Mobile Attribution: Complete Guide to App Install Tracking in 2026

# Mobile Attribution: Complete Guide to App Install Tracking in 2026

Mobile attribution is the backbone of app marketing analytics. Without it, you're flying blind—spending money on ads without knowing which campaigns actually drive installs and revenue.

What is Mobile Attribution?

Mobile attribution is the process of identifying which marketing touchpoint (ad, campaign, channel) led a user to install your app and take subsequent actions.

How Mobile Attribution Works

User sees an ad (impression tracked)

User clicks the ad (click tracked with device info)

User installs the app (install attributed to click/impression)

User takes actions (events attributed to original source)

Attribution Windows

Window Type	Typical Duration	Use Case
Click-through	7-30 days	Standard attribution
View-through	1-24 hours	Impression-based
Re-engagement	7 days	Retargeting campaigns

Mobile Measurement Partners (MMPs)

What is an MMP?

A Mobile Measurement Partner is a third-party platform that tracks, attributes, and reports on app installs and in-app events across all your marketing channels.

Popular MMPs Compared

MMP	Pricing Model	Best For
AppsFlyer	Per-attribution event ($0.05-0.12)	Enterprise apps
Adjust	Tiered subscription	Mid-market
Branch	Freemium + enterprise	Deep linking focus
Singular	Attribution + cost aggregation	Performance marketers
Kochava	Per-event or subscription	Gaming apps
AdBid	FREE attribution included	All app sizes

AppsFlyer vs Adjust vs AdBid

AppsFlyer Pricing:

Charges $0.05-0.12 per attribution event
1M events = $50,000+/month
Enterprise features require expensive tiers

Adjust Pricing:

Tiered subscription model
Features locked behind tiers
Additional costs for fraud prevention

AdBid Advantage:

FREE attribution with all plans
No per-event fees
Fraud prevention included
Full feature access

iOS Attribution: SKAdNetwork (SKAN)

What is SKAdNetwork?

Apple's SKAdNetwork is a privacy-preserving attribution framework that provides aggregated, delayed attribution data without user-level tracking.

SKAN 4.0 Key Features

Multiple Postbacks (up to 3 per install)

Hierarchical Conversion Values (coarse + fine)

Web-to-App Attribution support

Crowd Anonymity Tiers (more data with scale)

SKAN Best Practices

Plan your conversion value schema carefully

Use all 64 values efficiently

Test with SKAN testing profiles

Implement server-to-server postbacks

Account for null values in reporting

Android Attribution

Google Play Install Referrer

Android attribution is more straightforward than iOS:

Click URL contains campaign parameters

Google Play stores referrer data

App retrieves referrer at first launch

MMP attributes install to campaign

Google Privacy Sandbox

Google is developing privacy-preserving attribution for Android:

Attribution Reporting API (similar to SKAN)
Topics API for interest-based targeting
Protected Audience API for retargeting

Deep Linking for Attribution

What is Deep Linking?

Deep links take users directly to specific in-app content, improving user experience and attribution accuracy.

Deep Link Types

Type	Works When App Is...	Use Case
Standard	Installed	In-app navigation
Deferred	Not installed	New user acquisition
Contextual	Either	Personalized onboarding

Attribution Models

Last-Touch Attribution

How it works: Credit goes to the last ad clicked before install. Pros: Simple, clear, industry standard Cons: Ignores upper-funnel influence

Multi-Touch Attribution

How it works: Credit distributed across multiple touchpoints.

Model	Distribution
Linear	Equal credit to all
Time-decay	More to recent touches
Position-based	40% first, 20% middle, 40% last
Data-driven	ML-determined weights

Fraud Prevention

Common Mobile Ad Fraud Types

Fraud Type	Description	Detection
Click Injection	Fake clicks before install	Time-to-install analysis
Click Flooding	Mass fake clicks	Click-to-install ratio
Device Farms	Real devices, fake users	Behavioral analysis
SDK Spoofing	Fake install signals	Server validation

Fraud Prevention Strategies

Use MMP fraud detection

Set click-to-install time thresholds

Monitor anomalies in real-time

Validate postbacks server-side

Block known fraud sources

Key Metrics to Track

Metric	Formula	Good Benchmark
CPI	Spend / Installs	Varies by vertical
ROAS	Revenue / Spend	>100%
LTV:CAC	Lifetime Value / Acquisition Cost	>3:1
Retention D1	D1 Active / Installs	>40%
Retention D7	D7 Active / Installs	>20%

Privacy and Compliance

Key Requirements

GDPR: Consent before tracking (EU)
CCPA: Opt-out disclosure (California)
ATT: iOS tracking prompt (Apple)

Key Takeaways

Mobile attribution is essential for optimizing UA spend

MMPs simplify multi-network tracking

SKAN changes iOS attribution fundamentally

Fraud prevention protects your budget

Privacy compliance is non-negotiable

Free attribution exists (AdBid includes it!)

Conclusion

Mobile attribution has become more complex with privacy changes, but it remains critical for app marketing success. Whether you're paying per-event with AppsFlyer or using free attribution with AdBid, the goal is the same: understand which marketing efforts drive real business results.

Ready for free mobile attribution? Try AdBid's attribution features →