Server-to-server events API for mobile (S2S-mobile)

At a glance: Send events from your servers to AppsFlyer to measure mobile events that occur outside the app.

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Server-to-server events API for mobile

For iOS apps, starting iOS 14, you must send the os (operating system) parameter. 

The AppsFlyer platform attributes and records mobile app events sent by the AppsFlyer SDK and by APIs. Use the S2S API to report events that take place outside the app; for example, a user renews their subscription using your web interface. S2S events, once recorded, are available across the platform, including dashboards, raw data, and analytics. For PBA web events see Web S2S for PBA.

AppsFlyer populates S2S events with:

  • Values sent in the S2S message
  • Some AppsFlyer install attribution values like, install time and media source.

To send events via API, tell your developer to follow their server-to-server events API instructions.

Populating parameters

Difference between organic and non-organic

When AppsFlyer processes S2S in-app events, attribution fields are populated by using the AppsFlyer ID to identify the associated install event that preceded the in-app events.

What this means is that some data that AppsFlyer associates with non-organic S2S in-app events, is not associated with organic S2S in-app events.

 Example

For example, if you compare raw data reports of non-organic and organic S2S in-app events, non-organic events contain data that organic in-app events do not.

Non-organic in-app events include data about the media source, campaign, attributed touch type, and attributed touch time.

Organic in-app events, on the other hand, follow an organic install. Organic installs don't have data related to campaign, media source, attributed touch type, and install time.

Mapping AppsFlyer ID with customer user ID (CUID)

Backend logic is required to obtain values to populate parameter. The following describes how you can get the AppsFlyer ID:

  • The AppsFlyer ID is mandatory and is used to attribute events.
  • It is generated when a user first installs the mobile app.
  • So that you can map your CUID to the AppsFlyer ID, you must set the CUID in the app. 

To make it easier for you to know which user performed which event, implement the flow that follows:

  • Set customer user ID when the user installs the app.
  • AppsFlyer raw data reports contain the CUID and AppsFlyer ID. Use one of the data delivery tools to get this or AppsFlyer Push API. 
  • Use the raw data reports to match the CUID with the AppsFlyer ID. 
  • The AppsFlyer ID is available in the SDK integrated into your app (Android/iOS).
  • Map AppsFlyer ID to customer user ID in your internal systems (important for future use).

Once you map AppsFlyer ID with your CUID, you can match the user to events performed. You can then obtain the other values (event value, event currency, event time, etc.) and send the server to server in-app event.

Fetching the AppsFlyer ID

appsflyer_id is a mandatory parameter in server-to-server event messages. AppsFlyer uses this parameter to attribute the event to the original device and attributed media source. You can get the ID using one of the following methods:

 Tip

When testing S2S messages, if you're using raw data, look for the record with media source "s2s_test". This is your test device and its AppsFlyer Device ID is the ID you need.

Time stamping S2S events

When S2S events arrive in bulk to AppsFlyer, they are timestamped according to their eventTime property values and arrival time. The eventTime property denotes the in-app event occurrence time.

On arrival, events are time-stamped as follows:

  • If the eventTime parameter is not included in the event record, the event time is set to the HTTP message arrival time.
  • Events arriving after 02:00 UTC are stamped with the eventTime value.
  • Events arriving before 02:00 UTC are stamped with the actual arrival time.
  • Events arriving with a future eventTime value (eventTime > arrival time):
    • If the reported eventTime and the arrival time are both on the same calendar day, the event is timestamped with the eventTime value.
    • If the reported eventTime is in the next calendar day, the event is timestamped with the arrival time.

Example

  • An event is sent with eventTime = Monday 21:00.
Arrived to AppsFlyer AppsFlyer timestamp Remark
Tuesday 01:00 Monday 21:00 Arrived before close-of-business. Time is set to the eventTime value.
Wednesday 09:00 Wednesday 09:00 Arrived after close-of-business. Time is set to arrival time.

Sending negative revenue

Events having a negative revenue value can be sent. For example, if a purchase was canceled. The parameter af_revenue can have negative values to record this. 

If you populate af_quantity, you might want to populate it with a negative value depending on your system logic. AppsFlyer doesn't make use of af_quantity.

Troubleshooting

Events aren't displaying in the dashboard

  • Endpoint: Verify that the endpoint used is correct.
  • Verify that the payload contains the mandatory parameters. See here.
  • Ensure that the AppsFlyer ID you are using to fire the event is a real appsflyer_id and is actually installed on the specific app. Not a test ID provided in the documentation. See here.
  • S2S events don't support multi-events in one S2S request. Each event must be sent as a separate event.
    • Events can be sent with asynchronous method to ease response time.
  • In the overview dashboard, the date range relates to the app install date (LTV) and not to the event date.
    • Make sure you select the correct date range.
    • Make sure that the dashboard date range corresponds to the install date of the device (appsflyer_id) and not the date of the event.
  • Event raw data reports: the date range relates to the event date and not the install date. 

Events don't contain revenue

If you send S2S events but their revenue is not recorded, ensure that the JSON that you send is stringified. The most important part is the event value parameter in the JSON. It must be stringified as shown in the example that follows.

"{\"af_revenue\":\"6\" ,\"af_content_type\":\"wallets\"}"

If it is not stringified, then the event value is not processed correctly and revenue is not recorded.

Revenue values must not be formatted in any way. They can contain a decimal point. Don't include currency signs or codes nor , delimiters. The revenue can be prefixed by a -

  • Example valid values are: 123, -123.45123.456 
  • Example Illegal values: 1,234.561,234

Not all fields are populated in S2S events

Raw data fields are populated using the value sent in the S2S call and some fields are populated using the install event. Similar behavior but not identical is observed for in-app events reported using the AppsFlyer SDK. There are some differences, specifically, the following fields are not populated for S2S events:

  • WIFI
  • Operator
  • Language
  • Device Type
  • Device Category
  • App Version: You can use app_version_name
  • App Name