At a glance: Marketers contract with Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs), mobile carriers, and app discovery partners to preload their app at the factory or at the time the device is first turned on by the user.
AppsFlyer preload referrer attribution
Preload referrer attribution gives marketers an accurate and privacy-preserving mechanism to measure the performance of preload campaigns.
User privacy is assured because attribution is performed using referrer matching. The referrer is generated independently of the device and user identifiers. This method provides marketers with deterministic attribution results and simultaneously ensures that user privacy is maintained.
The solution provides:
- Transparent support for app updates and app redownloads.
- Visibility into the device first activation with the preloaded apps including the time and geo (country). For example, marketers are able to tell how many devices got activated with an app preloaded in certain geo during a certain time period.
AppsFlyer gives the highest priority to preload attribution. This means that if a user engages with other campaigns before opening the app for the first time, the preload campaign is awarded the attribution. Other engagements are regarded as assisted installs.
Preload referrer campaign options
Referrer option | Description |
---|---|
Preload |
|
Click to download |
|
Campaign performance data availability
Preload referrer campaign performance data is available in the AppsFlyer dashboard as follows:
- Overview dashboard: Preload events count as clicks in aggregate reports and dashboards. They are aggregated at the preload partner and campaign level.
- Raw data: Preload events are available in the clicks reports available only via Data Locker.
Note
Starting May 24, 2022:
- Match_type for preload referrer campaigns is displayed as
preload_rfr
and asaf_referrer
for click-to-download in raw data reports. - AppsFlyer displays in dashboards the ad network that drove the preload and ad networks that contributed to the first app launch. Learn more about preload campaigns.
Run preload referrer campaigns
To run preload campaigns, you must contract with a preload partner and set up the campaign in AppsFlyer.
Before you begin:
- Adopt AppsFlyer Android SDK 6.6 or later.
- Contract with an AppsFlyer preload partner.
To set up a referrer preload campaign:
- In AppsFlyer, go to Configuration > Integrated Partners.
- Select the preload partner.
- Turn on Preload attribution.
- Set the Preload lookback window duration. Range: 1-180 days.
Let the preload partner know that you are ready to attribute their campaigns.
Partners supporting preload referrer campaigns
Partner | PID | Preload referrer campaign options Learn more | |
---|---|---|---|
Preload | Click to download | ||
Digital Turbine On Device | digitalturbine_int | ✓ |
Coming soon |
Aura ironSource | aura_int | ✓ |
Coming soon |
Appnext | appnext_int | ✓ |
Coming soon |