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

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.

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.

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:

• From the mobile device by calling the AppsFlyer SDK API:
  Android nativeiOS nativeUnityReact Native

  getAppsFlyerUID

  getAppsFlyerUID

  getAppsFlyerId

  getAppsFlyerUID

• From the AppsFlyer platform using one of the following: Pull API, Push API, Export raw data installation.

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 before 02:00 UTC are stamped with the eventTime value. Meaning, for events to be stamped with the eventTime, they must be reported either on the day of the event, or the following day until 02:00 UTC.
• Events that took place the previous day or earlier, arriving after 02:00 UTC, are stamped with the arrival time (the time of the API call).
• 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 on the next calendar day, the event is timestamped with the arrival time.
• Events with invalid eventTime Value are stamped with the HTTP message arrival time.

Example

• An event is sent with eventTime = Monday 21:00.

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.

• 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 related to an actual app install. 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. 

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, -123.45, 123.456 
• Example Illegal values: 1,234.56, 1,234

Raw data fields are populated exclusively with the values sent in the S2S call (unlike postback fields, which can be populated with values originating from the install event).

The following fields cannot be reported through the S2S API, and therefore are not populated for S2S events in raw data reports:

• WIFI
• Operator
• Language
• Device Model
• Device Category
• App Version: You can use app_version_name
• App Name
• User Agent

S2S events, such as login events, can arrive at AppsFlyer as soon as the app is installed and the SDK is started. However, if these S2S in-app events arrive before AppsFlyer completes the processing of the install event, which generally takes 20-30 seconds or more, they may be marked as unattributed organic events.

We recommend introducing a short delay before reporting S2S in-app events that occur immediately after the install to our servers.