NoteThis article aims to assist Airbridge users and media partners in gaining a better understanding of SKAN and how to measure SKAN data using Airbridge. Please note that the information provided is subject to change based on Apple’s policies.
About App Tracking Transparency
What is App Tracking Transparency (ATT)?
What is App Tracking Transparency (ATT)?
The App Tracking Transparency (ATT) framework is Apple’s privacy-preserving policy implemented for iOS 14.5 and later versions. According to this policy, apps must get confirmation from users that they allow data tracking before being able to collect identifiers such as IDFA and IDFV. For more details, refer to this article from Apple.
Opt-in and Opt-outThe opt-in policy requires user consent before collecting user data. The default mode is “Don’t allow” tracking data.The opt-out policy allows the collection of user information until the user explicitly declines. The default mode is “Allow” tracking data.
What restrictions are there when a user does not allow IDFA collection?
What restrictions are there when a user does not allow IDFA collection?
If a user does not allow data tracking, the IDFA can’t be collected, and device-level attribution is not possible.App-to-app campaigns can be measured using SKAN if the ad channel supports SKAN, regardless of whether the user has opted in or out of data tracking. However, even with SKAN, web-to-app campaigns and re-engagement campaigns can’t be measured.
Can I use deep links for iOS campaigns?
Can I use deep links for iOS campaigns?
The deep linking capabilities of the tracking links are independent of ATT or SKAN, and all users will be redirected to the intended in-app page when clicking the deep link.However, device-level attribution is possible only for users who allow data tracking. Installs of users who don’t allow data tracking will be reported as organic installs.
Is device-level attribution possible for all users of my app who allows data tracking?
Is device-level attribution possible for all users of my app who allows data tracking?
Your app users that allow data tracking must also have allowed data tracking in the apps that carry the ad that leads to the install of your app. Refer to the following table.
Does the Active Users Report show data of users who didn’t allow IDFA collection?
Does the Active Users Report show data of users who didn’t allow IDFA collection?
Yes, you can view Active Users report results regardless of whether IDFA collection is allowed. The Active Users report identifies users by the Airbridge Device ID (User Count), which prioritizes IDFV and, when neither IDFV nor IDFA is collected, uses a Random Generated UUID assigned by the Airbridge SDK.
When should the ATT prompt be displayed to the user?
When should the ATT prompt be displayed to the user?
The ATT prompt is a modal that asks users whether they want to allow the collection of personal information and the tracking of user activity.The ATT prompt must be displayed before sending the app install event to Airbridge. If the ATT prompt is displayed after sending the Install event, it may be considered “unattributed,” even if the IDFA is collected. This is because the Install event, which is a Target Event, is already sent before the user interacts with the ATT prompt.When the Install event is sent too late, Subsequent Events may not be collected, or the attribution credit may be assigned to the wrong ad channel.Make sure to display the ATT prompt at an appropriate time so that the Install event is sent to Airbridge not too soon and the Subsequent Events are not missed. The timing of sending the Install event can be delayed using the Tracking Authorize Timeout function.
How can I test the ATT prompt?
How can I test the ATT prompt?
Refer to the instructions below for testing the ATT prompt.Scenario 1: User allows tracking
- Delete the app.
- Reinstall the app.
- Click Allow on the ATT prompt.
- Find the Install event log on the [Raw Data]>[App Real-time Log] page in the Airbridge dashboard.
- Check whether the
device.appTrackingTransparencyvalue of the Install event is 3 (authorized). - Check whether
device.ifaof the Install event is collected.
- Delete the app.
- Reinstall the app.
- Click Don’t Allow Tracking on the ATT prompt.
- Find the Install event log on the [Raw Data]>[App Real-time Log] page in the Airbridge dashboard.
- Check whether the
device.appTrackingTransparencyvalue of the Install event is 2 (denied). - Check whether
device.ifaof the Install event is not collected.
Understanding SKAN
Q. Can I track campaign data from devices with earlier iOS versions than iOS 14.0 via SKAN?
Q. Can I track campaign data from devices with earlier iOS versions than iOS 14.0 via SKAN?
SKAN 3.0 supports iOS 14.0 and later, and SKAN 4.0 supports iOS 16.1 and later.
Q. Does SKAN collect campaign data from devices only when users have opted into the ATT prompt?
Q. Does SKAN collect campaign data from devices only when users have opted into the ATT prompt?
SKAN and ATT are separate systems, and there is no direct correlation between the two frameworks because they are built on different objectives.SKadNetwork(SKAN) allows for tracking app install campaigns without compromising users’ private information, whereas App Tracking Transparency (ATT) empowers users to decide whether they want to allow the app to track their activity across other companies’ apps and websites.This means that apps can collect the IDFA of a device and attribute installs when the user is opted into the ATT prompt, regardless of SKAN. At the same time, install campaign data can be tracked via SKAN regardless of ATT.
Q. What is the Source App ID? Does it mean something is wrong if I don’t receive it?
Q. What is the Source App ID? Does it mean something is wrong if I don’t receive it?
The Source App ID is the App Store ID of the source app that displayed the ad. The source App ID is part of the data contained in SKAN 3.0 postback. If the number of app installs in a day doesn’t exceed Apple’s threshold, the Source App ID and conversion values won’t be sent via postback.
About SKAN Conversion Value
Q. Can I measure re-engagement campaigns via SKAN?
Q. Can I measure re-engagement campaigns via SKAN?
Not yet. SKAN 3.0 and SKAN 4.0 send postbacks that contain data from users who install apps after engaging with an ad.
Q. I haven’t updated the Airbridge iOS SDK yet. Can I configure the conversion value before updating the SDK?
Q. I haven’t updated the Airbridge iOS SDK yet. Can I configure the conversion value before updating the SDK?
Yes, you can, but it is not recommended.
Q. I have configured the SKAN conversion values, but I can’t see the SKAN event data in the reports.
Q. I have configured the SKAN conversion values, but I can’t see the SKAN event data in the reports.
According to Apple’s SKAN privacy threshold policy, SKAN sends postbacks with null conversion values if the number of daily installs does not reach a certain threshold. Refer to this article for more details.
About SKAN Data in Airbridge
Q. How is the timestamp of the SKAN events in Airbridge recorded?
Q. How is the timestamp of the SKAN events in Airbridge recorded?
The timestamp of SKAN events you see is the timestamp of events contained in the SKAN postback sent to Airbridge from ad channels.
Q. How are the “SKAN Installs (App)” events and “SKAN Re-installs (App)” events different?
Q. How are the “SKAN Installs (App)” events and “SKAN Re-installs (App)” events different?
The number of “SKAN Install (App)” event is the total number of installs measured via SKAN. The number of “SKAN Re-install (App)” event is the number of installs performed by users before. The user’s Apple ID is used to determine whether an install is a re-install.So, for example, 10 “SKAN Install (App)” events and 2 “SKAN Re-install (App)” events means 8 new installs and 2 re-installs.
Q. The number of app installs measured via SKAN is smaller than expected. Could there be a reason behind this?
Q. The number of app installs measured via SKAN is smaller than expected. Could there be a reason behind this?
The following limitations in SKAN could be the reason:
- SKAN does not support web-to-app install tracking and probabilistic attribution.
- SKAN 3.0 and 4.0 do not support re-engagement campaigns.
- SKAN 3.0 sends postbacks within a time window of 24 to 48 hours after the app installation. Therefore, it may take up to 48 hours for the data to become available in Airbridge.
About Switching the Dashboard from SKAN 3.0 version to SKAN 4.0 version
Can I continue measuring campaigns using SKAN 3.0 even after ad channels start supporting SKAN 4.0?
Can I continue measuring campaigns using SKAN 3.0 even after ad channels start supporting SKAN 4.0?
Yes, you can, as long as the ad channels continue to support SKAN 3.0. To confirm whether specific ad channels support SKAN 3.0, contact each ad channel individually.
The [SKAN Conversion Value] settings page of my Airbridge dashboard is switched to the SKAN 4.0 version. Will I be unable to track campaign data from ad channels that support only SKAN 3.0?
The [SKAN Conversion Value] settings page of my Airbridge dashboard is switched to the SKAN 4.0 version. Will I be unable to track campaign data from ad channels that support only SKAN 3.0?
You can still track SKAN 3.0 data as long as the ad channels support SKAN 3.0.The SKAN 3.0 conversion values are the fine conversion values in SKAN 4.0. Configuring the fine conversion value settings in your Airbridge dashboard on the [SKAN Conversion Value] settings page for SKAN 4.0 is the same as configuring the conversion values on the [SKAN Conversion Value] settings page for SKAN 3.0.
Q. Do I have to switch the [SKAN Conversion Value] settings page of my Airbridge dashboard to the SKAN 4.0 version?
Q. Do I have to switch the [SKAN Conversion Value] settings page of my Airbridge dashboard to the SKAN 4.0 version?
If you want to track SKAN 3.0 data only, there is no hurry in switching the settings page to the SKAN 4.0 version.If you run campaigns on ad channels that support SKAN 4.0, switching the settings page to the SKAN 4.0 version allows you to configure the coarse conversion values and get more campaign data, such as in-app event data from the second and third postbacks, and also determine whether the events attributed by SKAN have also been attributed by Airbridge using IDFA.As major ad channels are rolling out their plans to support SKAN 4.0, we recommend switching to SKAN 4.0 to stay ahead of the game and be prepared for SKAN 4.0. Refer to this article to fulfill the prerequisites for the switch.
Q. The [SKAN Conversion Value] settings page of my Airbridge dashboard is the SKAN 4.0 version. Can I switch it back to the SKAN 3.0 version?
Q. The [SKAN Conversion Value] settings page of my Airbridge dashboard is the SKAN 4.0 version. Can I switch it back to the SKAN 3.0 version?
No, you can’t switch back, and there is no reason to switch back because the SKAN 3.0 conversion values are the fine conversion values in SKAN 4.0. Configuring the fine conversion value settings in your Airbridge dashboard on the [SKAN Conversion Value] settings page for SKAN 4.0 is the same as configuring the conversion values on the [SKAN Conversion Value] settings page for SKAN 3.0.
Data Discrepancy
The SKAN data in Meta Ad Manager and Airbridge appear to be different. Why is it so?
The SKAN data in Meta Ad Manager and Airbridge appear to be different. Why is it so?
The difference in data may be due to the mapping of Airbridge events to Meta ads events. Refer to the article below to learn more.Another reason why you may see different results is because the way SKAN data is displayed differs between Meta Ad Manager and Airbridge. Meta Ad Manager displays click-through attribution data in the SKAN data fields and shows view-through attribution data when hovering over the values. Airbridge, however, displays the sum of the click-through and view-through attribution data.If you want to view the SKAN data in Airbridge the same way you view them in the Meta Ad Manager, add the following filters in your Actuals Report to display click-through attribution data only.
- Filter 1:
Channelisfacebook.business - Filter 2:
Is View-throughisfalse