SKAdNetwork integration guide for ad networks

At a glance: This article details how ad networks integrate with AppsFlyer for SKAdNetworks, enabling them to optimize campaigns and to be attributed to the traffic they generate. 

Learn more about the AppsFlyer SKAdNetwork solution for advertisers:

SKAdNetwork solution guide | SKAdNetwork dashboard by AppsFlyer

AppsFlyer offering for ad networks 

• Be attributed for campaign conversions:
  • Integration with AppsFlyer ensures that the ad network is attributed for all installs, in-app events, and revenue resulting from campaigns run on advertisers' behalf.
  • Without integration in place, installs, in-app events, and revenue are attributed as organic and not to the ad network. 
• Campaign optimization:
  • The conversion value in the postback is encoded.
  • AppsFlyer enables ad networks to translate the conversion value of each postback, ensuring ad networks can optimize their campaigns based on the decoded value per app.
• No need for direct integration with each advertiser:
  SKAd postbacks are sent only to the ad network. Advertisers can consume the data by either: 
  
  • Individual integration with each ad network. A solution that is not scalable, neither for ad networks nor for advertisers. 
  • A single integration with AppsFlyer. Scalable for both the advertiser and the ad network.
• Increase your prominence in AppsFlyer: 
  • Ad networks having SKAdNetwork integration are certified and identified as such in the AppsFlyer dashboard. 
  • This assures advertisers that they are working with ad networks that can be measured deterministically via this attribution model.

SKAdNetwork data flow

 The full SKAd postback flow is as follows: 

1. iOS sends the SKAd postback to the attributed ad network.
2. The ad network does one of the following:
   • Enrich and forward: Enrich the SKAd postback with the ad network campaign ID (to overcome the SKAdNetwork limitation of 100 campaign IDs), campaign name, and the iOS device IP address. 
   • Redirect: The network requests the iOS device to redirect the postback directly to AppsFlyer. In this case, campaign data enrichment will be performed via a separate API between AppsFlyer and the ad network.
3. AppsFlyer validates and decodes the postback. Then, it sends the decoded and enriched postback to the ad network (in parallel to sharing it with the advertiser).

Main integration parts

SKAdNetwork integration between AppsFlyer and ad networks consists of the following main parts as described in this article:

• Ad networks send SKAdNetwork data to AppsFlyer
• Ad networks receive enriched and decoded data from AppsFlyer via postbacks

Send data to AppsFlyer

After the ad network receives the SKAd postback from the device, the ad network forwards it to AppsFlyer using one of the following methods:

• Enrich and forward (POST)
• Redirect (HTTP 307 redirect method)

Upon receipt of a SKAd postback, AppsFlyer performs the following:

• Postback validation: ensure that it is unique.
• Conversion value decode: Generate attribution install/in-app event records.
• Send decoded postbacks to the ad network.
• Make attribution data available to advertisers via dashboards and reports.

curl --location --request POST 'https://skadpostbacks.appsflyer.com/api/postbacks' \
--header 'Content-type: application/json' \
--data-raw '{
    "version":"2.0",
    "app-id": 888707086,
    "ip": "192.0.2.0",
    "ad-network-campaign-name": "skadnetwork_abc_campaign",
    "source-app-id": 888707074,
    "ad-network-id": "abcabcabc.skadnetwork",
    "transaction-id": "68eb3d91-15f5-44ee-9267-25c7655c20b6",
    "redownload": false,
    "attribution-signature": "MDYCGQCsQ4y8d4BlYU9b8Qb9BPWPi+ixk/OiRysCGQDZZ8fpJnuqs9my8iSQVbJO/oU1AXUROYU=",
    "timestamp": "1597156649200",
    "ad-network-campaign-id": "222222",
    "conversion-value": 63,
    "campaign-id": 99
}'

Receive data from AppsFlyer

Prior to receiving your first postback, take into consideration the following: 

• Ad-networks must define the postback end-point and template (reach out to your AppsFlyer Partner Development Manager or to integrations@appsflyer.com to ensure this is in place).
• AppsFlyer sends SKAdNetwork postbacks using the same mechanism as with the existing postbacks used for deterministic and probabilistic modeling attribution.

http://YourCompanyDomain.com/event?site_id=(publisher-id)&install_time=(timestamp)
&skan_ad_network_time=(timestamp)
&skan_af_received_time=(timestamp)
&attribution_provider=skadnetwork
&app_id=(id123456789)&country=(ZA)&campaign=(campaign-name)
&campaign_id=(campaign-id)&skad_ambiguous_event=(boolean)
&redownload=(boolean)
&af_skad_nonce=(uuid)

http://YourCompanyDomain.com/event?site_id=(publisher-id)&install_time=(timestamp)
&skan_ad_network_time=(timestamp)
&skan_af_received_time=(timestamp)&revenue=(value)
&currency=(code)&event_name=(event-name)&attribution_provider=skadnetwork
&app_id=(id123456789)&country=(ZA)&campaign=(campaign-name)
&campaign_id=(campaign-id)&skad_ambiguous_event=(boolean)
&redownload=(boolean)
&af_skad_nonce=(uuid)

Integration testing

The AppsFlyer solution for SKAdNetwork is live and ready. To validate the integration with AppsFlyer, use either or both of the following methods. 

• Simulated postbacks: based on AppsFlyer test apps
• Real SKAdNetwork postbacks: based on actual SKAd traffic received by the network

To receive real SKAdNetwork postbacks from iOS devices, the ad network completes the following:

• Register with Apple
• Sign ads with a SKAdNetwork signature.
• Publisher app: Add the network ID to the info.plist file and call the loadProduct function upon ad impression.
• Advertised app: Use the most recent AppsFlyer iOS SDK. Versions prior to V6.0.3 aren't supported.

Clarifications

Clarifications relating to mandatory fields, enrichment, certification, and more.