Identifying User Geographic Location

Accurate user location data is crucial information used for effective campaign strategy, ad fraud detection, and performance measurement. Airbridge supports the identification of users’ geographic locations by integrating with Digital Element, an IP database service.

Collecting Location Data

Airbridge primarily uses device IP addresses to determine users’ geographic locations through the following process:

IP address collection: When users interact with apps or tracking links, Airbridge collects the device’s IP address.
Geographic location mapping: The collected IP address is mapped through Digital Element’s database lookup as shown below.

Data mapping table between Digital Element and Airbridge

Digital Element	Airbridge	Description
country	Client IP Country	Country name
country code	Country	ISO 3166-1 alpha-2 country codes (Example: us, gb, kr, vn)
region	Client IP Subdivision	States, provinces, prefectures (Example: utah)
metro	Client IP City	Primary metropolitan areas or major cities (Example: salt lake city)

Data updates: Digital Element typically updates the table that maps IP addresses to geographic locations once a week to maintain location data accuracy.

AttentionFor the United Kingdom’s country code, note that Digital Element’s database uses uk, but Airbridge uses gb in accordance with ISO 3166.

Factors Affecting Location Data Accuracy

While Airbridge strives to determine user locations as accurately as possible, the following factors can affect the accuracy of geographic location data.

Using VPNs

When users are connected to a Virtual Private Network (VPN), their actual IP address is masked and location is determined based on the VPN server’s location rather than their actual physical location.

Privacy Features

Privacy enhancement features such as Apple’s iOS 15 Private Relay can obscure users’ actual IP addresses, leading to less accurate or different location data.

Data Discrepancies with Other Platforms

There may be some discrepancies between user location data determined by Airbridge and location data collected by other platforms such as other MMPs, ad channels, and analytics systems.

Database Synchronization Timing

Digital Element continuously updates its database. Location data discrepancies may occur when Airbridge and other platforms sync with Digital Element’s data at different times.

IP Address Reassignment

Internet Service Providers (ISPs) frequently reassign IP addresses. Although Digital Element updates their database regularly, temporary location data discrepancies may occur during the brief period before these changes are applied to all systems.

Platform Configuration Variations

Each platform may use different service tiers of Digital Element or employ different device identification methods, resulting in discrepancies during the location data determination process.

Masked Network Traffic

VPNs or proxy servers mask users’ actual IP addresses. In this case, location is determined based on the VPN or proxy server’s location, creating location data discrepancies with systems that have access to unmasked actual IP addresses.