Awin-Access App Tracking Guide
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Awin Access UK - Mobile App Tracking Guide
This guide includes the considerations and steps needed to implement Mobile App Tracking via 3rd party providers.
Mobile App Tracking Considerations
In order to get started, there are a few things you need to take into consideration for Mobile App Tracking:
- 1 - SDK setup with an MMP provider
- 2 - Confirm what app-based event you wish to track and commission
- 3 - Confirm desired user journey for non-app users
- 4 - Purchasing our Premium Support package if you do not have a web developer
1 - SDK setup with an MMP provider
Firstly, you will need to consider which 3rd party MMP provider you would like to work with to track installs and in-app purchases for iOS and Android platforms. Awin works with the following MMPs partners, more information can be found on their websites linked below and this guide.
Once you have chosen your MMP/SDK provider you will need to liaise with them to begin the implementation of the Awin tracking to integrate your app. You can find the contact information for each provider in the table below.
Note: If you are already working with one of the MMPs mentioned above, please refer to their integration guide as shown in this guide.
2 - Confirm what app-based event you wish to track and commission
Next, you need to consider the event you wish to track. Events are activities that take place in-app by the user. For example, this could be an app install or an in-app sale. If your main goal is to drive installs, then the event you track is called installs. If your main goal is to drive in-app sales, we advise tracking sales.
Note: you will only be able to track one event on the Awin Access self-managed solution.
3 - Confirm desired user journey for non-app users
Lastly, you will need to consider the user journey. One setup would be to direct users who already have your app installed to the app store and send those who don’t to your mobile website (m-web). If you’re looking to increase your app usage and installs, this can be incorporated into the user journey by using interstitial pages or m-web banners. This will give your users the option to go to the app store to download your app to continue their journey on your app.
Note: non-app users should always have the option to continue on m-web.
4 - Purchasing a Consulted Support package
Integrating app tracking can be complex and will require a developer or someone with expert knowledge to set this up. Clients who need additional support with setting up the Mobile App Tracking can utilise a Consulted Integration. Our technical integration team will be able to provide consultation support on your app tracking integration. More details of this service can be found here.
Choosing your Integration Partner
Listed below are the providers Awin already has existing relationships with, as well as, integrations guides available. You’re not limited to this list, however, MMP/SDK’s outside of this list do not have integration guides available. If this is the case, you would be advised to select the Premium Integration service.
| Service Provider | Awin Module | Dynamic Deep Linking | App Download Interstitial | Contact |
| Appsflyer | yes | yes | yes | click here |
| Adjust | yes | yes | no | support@adjust.com |
| Button | No | Yes | Yes | click here |
| Branch | Yes | Yes | Yes | awin@branch.io |
Appsflyer
- Secure & extensive data on customers and channels
- Attribution, analytics, aggregation, fraud prevention, audience segmentation, deep linking and data streams
- Over 89,000 apps use Appsflyer globally
- 12,000 clients
- 6,000 technology providers
- Lots of different pricing plans – flexible pricing
Adjust
- Unified, protected & customisable data
- Attribution, automation, analytics, fraud prevention and audience building capabilities
- Over 32,000 apps use Adjust globally
- Simple integration with open-source SDK
- Pricing based on install volume & features
- Awin preferential rates available:
- 3-month free trial for 12-month contract, 4-months free for 24-month contract
- Up to 23% off pricing tiers
Button
- Specialise in app tracking for affiliates (not an MMP)
- Integrated with Adjust, Appsflyer, Singular and Branch
- There is no integration between Button and Awin
- Awin preferential rates available
- Charge an override fee and CPI – the % amount is based on the advertiser’s size
Branch
- Attribution, universal ads, universal email, analytics, fraud protection, deep linking, data feeds, content sharing, quick links, custom onboarding, text-me-the-app, deepviews (app content pre-install), organic search
- Uses deterministic web cookie & device ID to provide full customer journeys
- Dynamic postbacks available
- Awin is on their ‘Certified Partner Programme’
- Over 50,000 apps use Branch globally
- Advocates for privacy, transparency and security
- Charges based on an advertiser’s MAU
App Tracking Integration Guides
The below technical integration guides define all the necessary steps to complete Mobile App Tracking.
| Service Provider | SDK Integration Guides | Awin Integration Guides |
| Appsflyer | Appsflyer Guide | Awin Guide |
| Adjust | Adjust Guide | Awin Guide |
| Button | Button Guide | Awin Guide |
| Branch | Branch Guide | Awin Guide |
Once you have successfully integrated your app contact global-technicalclientintegration@awin.com with your account name and Advertiser ID to confirm you’ve completed the tracking setup for Mobile Application. A member of the team will be able to provide a test transaction link and further instrutions on how to test your app tracking.
Clients who need additional support with setting up the Mobile App Tracking can utilise the Consulted Integration service. Our technical integration team will be able to provide consultation support on your app tracking integration. More details of this service can be found here.
App Tracking Badge on Awin's UI
Once the integration is complete and because of the growing importance that app tracking is having across the industry, it is important to give publishers insight into which advertisers have implemented this tracking type. At Awin, there is a badge indicating an advertiser's app tracking status within their profile page as well as the ability to filter by 'app tracking' within the advertiser directory. See below:
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Jargon Buster
App Download Interstitial: An interstitial webpage (or interstitial) is a web page displayed before or after an expected content page, often to display advertising or confirm the user's age (prior to showing age-restricted material). Awin Module: Module partners are integrated in the MMP’s backend, advertisers simply plug & play via their MMPs platform
Commission group: Commissions can be divided into groups in order to reward different amounts for different items purchased. For example, Play.com sell a variety of products which have varying levels of margin. They have established separate commission groups for DVD, CD, Games, Clothing, Electricals, Mobile, Books, Computing, Gadgets and Games Consoles. This allows them greater control of their ROI as well as granular reporting on category performance by publisher. The commission group "code" is passed to Awin for each item in the customers basket within the "aw_parts" parameter in the tracking tag.
De-Duplication: De-duplication is the process of attributing a sale to one online marketing channel on predefined conditions, these conditions will decide which tracking tag is shown at the confirmation of sale page. Example: Where an advertiser runs their programme on two networks, de-duplication is essential to prevent paying for the same sale twice. This can occur when a customer has visited publisher sites from both networks, and ends up with two publisher network cookies on their computer. Using automatic de-duplication, the advertiser only displays the tracking for the network that last referred the customer. Therefore, only one network receives notification of the sale, thus removing the need to decline duplicate sales manually at the validations stage.
Dynamic Deep Linking: Dynamic Links are smart URLs that allow you to send existing and potential users to any location within your iOS or Android app. They survive the app install process, so even new users see the content they're looking for when they open the app for the first time. With Dynamic Links, you can seamlessly transition users from your mobile website to the equivalent content within your app.
MMP: a mobile measurement partner and is an independent third-party platform that tracks, organises, and visualises mobile app data to give marketers a unified view of campaign performance across channels and partners.
Postback: Track either the installation of apps or sales. This is to be used in combination with commission groups to set the commission values for either event. The 3rd party would need to set up these commission groups to pass back in the postback URL from their side. Upon clickthrough and completion of an app install or in-app sale, the 3rd party will then fire our tracking code with the click checksum against that which they have matched in the event. Thus this will track into our system.
SDK: stands for software development kit and is a toolkit that app developers use to build apps using some prebuilt components instead of having to build each of those components themselves. SDKs are designed to work with specific operating systems, hardware, or computing languages.
For more information please view our App Tracking Guidelines & Best Practice Guide here.