Testing

Before submitting extension data to CJ, validate your file structure and content locally. This page covers how to check your file for common errors, how to interpret the Receipt and Results emails CJ sends after each submission, and how to resolve the rejection reasons most specific to extension files.

Step 1: Validate Your File Structure

Open your file in a plain text editor before submitting. Check each of the following:

Header validation

Confirm your header contains the required CID and SUBID fields. For all delimited formats, header field names must be prefixed with & (for example, &CID=2539845). Verify that:

• The CID matches your advertiser account number.
• The SUBID matches the Subscription ID provided by CJ for extension data transfers (not an action data or correction data subscription ID).
• If you are using a non-default character encoding, &ENCODING= is present in the header and the value matches the actual encoding of the file.

Body record validation

For each record, confirm:

• At least one of tid or oid contains a value. A record with both fields empty will be rejected.
• Both the tid and oid field positions are present in every record, even when one is empty. The field order is always tid first, then oid.
• The oid, if present, contains no personally identifiable information such as an email address.
• If you are using OID-only records, verify that each OID maps to a single unique transaction. Duplicate OIDs across multiple transactions will cause incorrect matching.

Transaction state verification

Cross-reference your TID and OID list against the current transaction states in CJ Account Manager before submitting. Any record referencing a LOCKED or CORRECTED transaction will be rejected. Catching these before submission avoids a round trip through the Results email.

Delimiter and encoding validation

• Confirm that no line ends in trailing whitespace, commas, or pipes.
• For CSV files exported from Excel, open the file in a text editor and confirm that no trailing commas appear at the end of header lines. Remove them manually if present.
• If you specified a non-default encoding, verify the ENCODING header field matches the actual encoding used in the file.

Step 2: Test with a Small File First

Before submitting a full production batch, build a minimal test file with three to five records covering each placeholder scenario you plan to use: one record with both TID and OID, one with TID only, and one with OID only. Use real TID and OID values from transactions currently in a NEW or ACCEPTED state.

This confirms that your subscription is active, your file structure is correct, and the field positioning is recognized by CJ before you commit to a full batch.

Step 3: Submit Your File and Confirm Receipt

Transfer your file to CJ using the delivery method specified in your extension data subscription. After the file is received, CJ sends a Receipt email to the email address associated with your advertiser account.

The Receipt email confirms the file was accepted for queuing. It does not mean the records have been validated or processed. If you do not receive a Receipt email within a reasonable period:

• Open the file in a text editor and check for trailing commas at the end of header lines (common in CSV files exported from Excel). A file with malformed headers will not generate a Receipt email.
• Confirm the file was delivered to the correct location specified in your subscription.
• Confirm the SUBID in the header matches your extension data subscription, not a different subscription type.
• Contact your CJ account representative if the issue persists.

Step 4: Review the Results Email

After processing completes, CJ sends a Results email summarizing the outcome of each record. Review this email to identify any rejected records and their rejection reasons.

Common rejection reasons for extension data files and how to resolve them:

Transaction not found CJ could not match the TID or OID in the record to a transaction in your account. Verify that the TID or OID is correct and that the transaction exists in your account. If using OID, confirm it is an exact match to the Order ID on the original transaction.

Transaction state ineligible The transaction identified by this record is in a LOCKED or CORRECTED state and cannot be extended. Verify the current state of the transaction in CJ Account Manager. If the transaction has already been locked for payment, extension is no longer possible.

Both TID and OID missing The record contains empty values in both the tid and oid field positions. At least one must contain a value. Correct the record to include a valid TID or OID and resubmit.

Non-unique OID An OID-only record matched more than one transaction in your account. If you are using OID without TID, each OID must correspond to a single unique transaction. Switch to using TID for these records, or investigate why the OID appears on multiple transactions.

Encoding error A character in the file falls outside the encoding specified in the header, or a non-default encoding was used but not declared with &ENCODING= in the header. Re-export the file with the correct encoding and add the encoding header field if necessary.

Missed deadline The file was received after the 10th of the current month. Prior-month transactions that were not extended by the deadline cannot be extended retroactively. Contact your CJ account representative to discuss available options.

Step 5: Confirm Extensions in CJ Account Manager

After the Results email confirms your records processed successfully, log in to CJ Account Manager and verify that the affected transactions reflect the extended correction window. If an expected extension does not appear within the normal processing timeframe, contact your CJ account representative with the TID or OID and the file submission date.