About Roku CTV attribution
The Roku OS for streaming runs across all Roku devices, including streaming players and Roku TVs.
CTV apps, AKA channels, streaming on Roku can integrate with AppsFlyer via API to receive attribution data and performance measurements about which sources (non-organic or organic) and paid campaigns drive app installs and post-install events. Marketers rely on these insights to measure and optimize marketing activities.
The Roku API integration supports:
- Roku Smart TV and CTV devices. The integration doesn't support mobile, tablet, or desktop devices.
- CTV-to-CTV attribution and event recording. Meaning, attribution and recording of Roku app installs and events that occur on a user's Roku device.
Roku attribution flow
Integration procedures
The following table lists the tasks required to integrate your Roku CTV app with AppsFlyer. To record your progress, download this spreadsheet.
| Task | Actions | Who's involved |
|---|---|---|
|
App setup |
Marketer | |
|
API integration with your app |
Integrate the AppsFlyer CTV API into your CTV app with commands to report the following events to AppsFlyer.
Verify that when you set up the API, you set up and map the CTV events to send to AppsFlyer. Note: Installs must be reported before in-app events and sessions. To report owned media engagements, integrate the impression engagement API. |
App developer |
| Partner integration |
Add Roku as an ad network (integrated partner) in AppsFlyer. |
Marketer |
| Reports setup | Set up Data Locker to receive user-level raw data reports. | Data engineer |
Integrate the AppsFlyer Roku API into your app
The developer must:
- Integrate the CTV API. This enables the app to report first opens, in-app events, and sessions.
Note: Installs must be reported before in-app events and sessions. - Send events using the API. Tell your developer which events to send.
- To report owned media engagements, integrate the impression engagement API.
Add Roku ad network
To record attributions and in-app events from Roku, you must connect AppsFlyer to Roku as an integrated ad network.
To set up Roku as an integrated partner:
- In AppsFlyer. go to Configuration > Active Integrations.
-
Select Roku.
The Roku partner integration page displays.
- Go to the Integration tab.
- Turn on Activate partner. See partner activation/deactivation.
-
[Optional] Edit Click-through attribution. Default is 14 days.
The click-through attribution setting lets you set the maximum time from click to install. Only installs (first launches) that take place within this lookback window can be attributed to Roku. See click lookback windows. - [Optional] Turn on and edit View-through attribution. Default is 14 days.
Use the slider to set the maximum time from impression to install. Only installs (first launches) that take place within this lookback window, following an ad impression, are attributed to the partner, providing there was no other relevant ad click. See view-through attribution.
- Click Save Integration.
View data
Dashboard
The Overview dashboard gives advertisers a real-time window into the lifetime value (LTV) performance of organic users, based on subscription, in-app purchases, and ad monetization. LTV metrics are calculated from the attribution date until the present.
To open the dashboard:
- In AppsFlyer, select your CTV app and go to Dashboards > Overview.
The dashboard opens, with the settings and filters, headline metrics, charts, and table, relevant for CTV.
Tip! Familiarize and experiment with the dashboard and use our Overview dashboard V2 article as a reference guide.
Reports
Roku raw data reports, as seen in the list that follows, are available via Data Locker (Premium feature; requires subscription). The list of fields is described in the next section. Click on a report type to view a sample.
The list of fields available in reports is in the raw data field dictionary.
Roku discrepancies with AppsFlyer
| Cause | Roku | AppsFlyer |
|---|---|---|
| Click attribution lookback window |
14 days |
1 hour-14 days. Make sure to set to 14 days in Roku partner integration. |
| View-through attribution lookback window |
14 days |
1 hour-14 days. Make sure to set to 14 days in Roku partner integration. |
| Install |
Roku records new installs on the install time. |
AppsFlyer records new installs on the first launch of the app. |
| Cross-device attribution |
Roku attributes its users that click and install on different devices, for example, 2 different TVs. |
AppsFlyer attributes single devices, which perform both the engagement and the install. |
Traits and limitations
| Trait | Remarks |
|---|---|
| Retargeting |
Not currently supported |
| Cost data | Cost data must be sent via Ad Spend Ingestion using the upload file by email method. |