What is Mobile Attribution?

Mobile attribution is the process of determining which marketing campaign, channel, or touchpoint caused a user to install your mobile app or take an action within it. It answers the critical question: "What drove this user to install my app?"

The Problem Mobile Attribution Solves

Without attribution, you're flying blind:

• ❌ You don't know which ads actually drive installs
• ❌ You can't calculate ROI for marketing spend
• ❌ You waste budget on ineffective campaigns
• ❌ You can't optimize campaigns based on performance

With mobile attribution:

• ✅ Know exactly which campaigns drive installs
• ✅ Calculate precise ROI for every dollar spent
• ✅ Optimize budget allocation to best-performing channels
• ✅ Track the complete user journey from ad to install to conversion

Example:

You spend $10,000 on ads across:
- Instagram: $4,000
- Facebook: $3,000
- TikTok: $2,000
- Google: $1,000

Without attribution: You have 1,000 installs. No idea which channel worked.

With attribution:
- Instagram: 600 installs ($6.67 per install) ← Best performer
- Facebook: 250 installs ($12 per install)
- TikTok: 100 installs ($20 per install) ← Worst performer
- Google: 50 installs ($20 per install)

Action: Shift TikTok budget to Instagram. Save $4,000, get 1,200 installs.

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How Mobile Attribution Works

The Attribution Flow

1. User sees ad/link → Clicks
2. Attribution platform records click (fingerprint created)
3. User downloads app from App Store/Google Play
4. User opens app for first time
5. SDK contacts attribution platform
6. Platform matches install to original click (via fingerprint)
7. Install attributed to campaign

What Gets Tracked

Click Event:

• Timestamp of click
• Device information (IP, user agent, screen size, language, timezone)
• Traffic source (Instagram, Facebook, email, etc.)
• Campaign details (UTM parameters)
• Geographic location

Install Event:

• Timestamp of first app open
• Device information (same data points)
• App version
• OS version

Attribution Match:

• Compare click data to install data
• If fingerprints match → Install attributed to that click
• If no match → Labeled as "organic" install

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Attribution Models Explained

1. Last-Click Attribution

How it works: Credit goes to the last marketing touchpoint before install.

Example:

User journey:
1. Sees Facebook ad (doesn't click)
2. Sees Instagram ad → Clicks
3. Installs app

Attribution: Instagram gets 100% credit

Pros:

• ✅ Simple to understand and implement
• ✅ Clear cause-and-effect

Cons:

• ❌ Ignores earlier touchpoints that may have influenced decision
• ❌ Over-credits final touch

Best for: Simple campaigns, direct response marketing

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2. Multi-Touch Attribution

How it works: Credit is distributed across multiple touchpoints in the user journey.

Example:

User journey:
1. Sees Facebook ad → Clicks (but doesn't install)
2. Sees email campaign → Clicks (but doesn't install)
3. Sees Instagram ad → Clicks → Installs

Attribution:
- Facebook: 30% credit
- Email: 30% credit
- Instagram: 40% credit (higher as final touch)

Pros:

• ✅ More accurate picture of user journey
• ✅ Credits all influencing touchpoints

Cons:

• ❌ More complex to implement
• ❌ Requires tracking multiple clicks per user

Best for: Complex marketing funnels, brand awareness campaigns

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3. Fingerprint Attribution

How it works: Matches installs to clicks by creating a device fingerprint (combination of device characteristics).

Fingerprint components:

• IP address
• User agent (device model, OS version, browser)
• Screen resolution
• Language settings
• Timezone
• ISP information

Example:

Click fingerprint:
{
  ip: "192.168.1.100",
  userAgent: "iPhone 15 Pro, iOS 17.2",
  screen: "1179x2556",
  language: "en-US",
  timezone: "America/Los_Angeles"
}

Install fingerprint (same user):
{
  ip: "192.168.1.100",
  userAgent: "iPhone 15 Pro, iOS 17.2",
  screen: "1179x2556",
  language: "en-US",
  timezone: "America/Los_Angeles"
}

Match confidence: 95% → Install attributed to click

Accuracy:

• ✅ 70-80% accuracy with good fingerprinting (like LinkForty)
• ✅ No user consent required (no personal data)
• ✅ Works post-iOS 14.5 (no IDFA needed)

Pros:

• ✅ Privacy-friendly (no persistent IDs)
• ✅ Works without user permission
• ✅ GDPR compliant

Cons:

• ❌ Not 100% accurate (can have false positives)
• ❌ Less accurate on shared IPs (WiFi networks)

Best for: Privacy-first platforms (like LinkForty), post-ATT era

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4. Device ID Attribution (Declining)

How it works: Matches using persistent device identifiers (IDFA on iOS, GAID on Android).

What changed:

• iOS 14.5+ (April 2021): Apple requires user permission to access IDFA
• Result: ~70% of iOS users decline permission (can't be tracked this way)
• Android: Google plans similar restrictions

Accuracy:

• ✅ 95-100% when user grants permission
• ❌ 0% when user declines permission (most users)

Current state: Declining effectiveness, fingerprinting is the replacement

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Attribution Windows

The attribution window is the time period during which a click can be credited for an install.

Example with 7-day window:

Day 1: User clicks ad
Day 2-7: User can install → Click gets credit
Day 8+: User installs → Labeled as "organic" (window expired)

Common Attribution Windows

Window	Use Case
24 hours	Direct response campaigns (strong intent)
7 days	Industry standard (most platforms)
14 days	Consideration products (requires research)
30 days	High-ticket items (long decision process)
90 days	Complex B2B products

LinkForty default: 7 days (configurable per link)

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Privacy Considerations in Mobile Attribution

The Privacy Landscape

Before iOS 14.5 (2021):

• Apps could access IDFA without permission
• Attribution platforms tracked users across apps
• High accuracy (95%+) but privacy concerns

After iOS 14.5 (April 2021):

• Apps must ask permission (ATT framework)
• ~70% of users decline
• Attribution platforms switched to fingerprinting

GDPR (Europe, 2018):

• Personal data requires consent
• Fingerprinting allowed (not personal data)
• Users can request data deletion

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Privacy-Friendly Attribution

What LinkForty does:

• ✅ Fingerprinting only (no persistent IDs)
• ✅ No personal data collected (no names, emails, phone numbers)
• ✅ GDPR compliant (fingerprints aren't personal data)
• ✅ Data ownership (self-hosted option available)
• ✅ User deletions supported (via API)

What LinkForty doesn't do:

• ❌ No IDFA/GAID tracking
• ❌ No cross-app tracking
• ❌ No third-party data sharing
• ❌ No ad network integrations (unless you want them)

Result: 70-80% attribution accuracy with full privacy compliance

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What is an MMP (Mobile Measurement Partner)?

An MMP is a third-party platform that provides mobile attribution and analytics services.

What MMPs Provide

Core Features:

• ✅ Attribution tracking (click to install matching)
• ✅ Deep linking (route users to content)
• ✅ Analytics dashboard (campaign performance)
• ✅ Fraud detection (block fake installs)
• ✅ Ad network integrations (AppsFlyer, Branch: 500+ integrations)

Advanced Features (Enterprise MMPs):

• SKAdNetwork integration (iOS privacy-safe attribution)
• Audience segmentation
• Predictive analytics
• Custom reporting

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Types of Attribution Platforms

Enterprise MMPs

Examples: AppsFlyer, Branch, Adjust, Singular, Kochava

Pricing: Usage-based (can be expensive)

• Typical: $500-$5,000+/month depending on scale
• Some charge per install or per monthly active user (MAU)
• Enterprise contracts can reach $50,000+/year

Best for:

• Large companies (1M+ MAU)
• Complex integrations needed (500+ ad networks)
• Advanced fraud prevention critical
• Enterprise support requirements

Pros:

• ✅ Comprehensive integrations
• ✅ Advanced fraud detection
• ✅ Dedicated support

Cons:

• ❌ Expensive at scale
• ❌ Vendor lock-in
• ❌ Data stored on their servers
• ❌ Black-box attribution (can't see how it works)

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Open Source & Privacy-First Platforms

Examples: LinkForty

Pricing:

• Free (self-hosted)
• $29/month (managed cloud)

Best for:

• Privacy-conscious companies
• Cost-conscious teams
• Developers wanting control
• Companies wanting data ownership

Pros:

• ✅ Full control over data (self-host option)
• ✅ Transparent attribution (open source code)
• ✅ Privacy-first (no third-party sharing)
• ✅ Cost-effective (free or $29/month vs thousands)
• ✅ No vendor lock-in (MIT license)

Cons:

• ❌ Fewer pre-built integrations (build your own)
• ❌ Community support (not 24/7 enterprise support)
• ❌ Self-hosting requires infrastructure (if not using cloud)

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Key Metrics in Mobile Attribution

1. Install Attribution Rate

Formula: (Attributed Installs / Total Installs) × 100

Example:

• Total installs: 1,000
• Attributed installs: 750
• Organic installs: 250
• Attribution rate: 75%

Good attribution rate: 70-85%

If lower than 70%:

• Increase attribution window
• Check SDK integration
• Verify fingerprinting accuracy

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2. Cost Per Install (CPI)

Formula: Total Ad Spend / Number of Attributed Installs

Example:

• Ad spend: $10,000
• Attributed installs: 1,000
• CPI: $10

Industry benchmarks:

• Gaming: $1-$5
• E-commerce: $5-$15
• Finance/Banking: $20-$80
• Enterprise B2B: $100+

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3. Install-to-Event Rate

Formula: (Users Who Completed Event / Total Installs) × 100

Example:

• Installs: 1,000
• Users who made purchase: 100
• Install-to-purchase rate: 10%

Track events:

• Registration completed
• First purchase
• Tutorial completed
• Subscription started

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4. Return on Ad Spend (ROAS)

Formula: Revenue Generated / Ad Spend

Example:

• Ad spend: $10,000
• Revenue from those users: $30,000
• ROAS: 3x (or 300%)

Good ROAS:

• E-commerce: 3-5x
• Subscription: 2-4x
• Gaming: 1.5-3x

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How to Choose a Mobile Attribution Platform

Questions to Ask

1. What's your budget?

Limited budget (<$500/month):

• → LinkForty (free self-hosted or $29/month cloud)
• → Google Analytics for Firebase (free, basic features)

Medium budget ($500-$5,000/month):

• → LinkForty Cloud (advanced features, affordable)
• → Adjust, Branch (starter plans)

Large budget ($5,000+/month):

• → AppsFlyer, Adjust, Branch (enterprise features)

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2. How important is data privacy?

Privacy-critical (GDPR, healthcare, finance):

• → LinkForty (self-hosted, full data ownership)
• → No third-party platforms on user data

Standard privacy:

• → Any platform with GDPR compliance

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3. How much scale do you need?

Early-stage (<100K MAU):

• → LinkForty (scales easily, cost-effective)

Growth stage (100K-1M MAU):

• → LinkForty or Adjust/Branch

Enterprise (1M+ MAU):

• → AppsFlyer, Adjust, Branch (if integration needs are high)
• → LinkForty self-hosted (if cost and data ownership matter)

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4. Do you need 500+ ad network integrations?

Yes (running ads on dozens of networks):

• → AppsFlyer, Adjust, Branch

No (just Facebook, Google, Instagram):

• → LinkForty (build custom integrations as needed)

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5. Do you want to self-host?

Yes (data sovereignty, compliance):

• → LinkForty (only open-source option)

No (prefer SaaS):

• → LinkForty Cloud, AppsFlyer, Branch, Adjust

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Why LinkForty for Mobile Attribution?

Built for the Privacy-First Era

LinkForty was designed specifically for post-ATT (post-iOS 14.5) mobile attribution:

Privacy-First:

• ✅ No IDFA/GAID required
• ✅ Fingerprinting-based (70-80% accuracy)
• ✅ GDPR compliant out of the box
• ✅ No third-party data sharing
• ✅ Self-hosted option (full data ownership)

Developer-Friendly:

• ✅ Open source (MIT license)
• ✅ Simple SDK integration (5 minutes)
• ✅ React Native, iOS, Android support
• ✅ Full API access
• ✅ Clear documentation

Cost-Effective:

• ✅ Free (self-hosted forever)
• ✅ $29/month (managed cloud)
• ✅ Unlimited links
• ✅ No per-install pricing
• ✅ No surprise overages

Full-Featured:

• ✅ Install attribution (fingerprint-based)
• ✅ Deferred deep linking (70%+ accuracy)
• ✅ Universal Links / App Links (auto-generated files)
• ✅ Campaign tracking (UTM parameters)
• ✅ Analytics dashboard
• ✅ QR code generation
• ✅ Webhooks for real-time events
• ✅ Team collaboration (cloud)
• ✅ Custom domains (cloud)

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LinkForty vs Enterprise MMPs

Feature	LinkForty	AppsFlyer/Branch/Adjust
Pricing	Free or $29/month	$500-$5,000+/month
Attribution Method	Fingerprinting (70-80%)	Fingerprinting + IDFA (varies)
Data Ownership	✅ Self-host option	❌ Their servers only
Open Source	✅ MIT License	❌ Proprietary
Privacy-First	✅ No persistent IDs	⚠️ Varies
Ad Network Integrations	Build custom (API)	500+ pre-built
Fraud Detection	Basic (IP filtering)	Advanced (ML-based)
Support	Community + docs	Enterprise support
Best For	Privacy-conscious, cost-conscious, dev teams	Large enterprises, complex integrations

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Getting Started with LinkForty

Cloud (Managed - Fastest)

1. Sign up at linkforty.com

• No credit card required
• Free tier: 1,000 clicks/month

2. Create your first link

• Set destination URLs (iOS App Store, Google Play, web)
• Add UTM parameters for tracking
• Set attribution window (default: 7 days)

3. Integrate SDK (5 minutes)

React Native:

import LinkForty from '@linkforty/react-native-sdk';

await LinkForty.init({
  baseUrl: 'https://api.linkforty.com',
  apiKey: 'your-api-key',
  debug: __DEV__,
});

// Check for deferred deep link on app open
const attribution = await LinkForty.getAttributionData();
if (attribution) {
  console.log('User came from:', attribution.campaign);
  console.log('UTM source:', attribution.utmSource);
  // Navigate to content, award credits, etc.
}

4. Track events

await LinkForty.trackEvent('purchase', {
  amount: 49.99,
  currency: 'USD',
  productId: 'premium-plan'
});

5. View analytics

• Real-time click tracking
• Install attribution
• Campaign performance
• Geographic breakdown
• Device breakdown

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Self-Hosted (Free Forever)

1. Install:

npm install @linkforty/core

2. Set up database:

# PostgreSQL (required)
# Redis (optional, for caching)

3. Configure environment:

DATABASE_URL=postgresql://...
REDIS_URL=redis://...
JWT_SECRET=your-secret-key

4. Deploy:

• Docker (recommended)
• Kubernetes
• Any Node.js hosting

5. Integrate SDK (same as cloud)

View Self-Hosting Guide →

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Mobile Attribution Use Cases

1. E-commerce

Goal: Know which ads drive profitable customers

Setup:

• Create links for each campaign (Instagram, Facebook, Google)
• Track installs with LinkForty SDK
• Track purchase events

Insights:

Instagram campaign: 500 installs, 50 purchases, $2,500 revenue
Facebook campaign: 300 installs, 60 purchases, $3,000 revenue
→ Facebook has lower install volume but higher conversion rate
→ Shift budget to Facebook

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2. Referral Programs

Goal: Reward users who refer friends

Setup:

• Generate unique referral link per user
• Track installs with deferred deep linking
• Award credits to both referrer and referee

Example:

User A shares: https://go.yourapp.com/invite/userA
User B clicks, installs app
LinkForty attributes install to User A's link
App awards:
- User A: $10 referral credit
- User B: $10 signup bonus

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3. Influencer Marketing

Goal: Measure ROI per influencer

Setup:

• Create unique link for each influencer
• Track installs per link
• Calculate cost per install

Example:

Influencer X: $5,000 payment, 1,000 installs ($5 CPI)
Influencer Y: $3,000 payment, 400 installs ($7.50 CPI)
→ Influencer X is more cost-effective

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4. Email Campaigns

Goal: Track app installs from email

Setup:

• Embed LinkForty link in email
• Add UTM parameters (utm_source=email, utm_campaign=spring-sale)
• Track installs

Insights:

• Email subject line A: 200 installs
• Email subject line B: 350 installs
• Optimize future emails based on performance

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Next Steps

Now that you understand mobile attribution, explore these related topics:

• What is Deep Linking? - Understand deep linking basics
• Deferred Deep Linking Explained - How install attribution works
• Attribution Without IDFA - Privacy-first attribution guide
• Attribution Models Explained - Compare attribution approaches
• Privacy-First Attribution - GDPR-compliant tracking

Ready to start tracking?

Get Started with LinkForty →

View SDK Integration Guide →

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Frequently Asked Questions

How accurate is fingerprint attribution?

LinkForty achieves 70-80% accuracy using device fingerprinting. This is the industry standard for privacy-friendly attribution post-iOS 14.5.

Factors affecting accuracy:

• ✅ Higher accuracy: Unique devices, cellular networks, short attribution windows
• ❌ Lower accuracy: Shared WiFi networks (offices, cafes), long time between click and install

Comparison:

• IDFA (with permission): 95-100% (but only ~30% of users grant permission)
• Fingerprinting: 70-80% (works for everyone)

What is the difference between attribution and analytics?

Attribution: Answers "What caused this install?" (which campaign, channel, ad)

Analytics: Answers "What do users do in the app?" (screen views, events, retention)

LinkForty provides both:

• Attribution: Click-to-install tracking
• Analytics: Event tracking, user behavior, campaign performance

Do I need an attribution platform if I only use one ad channel?

Even with one channel, attribution helps:

• ✅ Track campaign performance
• ✅ Measure ROI
• ✅ A/B test ad creatives
• ✅ Optimize ad spend

Example: Running only Instagram ads

• Still need to know: Which ad creative drives installs?
• Still need to track: Cost per install, install-to-purchase rate

Answer: Yes, attribution is valuable even with one channel.

Can I use multiple attribution platforms?

Technically yes, but not recommended:

Problems:

• ❌ Duplicated tracking (inflated metrics)
• ❌ SDK conflicts
• ❌ Increased app size
• ❌ Higher costs (paying for multiple platforms)

Better approach: Choose one platform (like LinkForty) and use it consistently.

How long should my attribution window be?

Industry standard: 7 days

Customize based on product:

• 24 hours: Direct response (flash sales, limited offers)
• 7 days: Standard (most products)
• 14-30 days: Consideration products (requires research)
• 90 days: High-ticket B2B (long sales cycles)

LinkForty default: 7 days (configurable per link)

Is mobile attribution GDPR compliant?

Yes, when implemented correctly:

GDPR-compliant approaches:

• ✅ Fingerprinting (not personal data under GDPR)
• ✅ No persistent device IDs
• ✅ User deletion support
• ✅ Transparent privacy policy

LinkForty is GDPR compliant:

• Uses fingerprinting only
• Supports data deletion requests (via API)
• Self-hosted option (full data ownership)
• No third-party sharing

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Summary

Mobile attribution is essential for understanding what drives app installs and optimizing marketing spend. In the privacy-first era (post-iOS 14.5), fingerprinting-based attribution is the standard approach.

Key Takeaways:

• Attribution tells you which campaigns drive installs
• Fingerprinting achieves 70-80% accuracy without privacy concerns
• Attribution windows (typically 7 days) define matching timeframe
• LinkForty provides privacy-first attribution at a fraction of enterprise MMP costs

Ready to start tracking installs?

LinkForty offers:

• ✅ Privacy-friendly fingerprinting (70-80% accuracy)
• ✅ Deferred deep linking
• ✅ Campaign analytics
• ✅ Open source & affordable

Get Started with LinkForty →

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Questions?

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• 📧 Contact Support