requirements (JPG, PNG, GIF; 150x150px minimum). GIFs cannot be used as thumbnails.
Why does my inline embed get stripped out?
Only specific tags are supported in the body field. Disallowed tags like <style>, <script>, <object>, or custom embed code will be removed during ingestion. Ensure embeds follow documented formats.