[UA] About Mobile App Postbacks in Analytics [Legacy]

Ping an advertising network when Analytics detects an app install or in-app conversion.
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Postbacks allows Analytics to ping an advertising network when it detects an app install or in-app conversion like a transaction. Postbacks optimize ad serving platforms and provide a valuable feedback loop that helps the entire mobile ads ecosystem.

In this article:

Background

Analytics offers install tracking for mobile apps so you can measure the effectiveness of their campaigns and understand where their users come from.

iTunes does not have an equivalent to Google Play referrals, so developers depend on mobile ad networks to pass the iOS Identifier for Advertising (IDFA) to Analytics to measure install conversion tracking. Analytics has partnered with leading mobile advertising networks to measure app installs, conversions and other goals.

Benefits of Postbacks

  • Helps ad networks optimize their ad campaigns.
  • Results in better quality ads.
  • Delivers more effective CPAs for app developers.
  • Allows developers to optimize their ad spend.

How Postbacks work

  1. User clicks on an install ad campaign promoting app B in app A.
  2. Redirect: ad network populates IDFA and sends client to Analytics. If the user is on Android, Analytics uses the referrer to grab attribution information.
  3. Analytics strips the IDFA and other parameters and redirects the user to the App Store.
  4. User installs and uses app B which uses the Analytics SDK.
  5. Developer sees the App Store install in Analytics.
  6. Analytics sends a postback to the attributed network with the information it needs.

A flow diagram of how Postbacks work

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