At a glance: Learn about the differences in attribution models between Amazon Ads and AppsFlyer.
Overview
As two major players in the mobile user acquisition ecosystem, Amazon Ads and AppsFlyer use distinct attribution models. This may cause discrepancies between Amazon Ads and AppsFlyer dashboards. While we work closely with Amazon Ads to minimize these discrepancies, advertisers need to be aware of potential causes.
Differences in attribution models
The table below describes possible reasons for discrepancies between the Amazon Ads and the AppsFlyer dashboards:
Cause | Amazon Ads Manager | AppsFlyer |
---|---|---|
Click-through attribution lookback window | The default window is 14 days. This currently can’t be configured. | The default window is 7 days. The window can be configured between 1-30 days. Make sure to align with the Amazon Ads attribution window. |
View-through attribution lookback window | The default window is 14 days. This currently can’t be configured. | The default window is 1 day. The window can be configured between 1-14 days. Make sure to align with the Amazon Ads attribution window. |
Multi-channel source attribution | Amazon Ads self-attributes installs regardless of other media sources. | AppsFlyer uses last-click attribution. Learn more about AppsFlyer attribution model. |
Different timezones | Amazon Ads timezone (displayed next to the date range) can't be adjusted. It was configured while creating the ad account. | AppsFlyer's default app timezone is UTC+0. To match the timezone defined in the Amazon Ads, change the timezone set for the app on the app settings page. |
Reducing discrepancies
Although there are differences in attribution models, in some cases, discrepancies can be reduced.
Click-through and view-through attribution
AppsFlyer supports both click-through and view-through attribution. To reduce discrepancies between Amazon Ads and AppsFlyer, ensure that the click-through and view-through lookback windows are consistent with those defined by Amazon Ads.
Example
Suppose the Amazon Ads click-through lookback window is configured on AppsFlyer to 1 day for your app com.greatapp, while on Amazon Ads, it's configured to the default value of 7 days. Users who click Greatapp's ad on Amazon Ads but launch the app for the first time after 2-7 days are attributed as organic users on AppsFlyer, while Amazon Ads self-reports these users