Mobile Install Attribution Setup: MMP Integration

Install Attribution Setup

We have configured attribution for 50+ mobile apps — from fintech startups to gaming with budgets ranging from 500,000 to 10 million rubles per month. Typical pain: the ad budget is spread across five channels (Google UAC, Meta Ads, TikTok, Telegram, ASA), installs are happening, conversions exist, but marketing doesn't know which channel brought the buyer. Without proper attribution, up to 40% of the budget (e.g., 120,000 out of 300,000 rubles) goes to bots and non-targeted installs. Our guarantee: transparent reporting per installer and cost savings.

How Attribution Works: MMP in the Middle of the Chain

Mobile Measurement Partner — an independent third party between ad networks and your app. Principle: user clicks on an ad — MMP records the click with campaign parameters. After installation, the app SDK matches the device with the saved click and attributes it to the source. Key players: AppsFlyer, Adjust, Branch, Kochava. For Russia, AppsFlyer and Adjust are the standard.

Matching mechanics after iOS 14.5 split:

• Deterministic (exact): via SKAdNetwork postbacks — when the user granted ATT permission
• Probabilistic (probabilistic): via fingerprint (IP + User-Agent + click time) — without ATT, accuracy 60–70%

On Android, Google Play Referrer API provides an accurate attribution token without permissions.

How to Integrate AppsFlyer SDK on iOS and Android

iOS (Swift)

// AppDelegate.swift import AppsFlyerLib func application(_ application: UIApplication, didFinishLaunchingWithOptions launchOptions: [UIApplication.LaunchOptionsKey: Any]?) -> Bool { AppsFlyerLib.shared().appsFlyerDevKey = "YOUR_DEV_KEY" AppsFlyerLib.shared().appleAppID = "123456789" AppsFlyerLib.shared().delegate = self AppsFlyerLib.shared().isDebug = false // dev only return true } func applicationDidBecomeActive(_ application: UIApplication) { AppsFlyerLib.shared().start() // after ATT response } 

According to the official AppsFlyer documentation (AppsFlyer Developer Guide), start() should not be called before ATT response — otherwise Apple will block the postback. Correct sequence: show ATT → wait for response → call start().

Android (Kotlin)

AppsFlyerLib.getInstance().init("YOUR_DEV_KEY", object : AppsFlyerConversionListener { override fun onConversionDataSuccess(data: Map<String, Any>) { val campaign = data["campaign"] as? String val mediaSource = data["media_source"] as? String // "googleadwords_int" for Google UAC } override fun onConversionDataFail(error: String) {} override fun onAppOpenAttribution(data: Map<String, Any>) {} override fun onAttributionFailure(error: String) {} }, this) AppsFlyerLib.getInstance().start(this) 

On Android, add the dependency com.android.installreferrer:installreferrer:2.2 — without it, Google UAC attribution will be probabilistic.

Why Postbacks Are Critical for Ad Campaign Optimization

Without postbacks, ad networks do not receive signals about target events (purchase, registration). Google UAC and Meta optimize for install, not in-app events. Setting up postbacks to each network is mandatory. A typical mistake: not specifying the event_name for purchase in the Meta postback, causing the network to consider just an install as a conversion. The cost of fixing such an error is 10,000 to 30,000 rubles per day of wasted budget.

Deeplink Attribution: Where It Often Breaks

OneLink (AppsFlyer) / Universal Links / App Links allow attributing not only the install but also a specific deeplink. A user clicks a link in Telegram, installs the app, and lands on the correct screen with proper attribution.

Typical errors:

• Universal Links stop working after an app update — the apple-app-site-association file is not updated or the Bundle ID changed.
• Missing onAppOpenAttribution — repeat deeplink visits are not attributed.
• On Android, no intent-filter for App Links is specified, and the system opens the browser instead of the app.

MMP Comparison: AppsFlyer vs Adjust vs Branch

Our experience: for fintech with high cost per install, AppsFlyer is better due to more accurate anti-fraud. For e-commerce with deep deeplinking, Branch provides better user experience.

Integration Process

Verifying Attribution Correctness

What's Included in the Work

• MMP selection and licensing (if required)
• SDK integration on both platforms (iOS + Android)
• ATT flow and SKAdNetwork configuration
• Postback setup for 3+ ad networks
• Deeplink attribution implementation (OneLink / Branch Links)
• Testing and verification

Guarantee: we provide a test report and postback verification. Our engineers are certified in AppsFlyer and Adjust.

Timelines and Cost

• Basic MMP integration on both platforms: 3–5 days
• With deeplink and all ad postbacks: up to 7 days
• Cost is estimated individually — contact us for an assessment. The budget typically varies depending on complexity.

Mistakes to Avoid

• Calling start() before ATT — Apple blocks postbacks.
• Missing onAppOpenAttribution handler — loss of repeat visit attribution.
• Ignoring Apple App Site Association — Universal Links fail.
• Incorrect event name in postback — network does not optimize for the target action.
• Using a single postback URL for all networks — each network requires its own format.

Order attribution integration — we will set up the MMP for your stack and ad channels in 5–7 days. Get a consultation for your project.