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Troubleshooting

Common errors, frequently asked questions, and solutions for Creator Partnership integrations.

Quick Diagnosis​

SymptomLikely CauseSolution
Role creation returns errorInvalid profile or user IDVerify IDs
Can't see creator's postsMissing "Paid Partnership" labelCheck tagging method
Media ID is invalidUsing wrong ID typeClaim first
Permission denied (403)Wrong admin roleCheck permissions
Ad code returns 404Code expired or revokedRequest new code
Ads not showing partnership labelMissing creator_partnership_typeAdd required field

For step-by-step guides, see:

Role & Partnership Issues​

"My API call to create a role failed"​

Symptoms:

  • HTTP 400 or 404 error on POST /v1/public_profiles/{profile_id}/roles
  • Error message: "Resource not found" or "E3003"

Root Causes:

  1. Invalid profile_id — You're using the wrong Brand profile ID
  2. Invalid inviteeUserId — The creator's User ID is incorrect
  3. Confusing username with User ID — These are different values

Solution:

  1. Verify your Brand's profile_id using /me/public_profiles
  2. Get creator's inviteeUserId (not username) using Creator Discovery
  3. Ensure you're not confusing username with User ID

Verification Checklist:

  • profile_id is your Brand's Public Profile ID
  • inviteeUserId is the creator's internal User ID (UUID format)
  • You're not using the creator's username string as the User ID
  • The creator has a valid Public Profile

See Also: Partnership Setup - Developer Track for the correct API flow

"Duplicate Role" error​

Symptoms:

  • HTTP 409 Conflict
  • Error message: "Duplicate Role" or similar

Root Cause: An active invitation or role already exists for this creator.

Solution:

Check GET /v1/public_profiles/{profile_id}/roles for existing invitations before creating new ones. Look for matching inviteeUserId and check roleStatus.

See Also: Partnership Setup - Developer Track for managing existing roles

Partnership stuck in "PENDING" state​

Symptoms:

  • Role status remains PENDING indefinitely
  • Creator claims they never received invitation

Possible Causes:

  1. Creator hasn't checked notifications — Push notification may have been missed
  2. Creator doesn't know where to approve — UI navigation is not obvious
  3. Notification settings — Creator may have notifications disabled

Resolution Steps:

  1. Direct communication: Contact creator directly and guide them to:

    • Open Snapchat → Profile → Settings (gear icon)
    • Navigate to "Brand & Ad Partnerships" or "Pending Invitations"
    • Find and approve your invitation

  2. Re-send invitation: If creator deleted the notification, you may need to cancel and re-create the role

  3. Set expectations: Inform creators that approval is required before any collaboration can proceed

The API does not provide webhooks for approval events. You must poll the roles endpoint or coordinate with creators directly.

Content Discovery Issues​

"I can't see the creator's posts in shared_snaps"​

Symptoms:

  • GET /v1/public_profiles/{profile_id}/shared_snaps returns empty array
  • Creator confirms they posted content mentioning your brand

Root Causes:

  1. Creator didn't use "Paid Partnership" label — Simple @mentions don't work
  2. Partnership not yet active — Role status is still PENDING
  3. Wrong profile ID — Querying incorrect brand profile

Diagnosis:

Method Creator UsedWill Appear in API?
"Paid Partnership" label tool✅ Yes
@mention in text/caption❌ No
Hashtag (#YourBrand)❌ No
Just verbal mention❌ No

Solution:

  1. Verify partnership status is ACCEPTED
  2. Educate creator on proper "Paid Partnership" label usage
  3. Creator must use the official tool, not @mentions

Creator Instructions to Share:

"When posting content for our partnership, please use the 'Paid Partnership' label feature in Snapchat. After creating your Snap, tap the attachment icon and select 'Paid Partnership,' then search for our brand name. This ensures we can find and boost your content."

See Also: Brand Partnerships - How Creators Tag for detailed creator instructions

Story content returns "Not Found"​

Symptoms:

  • A snap_id that previously worked now returns 404
  • Content was visible in shared_snaps but now isn't

Root Cause: Organic Stories expire after 24 hours unless the creator saves them.

Solution:

  1. Claim content quickly: When you identify content to boost, claim it immediately
  2. Educate creators: Ask them to save Stories to "Memories" or "Saved Stories"
  3. Prefer Spotlight: Spotlight content is permanent and doesn't expire

See Also: Brand Partnerships - Content Requirements for Story expiration details

Media Processing Issues​

"The Media ID is invalid"​

Symptoms:

  • HTTP 400 or 404 when using media_entity_id in creative creation
  • Error: "media_entity_id not found"

Root Cause: Using a snap_id instead of a media_entity_id. These are different:

ID TypeSourceUse In
snap_idshared_snaps response/claim_media input only
media_entity_id/claim_media responseCreative creation

Solution:

  1. Claim first: Call /claim_media with snap_id to get media_entity_id
  2. Wait for processing: Poll until media_status is READY
  3. Use media_entity_id: Pass this to creative creation, not snap_id

See Also: Brand Partnerships - Developer Track for complete claiming workflow

Media stuck in "PENDING_UPLOAD"​

Symptoms:

  • media_status remains PENDING_UPLOAD for extended period
  • Polling shows no progress

Possible Causes:

  1. Large file size — High-resolution videos take longer
  2. Processing queue — System may be under load
  3. Source content issue — Original content may have problems

Solution:

Poll GET /media/{media_id} every 10 seconds with a 60-minute timeout. Check for READY, ERROR, or timeout.

If timeout persists:

  1. Try claiming the content again
  2. Check if the original content is still accessible
  3. Contact support with the media_entity_id for investigation

See Also: Technical Reference - Media Processing Flow for state machine details

Ad Code Issues​

Ad code returns 404​

Symptoms:

  • POST /claim_media_by_ad_code returns HTTP 404
  • Error: "Code not found" or similar

Possible Causes:

  1. Code expired — Creator-set TTL has elapsed
  2. Code revoked — Creator manually invalidated it
  3. Already claimed — Another ad account used the code
  4. Typo in code — Code string is malformed

Diagnosis:

  • Missing adcode_ prefix → Verify exact code from creator
  • 404 error → Code expired, revoked, or already used by another account
  • 409 error → Code already claimed by your account

Resolution: Contact the creator and request a new ad code. There's no way to "refresh" or extend an expired code.

Permission & Authentication Issues​

Permission denied (403) on Roles API​

Symptoms:

  • HTTP 403 Forbidden on partnership-related endpoints
  • Error: "Permission Denied" or "Insufficient permissions"

Root Cause: The OAuth token belongs to a user who has Ad Account access but not Profile Admin access.

Required Permissions:

ActionRequired Role
Create/manage rolesProfile Admin
Claim mediaAd Account Admin
Create creatives/adsAd Account Admin

Solution:

Check /me/public_profiles to verify you have ADMIN role on the target profile. Partnership operations require Profile Admin, not just Ad Account access.

Resolution: Request Profile Admin access from the profile owner, or use credentials for a user who has that access.

Creative & Ad Issues​

Ads not showing "Paid Partnership" label​

Symptoms:

  • Ad is live but doesn't display partnership attribution
  • Potential FTC/disclosure compliance issue

Root Cause: Missing creator_partnership_type field in creative payload.

Solution:

Always include creator_partnership_type field in creative payload:

  • Use BRAND_PARTNERSHIP for organic content boosts
  • Use AD_PARTNERSHIP for ads featuring creator's profile

See Also:

Omitting the partnership label may violate FTC advertising disclosure requirements and platform policies. Always include creator_partnership_type for creator collaboration ads.

Frequently Asked Questions​

Who needs to approve what?​

Flow TypeWho InitiatesWho ApprovesWhat Happens After
Brand PartnershipBrand sends inviteCreator approvesCreator posts & tags → Brand claims
Ad PartnershipBrand sends inviteCreator approvesBrand creates ads with creator profile
Ad CodeCreator generatesN/A (code-based)Brand claims → Brand creates ad

How do I know when a creator has approved?​

Short answer: You must poll the API. There are no webhooks.

Poll GET /v1/public_profiles/{profile_id}/roles/{role_id} every 5-10 minutes and check for roleStatus: "ACCEPTED".

See Also: Partnership Setup - Developer Track

Can I use both partnership types with the same creator?​

Yes. AD_LEVEL includes all BRAND_LEVEL capabilities. If you have AD_LEVEL:

  • Creator can tag your brand in organic posts (Brand Partnership workflow)
  • You can run ads as the creator's profile (Ad Partnership workflow)
  • You can target the creator's audience

You don't need separate BRAND_LEVEL and AD_LEVEL permissions—AD_LEVEL covers both.

What happens when a partnership expires?​

Impact AreaWhat Happens
Active AdsMay pause or be rejected—check delivery_status
New AdsCannot create new ads using this partnership
Claimed MediaAlready-claimed media remains usable
AudiencesCreator-based audiences may become stale

Recommendation: Monitor expires_at timestamps and re-invite creators before expiration to ensure campaign continuity.

Why can't I find a creator's content after they tagged us?​

Run through this checklist:

  1. Partnership active? Status must be ACCEPTED
  2. Correct tagging method? Must use "Paid Partnership" label, not @mention
  3. Content type? Stories expire after 24 hours unless saved
  4. Correct profile ID? Ensure you're querying your brand's profile
  5. Timing? Content may take a few minutes to appear in API

Getting Help​

If you've exhausted this troubleshooting guide:

  1. Collect diagnostics:

    • Request IDs involved (profile_id, role_id, media_id, etc.)
    • Full error response including status code and body
    • Timestamps of when issues occurred

  2. Check API status:

    • Verify there are no ongoing platform incidents

  3. Contact support:

    • Include all diagnostic information collected
    • Describe expected vs. actual behavior
    • Note any recent changes to your integration
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