[Legacy] GMP DV360/CM (DoubleClick) integration setup

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At a glance: Integrate AppsFlyer with [Legacy] Google Marketing Platform DV360/CM (DoubleClick). Note that the AppsFlyer internal name for this integration is doubleclick_int.

 Important!

At the end of Q2 2024, Google and AppsFlyer will be deprecating the legacy doubleclick_int integration. If you're using this integration, make sure to migrate to the new DV360 dv360_int integration as soon as possible to continue running campaigns and measuring them using GMP. See more details here.

Setting up GMP in AppsFlyer

The information in this section applies to:

  • CM360 + media source
  • DV360 campaigns

Activate Google Marketing Platform

To activate or edit the integration:

  1. To activate: In AppsFlyer, from the side menu, select Collaborate > Partner Marketplace.
    To edit: In AppsFlyer, from the side menu, select Collaborate > Active Integrations.
  2. Search for Google Marketing Platform (DV360/CM360) and select it.
  3. Click Set up integration. You’re directed to the integration setup page. Make sure the URL shows doubleclick_int.
  4. In the Integration tab, turn on Activate partner.
    Note: The toggle must stay on (activated) for as long as you work with the partner.
  5. Click Save integration. 

Retrieving floodlight parameters

Before you can set up GMP, you must create an install (first_open) floodlight and retrieve its parameters. See here for more information. You need to get the following parameters: 

  • cat: The activity tag string, which Floodlight servers use to identify the activity group to which the activity belongs.
  • src: The Advertiser ID that is the source of the Floodlight activity. This is the src= parameter in the floodlight tag you export from the ‘Pixel’ setup screen, not the DBM advertiser ID.
  • type: The group tag string, which identifies the activity group with which the Floodlight activity is associated.
  • Token: see instructions for retrieving the token:

These parameters are required for the integration with Appsflyer.

 Note

Floodlight parameters are unique per app. You should have two sets of floodlight parameters, one for each app.

Integrating with Google Marketing Platform 

  1. In AppsFlyer, from the side menu, select Collaborate > Partner Marketplace.
  2. Select Google Marketing Platform.
    The available configuration tabs are: Integration, Ad Revenue, and Permissions. Complete the configuration as required. 

In addition to click-based mobile attribution, GMP offers view-through and re-engagement attributions, which you can record with AppsFlyer.

For a detailed description of the Partner Configuration Window Header, click here.

Integration tab

When AppsFlyer queries GMP, they return the parameters listed in their response. These are mapped to AppsFlyer parameters and raw data as detailed in the table that follows. 

GMP parameter AppsFlyer parameter name URL parameter 
Placement ID Campaign name c
Placement ID Campaign ID af_c_id
Site ID Site ID af_siteid
Ad ID Adset ID af_adset_id
Creative ID Ad ID af_ad_id

Setting floodlight parameters

In the integration tab, set the floodlight parameters in their respective fields.

Install attribution 

Install click-through lookback window

  • Set the maximum time from click to install. Only installs (first launches) that take place within the lookback window may be attributed to GMP.
  • The GM default click-through lookback window is 30 days. To minimize discrepancies, we recommend aligning with the GMP setting.
  • About the click lookback window 

Install view-through lookback window

  • 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.
  • Turn on to attribute view-through installs from GMP You can customize this value to 1-23 hours or 1-7 days.
  • The GMP default view-through lookback window is 7 days. To minimize discrepancies, we recommend aligning with GMP's time period value.

Re-engagement attribution

To measure retargeting campaigns:

  1. Turn on Re-engagement attribution.
    If you do not have any active GMP re-engagement campaigns, turn off re-engagement attribution. 
  2. Create a new Floodlight for retargeting campaigns (for example, app_opens). Then, in AppsFlyer dashboard enter the cat, src, token, and type parameters specific to your retargeting campaigns.

     Note

    The token parameter is the same token parameter that you get when you enable third-party mobile in-app conversion.

Re-engagement click-through lookback window

Set the duration of the Re-engagement click-through lookback window (the maximum period of time after an ad is clicked, within which a retargeted user can be attributed to the ad). You can set the value in hours (up to 23) or days (1-30):

reengagement-activate.png

Re-engagement view-through lookback window

To start attributing impressions of retargeting ads, activate Re-engagement view-through attribution.

Then, set the duration of the Re-engagement view-through lookback window (the maximum period of time after an ad is viewed, within which a retargeted user can be attributed to the ad). You can set the value in hours (up to 23) or days (1-7):

Re-engagement window

Set the duration of the Re-engagement window (the period when the user's in-app events are attributed to the retargeting media source). You can set the value in days (1-90), hours (up to 23), or lifetime.

 Note

Agency accounts can configure Retargeting independently and have a separate Re-engagement Window. For example, an advertiser can use a 30-day window for their own retargeting campaigns, while an agency that runs other campaigns for the same app, can set up a 45-day re-engagement window.

In-app event postbacks

First, create a floodlight for a specific activity such as a purchase or subscription.
Then, retrieve the floodlight parameters.

    1. Turn on In-app event postbacks.
    2. Click Add event to add an SDK or server-to-server event to the list. The following table describes the fields to complete:
      Parameter name Description
      AppsFlyer event

      The name of the event, as received by AppsFlyer either from the SDK integrated into your app or from server-to-server events.
      Tip: Don't see the event you are looking for?

      • Make sure to activate the event on a device with a non-organic installation, and recheck.
      • Type it in AppsFlyer event, then click Create custom. Read more about custom event mapping.
      mapped to partner event

      The unique name or ID of each event, as defined on the partner's side. Possible mapping configurations are:

      • Text field: Get the corresponding event ID from the partner.
      • Drop-down box: Select the most suitable pre-defined AppsFlyer event.
      • As is: Send the events as they are, without name mapping.

      Configure the event using the floodlight parameters in the following format (see the image below the table):
      token=123XXX456XXX&type=XXXXXXXX&cat=XXXXX123456&src=58XXX35
      for users from

      Select the sending option for the event:

      • This partner only: Send postbacks only when this event is attributed to this partner.
      • All media sources including organic: Send postbacks for events attributed to any partner, as well as organic events.
      including
      • No data (default): Send only the event itself without any event values.
      • Values and revenue: Send all the event parameters, including the revenue value (if exists in the event).
      • Values without revenue: Send all the parameters excluding the revenue value.
    3. [Optional] Click the Add conditionadd_condition.pngicon to set conditions for an event.
    4. Click Save integration.
Google_Marketing_Platform_in_app_event_postbacks_all_media_sources.JPG

 Note

  • Floodlight parameters are unique per event. For each in-app event that you configure in the postback, you need to provide unique floodlight parameters.
  • Floodlight parameters are unique per app. 
  • The parameter details should be completed based on what you entered in the cat, src, and token and type fields above.
  • The following two additional parameters are automatically transferred to GMP: Order_ID and af_revenue.

AppsFlyer only supports sending additional floodlight parameters (u parameters) up to U26. The U parameters are pre-mapped and fixed on AppsFlyer's end so take the following into consideration:

  • Since they are pre-mapped, no additional custom U parameters can be configured.
  • Follow this mapping when configuring custom floodlight parameters in GMP.
  • If AppsFlyer cannot send a specific U parameter, AppsFlyer doesn't send it. For example, if the carrier data is missing, AppsFlyer doesn't send U5.

Parameter mapping

For every in-app event AppsFlyer sends the following floodlights:

  Description Example

u1=

af device id

1540995037437-2811776739500410055

u2=

customer user id

eaf8a5f2.1836.4686

u3=

Android:
Advertising id
iOS: idfa

9d9d03ab-f211-4e17-994e-d0afdf23ac01

u4=

wifi

true

u5=

carrier

Jio%204G

u6=

country code

IN

u7=

Region

HR

u8=

city

Gurgaon

u9=

device type

motorola::Moto G (4)

u10=

os version

7

u11=

sdk version

v4.8.18

u12=

app version

3.31.1

u13=

install timestamp

1540995041

u14=

click time

1546441586

u15=

impression time

1546441586

u16=

campaign name*

Appinstall_campaign

u17=

campaign id

12345ABC

u18=

adset name*

Appinstall_adset

u19=

adset id

12345ABC

u20=

ad name*

Appinstall_ad

u21=

ad id

12345ABC

u22=

site id

site_id_123456

u23=

event time

2019-01-04 12:56:35.707

u24=

event name

af_purchase

u25=

event value

{"af_price":459,"af_content_id":"77147","af_revenue":4.59,"af_currency":"EUR"}

u26=

currency

EUR

*In such cases AppsFlyer does not receive the name in the response from Google Marketing Platform, so it populates the field with the corresponding ID (i.e. Adset name becomes adset ID).

Attribution link tab

The attribution link tab is not functional for GMP, because it is an SRN and therefore doesn't use external attribution links for attribution.

However, attribution links do play a role in the integration with GMP:

Attribution links for CM360 + media source

To run campaigns with CM360 and media source, two attribution links are required:

  • A CM360 measurement link.
  • The AppsFlyer attribution link for a specific media source (integrated partner or custom media source).

See setting attribution links for CM360.

Attribution links for DV360 (DBM)

It is possible to use AppsFlyer attribution links with DV360 for impressions and click recording only. These links are NOT used for attribution, and any additional information contained within them is not parsed or used for any purpose.

If you want to be able to measure the number of clicks from DV360 on AppsFlyer, you should add an AppsFlyer attribution URL on your DV360 dashboard. When doing so, make sure the campaign name in the attribution URL is identical with the Placement ID on GMP (if possible) so that AppsFlyer can retrieve and append the click data for the correct campaigns.

 Important!

Using Attribution Links for GMP DV360 (DBM) is not mandatory.


If you want to count clicks in AppsFlyer, use this link:

https://app.appsflyer.com/ADD-APP-ID?pid=doubleclick_int&af_siteid=${UNIVERSAL_SITE_ID}
&af_ad_id=${CREATIVE_ID}&c=${PLACEMENT_ID}&af_c_id=${PLACEMENT_ID}

If you want to count impressions in AppsFlyer use this link:

https://impression.appsflyer.com/ADD-APP-ID?pid=doubleclick_int&af_siteid=%24{UNIVERSAL_SITE_ID}
&af_ad_id=${CREATIVE_ID}&c=${PLACEMENT_ID}&af_c_id=${PLACEMENT_ID}

Cost tab

Cost data is not available for GMP.

Ad revenue tab

  • You can connect multiple GMP accounts to the same app.
  • If you have more than one GMP account repeat the procedure that follows for each account. Note! There is no indication in the user interface that you have connected more than one account. 

To enable the ad revenue API:

Permissions tab

In this tab, you set permissions granted to GMP.