At a glance: Activate or deactivate partner integrations, allowing or denying getting data and performing actions for the different features.
Active partner integrations
An active integration means that at least one of the integration features (see table below) in the partner configuration page is turned on, regardless of the state of the Activate partner toggle. Each feature in any of the integration tabs runs individually.
To get to the partner integration page of the currently selected app:
- Go to Configuration > Active Integrations and click the partner tile.
Level of activity
A green or orange dot on the left of the partner logo of an active partner integration indicates their level of activity in the currently selected app:
- Green dot: When at least one partner integration of the currently selected app had conversions in the last 30 days.
- Orange dot: When all partner integrations of the currently selected app had no conversions for 30 days or more.
To prevent data privacy issues, it's recommended to deactivate these integrations.
Integration features
| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| Integration tab > Activate partner |
Enables conversions to be attributed and postbacks to be sent to partners |
| Cost tab (when applicable) |
Enables getting data on cost, clicks, and impressions for your campaigns, adsets, ads, and geos/countries |
| Ad revenue | Enables getting data on revenue from your ads |
| SKAN tab (when applicable) | Enables getting SKAN postbacks from partners |
|
Permissions tab |
Enables granting permissions for ad networks and agencies to access your data and perform actions in your integration |
Activating a partner integration
To activate the main integration (Integration tab):
- In AppsFlyer, under Configuration go to Active Integrations.
- Search for the partner and select it. You’re directed to the integration setup page.
- From the Integration tab, turn on Activate partner.
- Click Save Integration.
To activate a new partner integration, see here.
Caution
Make sure not to use the Activate partner setting to pause or end campaigns. Doing so could cause irreversible damage to active campaign measurement.
Effect of the partner activation setting
| Scenario | Activate partner: On |
Activate partner: Off |
|---|---|---|
|
Attribution and postbacks for new installs |
Attribution: Yes Postbacks: Yes |
Attribution: No Postbacks: No |
|
Attribution and postbacks for new engagement events (installs, re-engagements, and re-attributions) |
Attribution: Yes Postbacks: Yes |
Attribution: No Postbacks: No Exception: non-SRNs with engagements prior to deactivation, as documented later in this table |
|
Attribution and postbacks for engagement events (installs, re-engagements, and re-attributions) prior to deactivation |
Not applicable |
Attribution: Yes Postbacks: No |
| Ad clicks |
Display under the partner's name in aggregate data but aren't used as a basis for attribution |
|
| Engagement (click) and install occur after deactivation |
Not applicable |
Attributed either to:
|
| Engagement (click) occurs before deactivation; install occurs after deactivation |
Not applicable |
|
| SKAN attribution |
Not applicable. When SKAN attribution is configured, SKAN data is recorded whether Activate partner is turned on or off. |
|
Who can activate partners?
Partner integrations can be activated by marketers and agencies in accordance with the table that follows.
| Activated by | SRN | Non-SRN |
|---|---|---|
| Marketer | Activates for self-use and on behalf of agencies | Activates for self-use |
| Agency | Can't activate | Activates agency-appointed non-SRNs |
Deactivated partner integrations
You can deactivate a partner integration of your app by turning off the Activate partner toggle. This means partners don't get conversion attribution and postbacks aren't sent to them. However, any of the other integration features, when still activated, continue to operate even after the Activate partner toggle is deactivated. This means that the integration is still Active and data may still be collected.
Deactivate a partner integration
- In AppsFlyer, under Configuration go to Active Integrations.
- Search for the partner and select it. You’re directed to the integration setup page.
- From the Integration tab, turn off Activate partner.
- Click Save Integration.
- To completely deactivate the partner, go through each of the integration features in other tabs, and disable all capabilities.
Note
For Google and Meta ads, to stop recording SKAN data, go to the SKAN tab and delete the connection.
- Click Save Integration.
- [Optional] After saving the integration, while remaining on the configuration page, you can deactivate the partner from other apps:
- From the top-left corner, under the partner name, click the app name to open the list of apps.
- Select a different app from the drop-down list.
- Repeat steps 2-4.
Deactivate unused integrations
Partners whose Activate partner setting remains on after you stop running campaigns with them continue to receive postbacks containing campaign data. This can cause data privacy issues.
To help identify these partner integrations and remind you to deactivate them, a warning message displays at the top of the Active integrations page. This message includes the number of active partner integrations, from the currently selected app, with no recent conversions from the last 30 days or more. The message includes a link to the Deactivate unused integrations window showing all the unused integrations. From this page, you can select which of them to deactivate.
Note
This deactivation is only for the Activate partner toggle. If any of the other integration features are still on, the integration will be considered active.
To view and deactivate unused partner integrations:
- Go to Configuration > Active integrations.
- From the warning message at the top of the page, click Review and deactivate to see all unused partner integrations of the currently selected app.
Note: The list is sorted by unused partner integrations with the highest number of postbacks being sent. - Select partner integrations to deactivate.
- Click Deactivate. After confirmation, the selected partner integrations are deactivated.
Alternatively, a partner can be deactivated by turning off Activate partner from the Integration tab and any other integration features from the relevant tabs.
Note
Marketers should also take note of how their platform handles partner deactivation in certain scenarios. Similarly, marketing and analytics partners that require postbacks must be activated.
Who can see the warning message and deactivate unused integrations?
- Account users can see this message only for partners they can edit the configuration
- Agencies see the message but can only deactivate their own integration
Who can't see the warning message?
Partners can't see the deactivation message, even if they have permission to configure the integration.
Partner and Agency dashboards
Partners and agencies have different dashboard views and configuration options, according to their permissions.
Partner visibility
- Partners view the Activate partner setting in read-only mode. This is the case even if the partner has permission to configure the integration.
- Visibility of partner settings depends on whether it was the marketer or the agency who configured the integration, as detailed in the following table:
| Integration configured by | Setup visible to partner |
|---|---|
| Marketer | Yes |
| Agency | No |
Agency permissions
You can grant agencies permission to work with your app and run traffic on your behalf.
To grant agency permissions to an app:
- In AppsFlyer, go to Configuration > Active integrations.
- Find the agency and select it.
- Go to the Permissions tab and turn on Agency Permissions.
- [Optional] Grant the agency additional permissions.
Note
- An agency can activate or deactivate the Activate partner setting for non-SRN partners.
- A Marketer can activate or deactivate the Activate partner setting for SRNs. When doing so, installs from that SRN isn't attributed to the agency.
Disabled agency permissions
When permissions are disabled for agencies:
- The agency can't access the app on the AppsFlyer dashboard.
- New installs and events are not attributed to the agency.
- Postbacks are not sent to the media sources used by the agency.
- New events from conversions prior to disabling the agency are attributed and displayed in the marketer's dashboard, but postbacks are not sent to the media sources.
Note: If the marketer disables agency permissions, the agency's historical data (such as installs and cost) becomes non-transparent.
The following examples describe what happens to traffic that continues to be sent after a marketer removes agency permissions:
Example 1
Agency campaign with a non-SRN (attribution link partner)
The traffic is attributed to organic, or to a prior engagement if still within its lookback window. The agency is not attributed.
This example is also applicable to scenarios in which AppsFlyer receives click-through attribution links as well as querying the partner’s API
Example 2
Agency campaign with an SRN (attribution link partner)
The traffic is attributed to the SRN on the marketer's dashboard, but not attributed to the agency.