App attribution sharing is an automatically enabled feature that optimizes your app install campaigns by allowing them to separately attribute and track post-install conversions shared with app engagement and app deep linked campaigns. These campaigns will continue to receive individual attribution.
Until now, only last-click attribution models were available for App campaigns. Because of last-click attribution, App campaigns for install (ACi) models did not get access to further post-install events that got attributed to other campaigns, such as App campaigns for engagement (ACe), even if those conversions were within the ACi campaign’s conversion windows. This caused the ACi models to undercount post-install events that would have been attributed to ACi campaigns.
The same goes for App campaigns for pre-registration (ACpre) and ACi campaigns as both campaigns contribute to and report on install conversions. For example, if you run an ACi campaign after an ACpre campaign, some install conversions that clicked on both an ACpre and ACi ad will only be attributed and reported in the ACi campaign. Since the install attribution window for ACpre campaigns is 90 days, the ACpre campaign should also be credited with the installs.
In short, app attribution sharing enables install and non-install campaigns (for example, pre-registration, engagement, and app deep linked campaigns) to share attribution for conversions, and allows you to track how many total conversions were counted between both campaigns.
Benefits
Attribution sharing for App campaigns allows complete attribution for all campaigns running under the same account. In particular, it helps with the following:
- It ensures that both install and non-install campaigns’ AI gets the proper attribution needed for campaign optimization.
- It allows tracking how many conversions were counted across both ACi and ACe campaigns running in the same account.
- It minimizes conversions lost for the ACi models due to last-click attribution.
- It provides accurate reporting on installs when ACi campaigns run after ACpre campaigns.
Reporting
Participated in-app actions
From the “Campaign” page, you can find these reported attributions in the “Participated in-app actions” column, which is added by default to your performance columns. In this column, you’ll find the total number of post-install conversions that each App campaigns for installs campaign drove. These include the conversions “shared” with non-install campaigns. You’ll also find the average cost of a participated in-app action in the “Cost/Participated in-app actions” column. Each campaign type also receives individual attribution for in-app actions, so that you can view the reporting for each campaign type.
Follow the steps below to disable app attribution sharing for Participated in-app actions:
- In your Google Ads account, click the Goals icon
.
- Click the Conversions drop down in the section menu.
- Click Settings.
- Expand the “App attribution sharing” section.
- Uncheck the box next to “Share in-app conversion attribution across app install, re-engagement, and deep linked campaigns”.
- Click Save.
Participated Installs
From the “Campaign” page, you can find these reported attributions in the “Participated Installs” column, which is added by default to your performance columns. In this column, you’ll find the total number of installs that each App campaigns for installs campaign drove. These include the installs “shared” between pre-registrations and install campaigns. Each campaign type also receives individual attribution for installs, so that you can view the reporting for each campaign type.
Follow the steps below to disable app attribution sharing for Participated Installs:
- In your Google Ads account, click the Goals icon
- Click the Conversions drop down in the section menu.
- Click Settings.
- Expand the “App attribution sharing” section.
- Uncheck the box next to “Share install conversion attribution across app install and pre-registration campaigns”.
- Click Save.
