[Deprecated] Mobile landing page attribution script

Description:

Meta ads is an SRN, which doesn't use external attribution links.

Upon the first app launch, AppsFlyer queries Meta ads whether the user has previously (within the last 28 days) engaged with an advertiser ad on the Facebook app. If they have, Meta ads self-attributes.

Meta ads also attributes cross-platform, meaning that the user may interact with any type of campaign, mobile or not, on any platform, to be self-attributed by Meta ads.

Conclusion:

A lead with the available device ID, coming from the Facebook app to a landing page, gets correctly attributed to Meta ads. This happens regardless of the new click recorded on the landing page.
However, when users opt not to share their device ID, as is expected with iOS 14 users during 2021, Meta ads' cross-platform attribution may not work anymore.

When device ID sharing becomes optional, use the Other SRNs method for Meta ads. 

• New users who share their device ID would be attributed to Meta ads correctly.
• New users who don't share their device ID would be attributed to "Facebook_LP".

Instructions:

1. On your Meta ads account create a “Traffic” or "Conversions" campaign with mobile attribution enabled, sending leads to your landing page.
2. Landing page Android download button - direct link to Google Play.
3. Landing page iOS download button - direct link to iTunes (OR attribution link without the device ID).

What the script does

The landing page script makes no changes. The script is designed to detect a user coming from the  Facebook app. If it does, it doesn't do anything. It leaves the landing page direct links to the app stores as they are. This prevents another click from being recorded which could affect CTR.

In the script, look for a method called isFacebook() to learn more about what the script does when a user comes from the Facebook app.

Description:

The usual process for install attribution of Google Ads campaigns requires clicking leads to be redirected to the app's store page URL.

So, when redirecting leads from Google Ads to a landing page, use a mediator to connect between the mobile install and the original click on the non-mobile Google Ads campaign.

Conclusion:

The solution for Google Ads has 2 parts.

The first part takes care of attributing on AppsFlyer the mobile users that get to the landing page from Google, and install the app from there. It requires tagging the click URLs from Google, identifying them on the landing page and creating a dynamic OneLink with data from the URL.

The second part takes care of notifying Google Ads about these mobile installs, using Google's offline conversion upload method.

Instructions:

Part 1 - Attributing to Google Ads on AppsFlyer

What the script does

Google Ads carry with them a gclid parameter. The script looks for this parameter in the landing page URL. If it sees it, it creates the OneLink such that it reflects that the user comes from Google Ads. The script then puts the OneLink as the link behind the download buttons on the landing page.

In the script, look for gclidValue to learn how the script detects users coming from Google Ads and creates the OneLink accordingly.

Description:

Other SRNs, for example, Snapchat or Twitter, are not cross-platform like Meta ads, and require a bit of work to get your mobile users attributed to them.

Your campaigns with other SRNs lead your users to the landing page, and you are billed according to clicking leads, unrelated to any derived mobile users.

Conclusion:

When defining the landing page URL for a campaign on SRNs (besides Meta ads and Google Ads), add a Partner ID parameter to the URL, which states the original SRN.
The landing page launches a javaScript (see below) that parses that parameter and builds a OneLink URL, which has the Partner ID value. When mobile users click on that OneLink and install, they get attributed to the stated media source.

Instructions:

On your SRN account -

1. Create a non-mobile campaign
2. When defining the landing page URL, add a Partner ID + landing page parameter to the URL (which is not an AF attribution link). The format is "&af_pid=srn_lp". (see example below)

On your landing page load -

1. Activate the generateUrl Javascript function
2. The function looks for the af_pid parameter and builds a OneLink URL containing its value under the pid parameter
3. Landing page download button uses the generated OneLink URL
4. New mobile users are attributed to the custom "Partner ID + landing page" media source
5. No postback is sent to the media source

The script itself contains logic to prevent you from using these names. Look for var SRNs in the script. You should see a list of SRN names and a condition that checks if pidValue is any of these names. Remove this logic after you are done testing the script.

What the script does

The script sees the af_pid parameter on the landing page URL and concludes that the user comes from an SRN or some other custom network. The script creates a OneLink accordingly and sets it as the link behind the download button on the landing page.

To learn more about what the script does, look for pidValue in the script.

Description:

Attribution links are used for any media source, which is not an SRN. That includes thousands of integrated partners and any owned media you wish to attribute.

Luckily, the solution for landing page attribution when using AppsFlyer's attribution links is simple (and similar to the solution for Meta ads).

Conclusion:

the attribution link redirects the lead to a landing page, and by that also takes care of the correct attribution (if a mobile install follows).

All that is left to do is NOT prevent the correct attribution with another last click.

Instructions:

1. Create the attribution link for the media source
2. Add the landing page parameter leading to your landing page to the attribution link
3. Add &af_redirect=true to the landing page value under any redirection parameters (that is, af_r, af_ios_url, and af_android_url) in the attribution link.
   Example: https://yourapp.onelink.me/abcd?pid=email&c={CAMPAIGN_NAME}&af_r=http://www.yoursite.com/yourlandingpage?af_redirect=true
4. Optional - add device ID (GAID / IDFA) to the attribution link to allow attribution by ID matching instead of Probabilistic modeling
5. Landing page Android download button - direct link to Google Play
6. Landing page iOS download button - direct link to iTunes
   
   

    Note

   The script and HTML sample page provide the option to set one download button that serves both Android and iOS. Read the comments in the script to learn how to implement it.

What the script does

The script looks for the af_redirect parameter in the landing page URL. If it sees it, it makes no changes to the download buttons on the landing page. This is because the af_redirect parameter indicates that the user reaches the landing page following a click. Therefore, there is no need for additional attribution links.

To learn more about what the script does to handle cases where users reach the landing page after clicking an attribution link, see the method isAFLink() in the script.

Description

You may have traffic sources, which redirect users to your landing page using links with UTM parameters.

Conclusion:

If the original URL is NOT an AppsFlyer attribution link, the script searches for the utm_source and utm_campaign parameters in the link. If they exist, the script prepares a OneLink URL, that has them as the media source name (pid) and campaign name (c), respectively.

Note that with AppsFlyer attribution links, which also contain UTM parameters, the AppsFlyer parameters are being used, rather than the UTM ones.

Instructions:

On the media source -

1. Make sure the utm_source exists in the link.
2. utm_campaign parameter is optional but highly recommended.

On your landing page load -

1. Activate the generateUrl Javascript function
2. The function looks for the utm_source and utm_campaign parameters and builds a OneLink URL containing their values
3. Landing page download button uses the generated OneLink URL
4. New mobile users are attributed to the value of utm_source as the media source
5. No postback is sent to the media source.

What the script does

The script looks for UTM parameters in the landing page URL. If it finds any, it converts them to OneLink parameters. This way, campaign information is carried over to the final attribution.

Description

Mobile organic visitors are, by definition, direct mobile web leads from unknown sources. They rarely visit dedicated landing pages but may be the vast majority of mobile installs coming from the advertiser's website.

Conclusion:

If you have a significant amount of mobile organic traffic from your website, it's highly recommended to record the attribution data of your own traffic.

Instructions:

To attribute mobile organic visitors, the website should have download or install buttons, with a OneLink attribution link behind them. OneLink enables diagnosing the device type and redirecting the lead to the correct app store according to it.

To learn how to set and build OneLink URLs go here.

What the script does

Exhausting all other options, the script determines that the user is an organic user that doesn't come from any campaign. The script creates a OneLink that reflects that and puts it as the link behind the download button on the landing page.

Description

All the options covered above assume the users use mobile devices when engaging with the campaign and the landing page.

But what about desktop users?

Desktop users may arrive at your landing page/website, and afterward "independently" visit the app store with their mobile devices, and install the mobile app. Without the preceding engagement with the mobile devices, it is impossible to attribute these users, and so, they are labeled as "Organic".

Conclusion:

A great solution to this attribution problem is using a text-to-download form on your landing page, only for desktop users. This is to be followed by sending the mobile device an SMS/Email with OneLink URL.

Instructions:

1. Identify that a visitor is a desktop user
2. When your user types in their phone number, text them a link to your app, with a OneLink short URL. You can also ask for their email address to email them app download messages.
3. The usage of OneLink is crucial here, as the mobile device platform isn't known when sending the message to the users. OneLink's diagnosis and redirection functionalities take care of this for you.
4. Add "&pid=desktop_website" to the OneLink URL to identify this source.
5. Add "&c={PAGE NAME}" to help you find the highest and lowest converting pages in your website for desktop users.

What the script does

The script detects the device or platform the user is on. If it's desktop, the script returns a link to a web form URL and puts it behind the download buttons. When the user clicks download, they are sent to a web form where they fill in their details to get an SMS or an email with a link to download the app.

It's up to you to create the web form and provide the URL to it in the script. To learn more, look for isMobileDevice() in the script.

Consider the following before you implement the script:

• The script is offered as an example only. It covers the common landing page to attribution flow. Adapt the script to fit your requirements.
• The script looks for specific parameters in the landing page URL, like media source, campaign, keywords etc. If you want to add more parameters like site id and ad sets, you need to modify the script accordingly.

//Returns the value of a parameter existing in the page's URL or ' ' if not exists.
function getParameterFromURL(name, url) {
  if (!url) url = window.location.href;
  name = name.replace(/[\[\]]/g, '\\$&');
  var regex = new RegExp('[?&]' + name + '(=([^&#]*)|&|#|$)'),
    results = regex.exec(url);
  if (!results) return null;
  if (!results[2]) return '';
  return decodeURIComponent(results[2].replace(/\+/g, ' '));
}

function isMobileDevice() {
  return (typeof window.orientation !== "undefined") || (navigator.userAgent.indexOf('IEMobile') !== -1);
}

function getMobileOperatingSystem() {
  var userAgent = navigator.userAgent || navigator.vendor || window.opera;
  if (userAgent) {
    if (/android/i.test(userAgent)) {
      return "Android";
    }

    // iOS detection from: http://stackoverflow.com/a/9039885/177710
    if (/iPad|iPhone|iPod/.test(userAgent) && !window.MSStream) {
      return "iOS";
    }
  }
  return "unknown";
}

function isAFLink() {
  return getParameterFromURL('af_redirect');
}


// Note - when device ID sharing becomes optional stop calling this method (or always return false)
function isFacebook() {
  if (document.referrer && document.referrer != "") {
    return document.referrer.toLowerCase().includes('facebook');
  } else {
    return false;
  }
}

// generateUrl returns the URL to use behind the iOS and Android "Download" buttons on a landing page, based on the source of the page visitor.
// By default these buttons should direct to the apps' pages on iTunes and Google Play.
// If these links should be kept with no change, generateUrl returns ' '.
// Otherwise, generateUrl returns the URL to be used under BOTH buttons (a single app download button could also be used in this case).
// Parameters: isDebug - if true, alerts are issued for each of the cases, otherwise not.  	 
function generateUrl(isDebug) {
  var oneLinkURL = 'https://yourapp.onelink.me/abcd';   // **** Replace with your own basic OneLink URL ****
  var webFormURL = 'https://yoursite.com/webform.html'; // **** Replace with your own web form URL for getting the user's email or SMS ****
  var finalURL = "";
  var partnerIDParam = '?pid=';

  var campaignValue;
  if (getParameterFromURL('c')) {
    campaignValue = getParameterFromURL('c');
  } else if (getParameterFromURL('utm_campaign')) {
    campaignValue = getParameterFromURL('utm_campaign');
  } else if (document.getElementsByTagName('title')[0]) {
    campaignValue = document.getElementsByTagName('title')[0].innerText;
  } else {
    campaignValue = 'unknown';
  }
  var campaignParam = '&c=';
  var gclidParam = '&af_sub1=';
  var gclidValue = getParameterFromURL('gclid');
  var kwParam = '&af_keywords=';
  var pidValue;
  var kwValue = getParameterFromURL('keyword');
		
  if (getParameterFromURL('af_pid')) {
    pidValue = getParameterFromURL('af_pid');
  } else if (getParameterFromURL('utm_source')) {
    pidValue = getParameterFromURL('utm_source');
  }
  
  // Prevent the use of real SRN names. Remove this part after you are done testing the script.
    var SRNs = [
    'twitter_int',
    'facebook_int',
    'snapchat_int',
    'doubleclick_int',
    'yahoogemini_int',
    'yahoojapan_int',
  ];

  if (SRNs.includes(pidValue)) {
  	alert("DO NOT USE NAMES OF SRNS IN af_pid or utm_source - use the names listed in Other SRNs: Add Parameter section in the landing page article\nhttps://support.appsflyer.com/hc/en-us/articles/360000677217#other-srns-add-parameter");
    return;
  }

  // Desktop user
  if (!isMobileDevice()) {
    return webFormURL;
  }

  // User was redirected using af_r parameter on an AppsFlyer attribution link
  if (isAFLink()) {
    if (isDebug) {
      alert("This user comes from AppsFlyer by redirection and is ready to be attributed. \nKeep direct app store links.");
    }
    return; // in this case, the original store links in the install buttons stay the same

    /*
    If you want one install button in the landing page that serves both iOS and Android, uncomment the code below
    The code identifies the operating system and returns the relevant direct link to Google Play or iTunes
 
    if (getMobileOperatingSystem() === 'Android') {
      return 'direct link to Google Play';
    } 
 
    if (getMobileOperatingSystem() === 'iOS') {
      return 'direct link to iTunes';
    }
    */
  }

  // Google Ads
  if (gclidValue) {
    partnerIDParam += 'google_lp';
    campaignParam += campaignValue;
    gclidParam += gclidValue
    if (!kwValue) {
      finalURL = oneLinkURL + partnerIDParam + campaignParam + gclidParam;
      if (isDebug) {
        alert("This user comes from Google AdWords\n " + finalURL);
      }
      return finalURL;

    } else { // Google Ads with KW
      kwParam += kwValue;
      finalURL = oneLinkURL + partnerIDParam + campaignParam + gclidParam + kwParam;
      if (isDebug) {
        alert("This user comes from Google AdWords - there is a keyword associated with the ad\n " + finalURL);
      }
      return finalURL;
    }

  // Other SRNs and custom networks  
  } else if (pidValue) {
    campaignParam += campaignValue;
    partnerIDParam += pidValue;
    finalURL = oneLinkURL + partnerIDParam + campaignParam;
    if (isDebug) {
      alert("This user comes the SRN or custom network " + pidValue + "\n" + finalURL);
    }
    return finalURL;
  } else if (isFacebook()) {
    if (isDebug) {
      alert("This user comes from a paid Facebook ad - don't do anything. \nKeep direct app store links.");
    }
    return ' ';
    
  } else { // organic mobile user
    campaignParam += campaignValue;
    partnerIDParam += 'website'; //**** Replace value if you wish organic users to be attributed to another media source than 'website' ****
    finalURL = oneLinkURL + partnerIDParam + campaignParam;
    if (isDebug) {
      alert("This user comes from an unknown mobile source.\n The user would be attributed to media source 'website' and to the campaign " + campaignParam + "\n" + finalURL);
    }
    return finalURL;
  }
}

<html>
<head>
  <title>Landing Page</title>
</head>
<body>
  <h1>Landing Page</h1>
  <!-- By default, the install buttons should have direct links to the stores -->
  <div>
    <a id="andrd_link" href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.appsflyer.sampleapp"><img src="/images/andrd.png"alt=""></a>
  </div>
  <div>
    <a id="ios_link" href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/id3********"><img src="/images/ios.png" alt=""></a>
  </div>
  <!-- If you want one button to serve both Android and iOS, use the code below instead
  <a id="store_link" href=""><img src="download.png" alt=""></a>
  -->
  <script type="text/javascript" src="/landing-page-test.js"></script>
  <script type="text/javascript">
    window.onload = function () {
      var url = generateUrl(true);

      // onelink is generated
      if (url) {
        document.getElementById('andrd_link').setAttribute('href', url);
        document.getElementById('ios_link').setAttribute('href', url);
      }

      //otherwise, if onelink is not generated it means that the user is redirected
      // and the store links in the buttons stay the same

      /* for the one button solution for both Android and iOS, use the code below instead

      document.getElementById('store_link').setAttribute('href', url);

      */

    };
  </script>
</body>

</html>