Android SDK integration guide for marketers

You can send revenue with any in-app event. Make sure you use the af_revenue parameter to include revenue. It is the only event parameter that AppsFlyer counts as real revenue on the raw data and dashboard. For more details click here.

For developer instructions, see logging revenue.

The AppsFlyer SDK provides server verification for in-app purchases. Validating an in-app purchase automatically sends an in-app purchase event to AppsFlyer. Sending this event yourself creates duplicate event reporting.

If your app belongs to a vertical such as travel, gaming, or eCommerce, see our list of recommended in-app events per vertical.

For users without your app installed, OneLink detects the device type and redirects them to the correct destination (for example, Google Play, Apple App Store, third-party app store, or web page). This is based on your OneLink template settings. Learn more

For users with your app installed, OneLink opens the app. In addition to opening the app, you can also deep link users to a specific activity or page within the app. This requires your developer to implement Unified Deep Linking (UDL).

Note:

• UDL requires SDK V6.1+.
• Customers already using OneLink for deep linking may be using the legacy method, instead of UDL.

See our guide on setting up deep linking with OneLink.

For users without your app installed, OneLink detects the device type and redirects them to the correct destination: Google Play, Apple App Store, third-party app store, or web page. Once the user launches the app, you can use deferred deep linking to redirect them to a specific activity or page within the app.

This requires your developer to implement Unified Deep Linking (UDL).

Note:

• UDL requires SDK V6.1+.
• Customers already using OneLink for deferred deep linking might be using the legacy method, instead of UDL.

See our guide on deferred deep linking to learn more.

AppsFlyer supports the measurement of push notification campaigns from all vendors and can also support developers who use Google Cloud Messaging or Apple push notification services directly. The conversions, defined as app opens originating from push notification messages, display in the Retargeting dashboard.

You can use OneLink to measure user re-engagement via push notifications. See our guide on measuring push notification re-engagement campaigns.

With AppsFlyer, you can attribute installs for out-of-store Android apps. This allows you to promote your apps and reach larger audiences in markets where Google Play is not available

For more details on how to attribute installs for out-of-store apps, read here.

In pre-install campaigns, app owners can ask device manufacturers to pre-install their apps on devices before they leave the factory.

With AppsFlyer, you can easily attribute installs of pre-installed apps. When users launch your app for the first time, AppsFlyer attributes the install to the manufacturer as a media source.

For details, click here.

To learn how to set up uninstall measurement, read here.

If you want to receive a confirmation that the request was successfully received by the AppsFlyer servers, implement the AppsFlyerRequestListener listener.

The onRequestSuccess() callback method is invoked for every 200 response to an attribution request made by the SDK.

The onRequestFailure(String error) callback method is invoked for any other response and returns the response as the error string.

Implementation example

AppsFlyerLib.getInstance().start(getApplicationContext(), "devKey", new AppsFlyerRequestListener() {
            @Override
            public void onSuccess() {
                Log.d(LOG_TAG, "Launch sent successfully, got 200 response code from server");
            }
            @Override
            public void onError(int i, @NonNull String s) {
                Log.d(LOG_TAG, "Launch failed to be sent:\n" +
                                "Error code: " + i + "\n"
                                + "Error description: " + s);
            }
        });

AppsFlyerLib.getInstance().start(this, "devKey", object : AppsFlyerRequestListener {
            override fun onSuccess() {
                Log.d(LOG_TAG, "Launch sent successfully")
            }
            override fun onError(errorCode: Int, errorDesc: String) {
                Log.d(LOG_TAG, "Launch failed to be sent:\n" +
                        "Error code: " + errorCode + "\n"
                        + "Error description: " + errorDesc)
            }
        })

In the event that an error occurs during the request listener, an error code and string description are provided, as indicated in the table that follows.

The setAdditionalData API allows you to add custom data to events sent from the SDK. Typically it is used to integrate on the SDK level with several external partner platforms, including Segment, Adobe, and Airship.

setAdditionalData code example:

HashMap<String,Object> CustomDataMap = new HashMap<>();
CustomDataMap.put("custom_param_1","value_of_param_1");
AppsFlyerLib.getInstance().setAdditionalData(CustomDataMap);

val customDataMap = HashMap<String, Any>()
customDataMap.put("custom_param_1","value_of_param_1")
AppsFlyerLib.getInstance().setAdditionalData(customDataMap)

App owners using App Links for deep linking (without OneLink), and have a domain associated with their app can attribute sessions initiated via this domain using the appendParametersToDeepLinkingURL method.

For example, a user searches Google and clicks on your domain, www.example.com:

• If the user doesn’t have the app installed, they are directed to the website (www.example.com).
• If the user has the app installed on their device, they are deep linked into the app associated with www.example.com. The session is attributed to the media source (pid parameter) specified in appendParametersToDeepLinkingURL.

See the Android SDK reference for additional information.

Note: Smart Banners help app owners convert website visitors to app users.

By default, at least 5 seconds must pass between two app launches to count as two separate sessions (more about counting sessions).

Use the following API to set the minimum time between sessions:

AppsFlyerLib.setMinTimeBetweenSessions(int seconds);

Setting a high value to the custom time between launches may badly impact APIs relying on session data, such as deep linking.

You can report new user sessions using this SDK method. For example, this may be handy for utility apps that run in the background.

Use this API in your activity’s onCreate():

public void logSession(Context context);

Usage Example:

AppsFlyerLib.getInstance().logSession(context);

Some 3rd party services such as email service providers wrap links in emails with their own click recording domains. Some even allow you to set your own click recording domains. If OneLink is wrapped in such domains, it might limit its functionality.

To overcome this issue you can use the setResolveDeepLinkURLs API. Use this API to get the OneLink from click domains that launch the app. Make sure to call this API before SDK initialization.

For example, you have 3 click domains that redirect to your OneLink which is https://mysubdomain.onelink.me/abCD. Use this API to get the OneLink that your click domains redirect to. This API method receives a list of domains that the SDK resolves. Add the following code before SDK initialization.

AppsFlyerLib.getInstance().setResolveDeepLinkURLs("clickdomain.com", "myclickdomain.com", "anotherclickdomain.com");

The code above allows you to use your click domain while preserving OneLink functionality. The click domains are responsible for launching the app. The API, in turn, gets the OneLink from these click domains, then you can use the data from this OneLink to deep-link and customize user content.

With AppsFlyer, you can record push notifications as part of retargeting campaigns.

To enable this feature, call the sendPushNotificationData method inside the onCreate method of every activity that is launched after clicking the notification:

AppsFlyerLib.getInstance().sendPushNotificationData(this);

For more information on push notification measurement, read here.

Allowing your existing users to invite their friends and contacts as new users to your app, can be a key growth factor for your app. With AppsFlyer, you can attribute and record installs that originate from user invites within your app.

For details, see the User Invite Attribution article.

An AppsFlyer ID is created for every new install of an app. You can use AppsFlyer ID for various purposes:

• Send server-to-server in-app events.
• Match AppsFlyer ID with user records in your backend systems.
• Map entries when merging data from pull and push APIs.

Use the following API to obtain AppsFlyer ID:

public String getAppsFlyerUID(Context context);

Usage example:

String appsFlyerId = AppsFlyerLib.getInstance().getAppsFlyerUID(this);

To set your Customer User ID:

public void setCustomerUserId(String id);

Usage example:

AppsFlyerLib.getInstance().setCustomerUserId("myId");

We recommend setting the Customer User ID early in the app's flow, as it is only associated with events reported after its setup:

• If setCustomerUserId is called before calling start, the Customer User ID appears in the raw data reports for installs and for events.
• If it is set after, the Customer User ID is only associated with events that are recorded after setting the Customer User ID.

To avoid setting the Customer User ID value again beyond the first launch, and to reduce calls to your server to get the customer user ID, you can check if its value is empty or not by using:

AppsFlyerProperties.getInstance().getString(AppsFlyerProperties.APP_USER_ID)

For more information about the Customer User ID, click here.

You can delay the SDK Initialization until the customerUserID is set.

To indicate that the SDK should delay initialization for the Customer User ID call:

AppsFlyerLib.getInstance().waitForCustomerUserId(true);

immediately before the init() method. The rest of the SDK initialization should remain unchanged.

Once the customerUserID has been provided, call

AppsFlyerLib.getInstance().setCustomerIdAndLogSession("customer_id", this);

to provide the SDK with the relevant Customer User ID and start the SDK.

The code should appear as follows:

public class AFApplication extends Application {
  private static final String AF_DEV_KEY = "qrdZGj123456789";
  @Override
  public void onCreate() {
    super.onCreate();
    AppsFlyerConversionListener conversionDataListener = 
    new AppsFlyerConversionListener() {
      ...
    };
    AppsFlyerLib.getInstance().waitForCustomerUserId(true);
    //WARNING! Removing above line doesn't cancel its effect.
    // Replace with this to stop waiting for CUID:
    // AppsFlyerLib.getInstance().waitForCustomerUserId(false);
    AppsFlyerLib.getInstance().init(AF_DEV_KEY, getConversionListener(), getApplicationContext());
    AppsFlyerLib.getInstance().start(this);
    // Do your magic to get the customerUserID
    // ...
    // any AppsFlyer SDK code invoked here will be discarded
   //Call the following API once the customerUserID is available:
 AppsFlyerLib.getInstance().setCustomerIdAndLogSession("customer_id", this);
  }
}

class AFApplication: Application() {
 private val afDevKey = ""

 override fun onCreate() {
  super.onCreate()
  val conversionDataListener = object: AppsFlyerConversionListener {
   ...
  }
  AppsFlyerLib.getInstance().waitForCustomerUserId(true);
  //WARNING! Removing above line doesn't cancel its effect.
  // Replace with this to stop waiting for CUID:
  // AppsFlyerLib.getInstance().waitForCustomerUserId(false);
  AppsFlyerLib.getInstance().init(afDevKey, conversionDataListener, this)
  AppsFlyerLib.getInstance().start(this)
  // Do your magic to get the customerUserID
  // ...
  // any AppsFlyer SDK code invoked here will be discarded
  // Call the following API once the customerUserID is available:
  AppsFlyerLib.getInstance().setCustomerIdAndLogSession("customer_id", this)
 }
}

To learn more about delaying the SDK initialization until the Customer User ID is available, go here.

From SDK Version 4.8.0 AppsFlyer automatically collects the google_advertising_id.

The requirement to collect the Google Advertising ID is only relevant for SDK versions 4.7.X and below.

At least one unique device identifier must be collected to enable attribution. The following identifiers are available: GAID, Android ID, IMEI, and OAID.

GAID - Google Advertising ID

Collected automatically from apps that contain Google Play Services. If GAID is available IMEI and Android ID should NOT be collected by the app to avoid violation of the Google Play policy.

IMEI and Android ID

Disabled by default. Can be collected ONLY for apps that do NOT contain Google Play Services.
Note: Starting with Android 10 (API level 29), released in late 2019, access to the IMEI parameter is restricted.

To send these IDs to AppsFlyer:

1. On app open collect the device IMEI and/or Android ID.
2. Call the following APIs BEFORE calling the start method:
   

   AppsFlyerLib.getInstance().setImeiData("IMEI_HERE");
   AppsFlyerLib.getInstance().setAndroidIdData("ANDROID_ID_HERE");

OAID - Open Advertiser Identifier

Guide to implementing OAID

Opting out of device ID collection

Developers can opt-out of collecting IMEI, Android ID, and OAID by using the following APIs: 

AppsFlyerLib.getInstance().setCollectIMEI(false);
AppsFlyerLib.getInstance().setCollectAndroidID(false);
AppsFlyerLib.getInstance().setCollectOaid(false);

In some extreme cases, you might want to shut down all SDK logging due to legal and privacy compliance. This can be achieved with the stop API. Once this API is invoked, the SDK stops functioning and no longer communicates with AppsFlyer servers.

AppsFlyerLib.getInstance().stop(true, getApplicationContext());

AppsFlyerLib.getInstance().stop(true, applicationContext);

There are several different scenarios for user opt-out. We highly recommend following the exact instructions for the scenario, that is relevant for your app.

The SDK can be reactivated by calling:

AppsFlyerLib.getInstance().stop(false, getApplicationContext());
AppsFlyerLib.getInstance().start(getApplicationContext(), <AF_DEV_KEY>);

AppsFlyerLib.getInstance().stop(false, applicationContext);
AppsFlyerLib.getInstance().start(applicationContext, <AF_DEV_KEY>);

Do not call start if stop is set to true. You can check the current state of the SDK by calling:

AppsFlyerLib.getInstance().isStopped() // returns true if SDK is stopped, false otherwise

AppsFlyerLib.getInstance().isStopped // returns true if SDK is stopped, false otherwise

Use this API during the SDK Initialization to explicitly anonymize a user's install, events, and sessions:

public void anonymizeUser(boolean isDisabled);

Usage example:

AppsFlyerLib.getInstance().anonymizeUser(true);

Logging can be restarted by calling anonymizeUser set to false.

In some cases, advertisers may want to stop sharing user-level data with ad networks/partners for specific users. Reasons for this include: 

• Privacy policies such as CCPA or GDPR
• User opt-out mechanisms
• Competition with some partners (ad networks, 3rd parties)

AppsFlyer provides two API methods to stop sharing data with some or all partners:

• setSharingFilter: Used by advertisers to set some (one or more) networks/integrated partners to exclude from getting data.
• setSharingFilterForAllPartners: Used by advertisers to exclude all networks/integrated partners from getting data.

These filtering methods are supported as of SDK V5.4.1.

The filtering method must be called every time the SDK is initialized and affects the whole session. If it takes time to determine whether you need to set the sharing filters, then delay the SDK initialization. 

When the method is activated before the first start call:

• Users from SRNs are attributed as Organic, and their data is not shared with integrated partners.
• Users from click ad networks (non-SRNs) are attributed correctly in AppsFlyer, but not shared with the ad networks via postbacks, APIs, raw data reports, or by any other method.

Currently, uninstall data can't be filtered using these methods. However, you can stop sending Uninstall events to partners using their setup pages in AppsFlyer.