With SplitMetrics Acquire, you can control all levels of your user acquisition funnel on a single dashboard since our platform receives and displays data from two integration partners: Apple Ads and Mobile Measurement Partner (MMP).
When comparing statistics from the above systems, firstly it is important to consider the difference in attribution methodology that can result in discrepancies.
Below are the main points on how Apple Ads and MMP work that help understand why data discrepancies occur.
🔹 Different logic for counting conversions
Apple Ads | MMPs |
Counts users based on Downloads (Download = Clicking GET on App Store)
| Count users based on the first app opening. |
❗If a user installs an app and then deletes it without launching, Apple Ads will count an install, but there won't be installs on your MMP and SplitMetrics Acquire dashboards.
🔹 Supporting Limit ad tracking (LAT) and App tracking transparency (ATT)
Apple Ads | MMPs |
Always counts the conversion. If your campaign is limited by age and gender, LAT users are excluded from the campaign. Apple users younger than 18 are always LAT. | With IDFA (Identifier for Advertisers), identify the re-install.
Without IDFA, can rely on IDFV (ID for Vendors) to determine whether this is a re-install or a new install. |
🔹 Supporting Iad and AdService Framework
Apple Ads | MMPs |
Apple Ads is a Self-Attributed Network (SAN), meaning it attributes its traffic without third-party mobile measurement partners. | MMPs receive confirmation of the attribution from Apple Ads using two attribution frameworks: iAd Framework and AdService.
Apple returns different attribution information depending on the iOS version and the user's permission to access IDFA. For example, unlike iAd Framework, Ad Service can attribute users who haven't permitted tracking. Some data may go to organics if all the necessary frameworks are not integrated.
You can read more on our blog. |
🔹 Different definitions of "Redownload"
Examples:
1. After installing an app, a user deletes it, clicks an Ad in Search results, and installs the same app again.
2. After installing an app to iPhone, a user clicks an Ad in Search results from their Ipad and installs the app to Ipad.
Apple Ads | MMPs |
Apple Ads stores redownload in both cases. | Don't have the same parameter as Apple Ads has for counting redownloads and can count as:
With IDFA, MMP identifies the re-install. Without IDFA, MMP can rely on IDFV to determine whether this is a re-install or a new install. However, IDFV changes with each reinstallation of the application so that every new reset can lead to new installs in the MMP. |
🔹 Using winning attribution model
Apple Ads | MMPs |
If a user engages and downloads the app, Apple Ads always attributes them to itself. | Have visibility across multiple networks and attribute traffic according to the last click (probabilistic) method. |
🔹 Different click attribution lookback window
Apple Ads | MMPs |
It has a fixed 30-day window, meaning that a user can be attributed to Apple Ads within 30 days after clicking the ad. Apple Ads will not count an install if the user clicks the GET button after 30 days. | Each MMP has its own click lookback window settings. Most often, default MMP click lookback window = 7 days. |
Note. The click lookback window runs based on a click (tap)date.
To learn more about discrepancies, read Reasons for data discrepancy between SplitMetrics Acquire and Mobile Measurement Partners.