Setting up an integrated partner

At a glance: Enable attribution recording and postback sending to partners by connecting AppsFlyer to your integrated partners.

Setting up a non-SRN integrated partner

AppsFlyer integrates with your partners by API. This article contains the generic instructions to enable partner integrations and to generate attribution links of non-SRN partners.

This guide is not applicable to SRNs. Use the links that follow to access SRN articles.
Some partners (including non-SRNs) have dedicated articles. To search for these articles:
- In the breadcrumbs, in the header of this article, click Campaign management, to see the list of articles per partner.
- In AppsFlyer, go to Configuration > Integrated partners. Search for a partner, then click Learn how to integrate this partner

SRN dedicated articles

Google Marketing Platform	Apple Search Ads	Google Ads	Snapchat	Facebook	Tencent Social Ads	Yahoo! Search Ads	Verizon Media	Twitter

What you need to to to begin working with a partner:

Set up an account with the partner.
Configure the partner in AppsFlyer according to this guide.
Begin to attribute ad network installs and record post-install events.

Partner types in the ecosystem

Related reading: AppsFlyer Performance Index ranks mobile media sources by category and region.

Integrated partner types
Partner type	Description
Ad networks	Run campaigns on your behalf.
Agencies	Use their expertise to get high-quality users by running campaigns on your behalf. You can have a transparent or non-transparent relationship.
Marketing partners	Marketing partners specialize in working with specific ad networks. Examples: Facebook marketing partners, Apple Search Ads marketing partners, Twitter official ads partners.
Retargeting networks	Ad networks specializing in running retargeting campaigns
Third-party platforms	Provide BI-related services like analytics and marketing automation platforms.
TV attribution	Partners enabling more accurate attribution of new installs to aired TV ads.
Fraud detection	External third-party anti-fraud systems not part of the AppsFlyer Protect360 anti-fraud solution.

The list of AppsFlyer integrated partners is available in the dashboard. Filter the list by partner name or other attributes as described in the section that follows.

Partner list by capability

To search and view the integrated partner list:

In AppsFlyer, go to Configuration > Integrated Partners. Filter and view using the controls in the dashboard.

Partner list display

Partner list display options
Option	Description
A. Text search	Enter text to search for a partner
C. Filters	All integrations - displays all available integrations according to the search text. Active integration - displays active integrations. Active integrations are enabled for attribution, cost, ad revenue, or had at least one attribution link click in the last 7 days. Apple Privacy: Advanced privacy and SKAdNewtork filter Partner capability - display partners according to their capabilities: All View-through Cost Retargeting Audiences Ad revenue Data richness: display all, high, medium, or low data richness levels. Partner type: display partners according to their type.
D. Partner capability	The partner supports ... Cost integration or sends cost data on the attribution link Ad revenue integration Retargeting attribution View-through attribution of installs or retargeting. Audiences connection In the case of iOS apps use the Apple Privacy filter to select: SKAdNetwork integration Advanced Privacy data sharing
E. Data richness	Data richness AppsFlyer allows advertisers to collect a variety of data points. Networks differ in terms of the data points they provide. This impacts the ability of advertisers to analyze and optimize their campaign efforts. To help advertisers choose wisely and for ad networks to grow and improve their product, an algorithm analyses the data types provided by ad networks and calculates a data richness score. The algorithm considers data coverage, accuracy, and granularity. The score values available are high, medium, low, and disabled The analysis is ongoing. When ad networks extend or reduce their capabilities and quality of provided data, their data richness score changes accordingly. When the amount of conversions attributed to the network in the last 7 days is too small the data richness indicator is dimmed. Score components Hover over the data richness badge to see the score components: Campaign data: Like campaign ID, campaign name. Ad & adset data: Like adset ID, adset name, ad ID, ad name, ad type. Publisher data: Like site ID, subsite ID, channel. Related reading: Data richness score calculation for partners.
B. Review and deactivate	If you have active partner integrations that have had no conversions in the previous 30 days a warning displays. Deactivate these partners to prevent data privacy issues.

Select a partner, the individual partner setup page displays. The page consists of the following parts:

Header containing:
- Integrated partner name
- Link to request an introduction to the partner
- Link to a dedicated partner article. If no dedicated article exists, this article displays
- Partner capability badges
Settings tabs: The tabs available depend on the partner type and capabilities
Footer:
- Back to list: Return to the Integrated Partners list using the filtering options selected previously
- Status message: Current status of the tab data (for example, saving, saved, error, there are unsaved changes)
- Discard Changes: Undo the last changes without saving
- Save: Save the settings of the current tab only

Before running campaigns with a newly added partner, test the integration
Mistakes are most likely to occur during setup. Testing in advance avoids the risk of spending considerable resources, only to discover your attribution data is missing or erroneous
Make sure to first test the app for basic SDK integration for organic and non-organic installs

Partner setup page header

Applicable settings tabs per partner type

Setting tabs by partner type
	Settings tab
Partner type	Integration	Permissions	Remarks
Media source	Y	Y	Additional tabs available: Cost, ad revenue, attribution link Includes ad networks, affiliate networks, direct publishers, programmatic advertising, China domestic ad networks, and retargeting Networks. For SRNs the attribution link tab is empty
Agency	N	Y	Stand-alone agencies that don't function as ad networks
Third-party	Y	N	Analytics or marketing automation platforms
Marketing partner	Y	N

Partner settings tabs

To set up attribution with a partner:

In AppsFlyer, go to Configuration > Integrated Partners.
Select an Integrated partner.
Go to the Integration tab.
Complete the required sections as necessary.
For non-SRN ad networks, attribution link parameters are mandatory. See Attribution link tab.
Complete the remaining settings tabs as required.

Integration

Partner integrations differ in their requirements and can contain a subset of all possible options described in this section. There are some differences between iOS and Android settings.

Complete the sections as required.

Integration tab sections

Key

Section

Description

Activate partner

Activate partner: Before sharing attribution links with a partner you must enable Activate partner and complete the remaining sections of the Integration tab.
Don't use Activate partner to pause or turn off campaign attribution
Disabling partner integration can cause irreversible damage to active campaigns.
About partner activation and the impact of deactivating a partner.

To activate an integrated partner:

In AppsFlyer, go to Configurations > Integrated Partners > Integration tab.
Turn on Activate partner.
Click Save Integration.
[Optional] To allow the partner to view the data attributed to them, make sure to turn Ad network permissions in the Permissions tab.

Data sharing settings

Data sharing settings control what data is shared with the partner via postbacks and reports.

For iOS apps the following data sharing options apply:

Enable Advanced Privacy: If on, limits the sharing of user identifiers with the partner. Note that when Aggregated Advanced Privacy toggle is turned on in App Settings, Enable Advanced Privacy is turned on and locked.
Share Transaction ID in SKAdNetwork mode: If on, you allow AppsFlyer to share the transaction ID of SKAdNetwork postbacks with the partner. By doing so. the partner could decode your SKAdNetwork Conversion Values.

General settings

Partner ID—Credentials

Some partners require credentials for us to connect to integrate with them. Partners refer to this ID as app ID, account ID, user ID, or network ID. If this field displays, get the ID from the partner dashboard and enter it in the field.

Enable view-through attribution

If enabled, view-through installs sent by this partner are attributed.

For SRNs this displays the view-through lookback window setting.
For non-SRNs, the setting is available in the attribution link tab, even if it's not enabled. In this case, AppsFlyer disregards any set value set.

Default postbacks

If the partner integration is on, AppsFlyer sends default postbacks relating to user actions like installs, launches, re-engagements, and rejected events.

Rejected events are in-app events blocked by Protect360 or events found to be non-compliant by target validation. In the case of rejected events, confirm with the partner that they have enabled reject event integration with AppsFlyer.

To configure default postbacks for the partner, define the user source that postbacks are sent for:

Select the event source Only events attributed to this partner for partner attributed users only.
Select Events attributed to any partner or organic to have your entire user base reported to the partner.

Agencies, having permission, are limited to selecting Only events attributed to this partner for default postbacks.

In-app event postbacks

Map AppsFlyer events with the partner via postbacks.
If postback sending is enabled, this includes rejected in-app events (events blocked by Protect360 or events found to be non-compliant by target validation rules).

To configure in-app events postback:

Set the Partner ID (if required).
Enable In-app event postback.
Set the In-app event postback window, if required (read more about in-app event postback window configuration).
If available, select whether to send events automatically or manually. Learn more about sending all events as they are.
Click Add event to add an SDK event to the list.
Complete the parameters required.

Parameter name	Description
SDK event name	The name of the event, as received by AppsFlyer either from the SDK integrated in your app or from server-to-server events. Tip: Don't see the event you are looking for? Type in its SDK Event Name, click Create custom, and map normally. Read more about custom event mapping.
Partner event identifier	The unique name or ID of each event as defined on the partner's side. Possible mapping configurations are: Text field: Get the corresponding event ID from the partner. Drop-down box: Select the most suitable pre-defined event for your event. As is: Send the events as they are, without name mapping.
Sending option	Select the sending option for the event: Only events attributed to this partner for events coming only from users attributed to this partner. Events attributed to any partner or organic to have your entire user base available to be reported to the partner.
Send revenue	No values & no revenue: sends only the event itself without the event value. Values & no revenue: sends all the parameters excluding the revenue value. Values & revenue: sends all the event parameters, including the revenue value (if exists in the event).

Remarks:

The SDK event name can either be selected or typed in.
Typed values are permitted to have white spaces before or after the name of the event, in which case they are underlined. Type in spaces ONLY if the event name is being sent from the SDK has the same spaces.
Important: Event names are case-sensitive. To avoid discrepancies, make sure you use the correct event name for all media sources and app versions.
If the In-App Events Postback section doesn't exist in the Integration tab, it means that the partner has not yet set up in-app event recording with AppsFlyer in its preliminary configuration. The partner can contact the AppsFlyer partners team to finish the integration.
To prevent advertisers from sharing too much information with third-party Analytics platforms unintentionally, we have removed the Send all events option for Analytics platforms, as of March 2019. Analytic platforms configured prior to this still retain this setup option.

Related reading: In-app event postbacks configuration.

Save integration

Click Save integration after making changes.

Attribution link

Generate and save attribution links for the use of click (non-SRN) ad networks. Note! SRNs don't implement advertiser-generated attribution links so this tab is not relevant to SRN campaigns.

Generate attribution links to share with the partner. Send the attribution link to the partner to attribute specific campaigns, ad sets, or single ads.

Attribution link parameters

Adding parameters to the attribution link enables you to perform thorough drill-down analyses. Parameters that are already defined on the attribution link can be edited by adding them and their new values here. When saving the attribution link, all the parameters configured in this tab are saved.

Select which parameters you want to add to the attribution link.

Attribution link parameters
Name	Description	Attribution link parameter
Campaign	Compare different campaigns running with the media source.	c
Adset	Compare different ad sets within specific campaigns of the media source.	af_adset
Ad Name	Compare different creatives within specific ad sets within specific campaigns of the media source.	af_ad
Site ID and Sub Site ID	Set Site ID to attribute installs to specific publishers. If there are many publishers, we advise on limiting the number of used site IDs and using the subsite ID parameter, to avoid exceeding the site ID limitations.	af_siteid and af_sub_siteid
Subscriber Parameters	Use any of the 5 subscriber parameters to insert useful values. Note that these parameters get parsed and appear in the raw data report, which makes them very handy for performing data aggregation or filtering.	af_sub1, af_sub2, af_sub3, af_sub4, af_sub5

You can add other parameters to the attribution link by typing it in a new parameter box. You can use all AppsFlyer available URL parameters.

Retargeting settings

When retargeting is on: AppsFlyer recognizes a link as a retargeting attribution link, rather than a user acquisition link, by adding the &is_retargeting=true to the attribution link.
Attribution link parameter: is_retargeting

For retargeting attribution complete the following:

Standard Link vs. OneLink

Select Use a standard attribution link if:
- You don't need to deep link with the URL, or
- Plan to use only URI schemes for deep linking
Select Use OneLink if:
- You want a single link for both Android and iOS apps, or
- You want deep linking capabilities
Note that selecting OneLink changes the click recording link from app specific to a OneLink URL.
URI scheme

Use this field if in addition if you want a URI scheme to open the app. URI schemes are recommended as a fallback method to open the app if Universal Links or App Links fail. If you add a URI scheme here, it overrides any other URI schemes already in your OneLink template settings.
Attribution link parameter: af_dp
Learn more about deep linking solutions.
Re-engagement Window

Set the time period following the re-engagement, where the user's in-app events are attributed to the retargeting media source. You can set the value in days (1-90), hours (up to 23), or even lifetime.

Attribution link parameter: af_reengagement_window

Click-through attribution

Use the setting to set the maximum time from click to install. Only installs (first launches) that take place within the lookback window are attributed.

Permitted range: 1-23 hours or 1-30 days.

Attribution link parameter: af_click_lookback

Learn more about click lookback window.

Click attribution link

This is the attribution link that contains all the setup information you have set for it. You can save the link for future reference by clicking Save attribution link.

To copy the click attribution link:

Click Save attribution link.
Copy the generated link.

Send the link to the partner to be activated when your leads click on a corresponding ad.

View-through attribution lookback window

Set the maximum time from impression to install. Only installs (first launches) that take place within this lookback window, following an ad impression, are attributed to the partner, providing there was no other relevant ad click.

You can customize this value to 1-23 hours or 1-7 days.

Attribution link parameter: af_viewthrough_lookback

Learn more about view-through attribution.

Impressions attribution link

The impression attribution link contains similar attribution data to the click recording link (besides the different lookback window). You can save the link for future reference by clicking Save attribution link.

Click Save attribution link and then copy the generated link.

To copy the impressions attribution link:

Click Save attribution link.
Copy the generated link.

Send it to the partner to be activated when a corresponding ad is watched, usually for 1 second or more.

Cost

Cost data is reported by integrated partners on the click or by Cost API
The best practice is to implement Cost API
Cost API includes clicks and impressions reports

Note

If an advertiser uses an agency to run their campaigns, the agency, and not the advertiser, should integrate with the relevant partners. Otherwise, if both the advertiser and agency integrate with a partner using the same credentials for the same app, cost data is duplicated.

Enabling cost data by API

To enable cost API:

In the integrated partner Cost tab, enable Get Cost Data.
The credentials required to connect to the partner display.
Get the required credentials from the partner dashboard or as directed in the AppsFlyer user interface.
Complete the credential fields.
If the partner cost configuration has Site ID mapping, select the desired site ID configuration from the dropdown.
Click Save Cost.
Click Test Connection.
If the message:
- API connection verified displays, you have successfully completed the procedure. API is active. AppsFlyer collects data from the partner 6 times a day, on average once every four hours
- Invalid Credentials displays, check the credentials, and repeat the procedure
- Something went wrong displays, try again later

Site ID mapping

When reporting cost data, some partner integrations allow you to select how the site ID field populates. This means you can configure the site ID so that it matches the AppsFlyer site ID macros as they are in the attribution link.

By default, site ID mapping is aligned with the AppsFlyer macros in the attribution link
If the attribution link you use has different macros than the site ID mapping options, site ID data will not populate correctly

To select a site ID configuration method:

In the integrated partner Cost tab, go to Site ID mapping, and select a configuration from the dropdown menu.
Click Save Cost.
The change will take effect from the next day UTC. For example, if site ID mapping occurs on Monday, it will be reflected in data from Tuesday UTC.

Cost data sync status

This tab is relevant to networks that provide cost data via API

The cost tab shows the status of your cost integration and the last time AppsFlyer pulled matching cost data.

Last successful data pull

The cost tab displays the last time cost data was pulled. If cost data has never been pulled, the sync message displays Cost Data was never successfully pulled.

Examples

Scenario 1: Stopped campaigns

AppsFlyer pulls cost for several campaigns that you run with ad network A. In the Cost tab, the message Last successful sync 2 hours ago is displayed on the same day you stop running campaigns with ad network A. Two weeks later, the Cost tab displays the message Last successful sync 14 days ago.

Scenario 2: Ad network API issues

AppsFlyer pulls cost for several campaigns that you run with ad network B. The Cost tab displays the message Last successful sync 2 hours ago. Ad network B then experiences issues with their API. It takes them a few hours to fix it. When you look in the cost tab you see the message Last successful sync 8 hours ago.

OAuth networks

OAuth networks (Google, Facebook, and so on) allow you to sync several accounts for pulling cost data. For each synced account, AppsFlyer shows the status of cost integration and the last time AppsFlyer managed to pull matching cost data.

Ad revenue

If you act as a publisher displaying ads in your app, the ad revenue function enables you to attributes ad revenue to the media source that brought the user. About ad revenue attribution.

Enable ad revenue attribution

Check to see which method, aggregate or user-level attribution, the partner supports.
Follow the appropriate method in the ad revenue integration guide.

Ad revenue API status messages

Status	Remarks/action required
Active	The connection is live and pulling data.
No data found to pull.	The connection was successful. The partner did not have any data related to this app.
Partner API not responding. Contact AppsFlyer support.	The partner's server is not responding to AppsFlyer.
Invalid credentials. Enter updated credentials.
Something went wrong. Contact AppsFlyer support.	There is a technical problem. Contact AppsFlyer support.
Partner data not yet ready. If the problem persists, contact AppsFlyer support.
Data is being processed and will be available soon.	We are currently processing the data received from the partner. The data will be available in the dashboards and reports.
Data was never successfully pulled	If this status persists for a further hour contact AppsFlyer support.

Permissions

Enable the partner to perform various actions and to access your data according to the available permissions.
You don't have to have attribution integration enabled with a partner to grant them permissions.
Ad network set up by an agency: When partner setup is performed by an agency, the advertiser can view neither the ad network activation status nor the permissions granted.
If your relationship with the partner is as an agency only, disregard the Ad Network Permissions section and set the Agency Permissions section.

Ad network permissions

To grant permissions to an ad network:

Enable Ad Network Permissions.
- The app appears on the ad network's dashboard.
- Permissions are granted only to the specified ad network.
- The ad network admin can see basic data about the app.
Grant permissions to ad network team members:
- [Default] The ad network admin has access to your app by default.
- To grant specific team members permissions, you need to add them using their email addresses.
  To add a team member:

Select additional permissions to grant to the ad network:

Allow the partner to ...	Capability granted. The partner can ...
Configure integration	Change integration parameters
Configure in-app event postbacks	Create, define, and change postbacks settings. Caution! When this permission and Allow to configure integration are enabled simultaneously: the ad network has access to all attribution events. This includes organic traffic and non-organic traffic from all media sources.
Access retention report	Access the app retention report. They will see only data that relates to their sessions.
Access aggregate loyal users data	Access their own loyal users metric.
Access aggregate conversions data	Access their aggregate conversion events metrics. This includes installs, re-engagements, re-installs, and re-attributions. Example: Aggregated campaign performance for ad networks report.
Access aggregate in-app events data	Access to in-app event data (the partner has access to all in-app events data, including Protect360 in-app events data, not only to the events mapped in the postback configuration). Access ad monetization data which may include ad monetization events from other media sources.
Access aggregate revenue data	Access in-app and ad revenue data attributed to users brought by the ad network. Note: This permission does not directly identify the ad revenue partner. However, if you have set the monetization event name to include the partner name, you may inadvertently disclose the identity of the monetization network.
Use ad spend ingestion	Access the Ad Spend Ingestion window. The Ad Spend Ingestion window displays only the apps they have permission for. Send ad spend files for ingestion.
Access Protect360 dashboard & raw data	Access their Protect360 dashboard (including ProtectLITE). Access raw data if you subscribe to one of the following: Protect 360, Validation rules, or raw data. ProtectLITE doesn't include access to raw data.
Access ad revenue raw data	Access their ad revenue data to use for UA optimization.

Agency permissions

When you grant permission to agencies, they can grant permission to manage your apps to the ad networks they work with. It’s the same as granting permissions to ad networks.
If you work with an ad network, and your agency also works with this ad network, both of you can edit the ad network team members' permission to view the app’s dashboard.
If you see new ad network team members or missing team members that you didn’t add or remove, it’s possible that your agency added or removed them.
Caution: Agency installs occurring while the control is disabled are not attributed to the agency and don't show up on the agency's dashboard and data. Learn more about agency activation.

To grant permissions to an agency:

Enable Agency permissions.

Select the permissions to grant to the agency:

Allow the agency to...	Capability granted. The agency can...
Change Advanced Privacy configuration	Allow the agency to change ad network's Advanced Privacy data sharing setting.
Access Protect360 dashboard & raw data	The agency can access your Protect360 dashboard. Can access raw data if you subscribe to one of the following: Protect 360, Validation rules, or raw data
Access retention and cohort reports	Retention/cohort data created by the users brought by the agency only.
Access aggregate organic data
Access raw-data reports	Get raw data reports relating to traffic attributed to the agency.
Configure in-app event postbacks	Permit the agency to setup in-app event postbacks mapping to itself on the integration tab. Add at least one event. Events Sharing Permissions: This partner only: send only events from the agency's own brought traffic to the app. All media sources, including organic: send events from all sources of your traffic, including other media sources, agencies, and organic users. Allow to send event revenue: Enable to permit the agency to send events including their monetary value. SDK Event Name: Click Add event and pick the event from the drop-down menu. Make sure to select specific events you want to grant the agency permission to.

Learn more about working with agencies.

Regular ad networks, which consist of 99.5% of integrated ad networks, use AppsFlyer attribution links. Similarly for owned media attribution, which is performed by using AppsFlyer custom attribution links.

Since correct attribution depends on the parameters on the attribution links, perform tests before you start to run a campaign with a non-SRN ad network or a custom attribution link.

To test attribution links:

Create an attribution link.
Send the new attribution link to your registered test device (via email or QR code).
Click on the link, make sure you are redirected to the app store.
Install the app.
Launch the app.
Check if the install appears in the AppsFlyer dashboard under the partner's media source name. Allow up to 30 minutes for the install to appear in the dashboard.
Drill down to the campaign level (by selecting the partner in the Media source filter on the top of the overview page) to check the install appears under the correct campaign name.
If necessary, continue to drill down and check the ad set and single ad levels too.

Test SRNs

SRNs such as Facebook, Apple Search Ads, and Google Ads don't rely on external attribution links for attribution purposes. Instead, SRNs receive queries from AppsFlyer, attribute themselves, and return the answer. Therefore, it is not feasible to test the integration separately from the network's system as with regular ad networks. You must separately test the integration with each SRN you work with.

To test SRN integration:

Perform the full SRN setup on AppsFlyer in accordance with the specific partner's setup guide: Facebook, Google Ads, Twitter, Apple Search Ads, Snapchat.
Run a new low-budget campaign with the SRN partner.
When the partner dashboard displays new installs check if they appear in the AppsFlyer dashboard under the partner's media source name.
In the Overview dashboard, drill down to the campaign level, by selecting the partner in the Media Source Filter, to check that the install appears under the correct campaign name. Allow up to 30 minutes for the install to appear in the dashboard.
If necessary, continue to drill down to check the adset and single ad levels.

If all is well you can start running new high-budget campaigns with the partner. It is sufficient to test integration once per SRN partner. Meaning, there's no need to test on a per campaign basis.

Testing with raw data

Raw data is where you can find the hidden gems of your marketing efforts. If your subscription plan includes access to raw data, you should test raw data.

To test raw data:

After performing the test mentioned previously, go to Reports > Export Data.
Select the tested media source.
Allow up to 15 minutes from the install and then download the Installs report.
Check the install records from the partner exist and include parameters such as the media source, campaign name, touch time and type, device ID (IDFA or Advertising ID), agency name (called "Partner" in the report), and so on.

Important!

Some ad networks require special actions to enable the collection of raw user-level data.

If you see a new install on the dashboard but don't see it in the raw data, consult the specific Help Center guide for the ad network, for example, Facebook, Twitter.