Attribution Tracking

Attribution Tracking

Know where every install comes from: paid ads, cross-promo, referrals, BoostLinks clicks, or organic traffic. Attribution tracking helps you understand which channels drive profitable users and optimize your marketing spend.

What is Attribution?

Attribution is the process of tracking which marketing channel caused a user to install your app. When someone installs your game, BoostOps determines:

• Source: Where they came from (e.g., google_ads, cross_promo, organic)
• Campaign: Specific campaign or link they clicked (e.g., summer_sale)
• Medium: Type of marketing (e.g., cpc, social, referral)
• Click Time: When they clicked the link
• Install Time: When they installed the app
• Revenue: Lifetime value from this user

Attribution Channels

BoostOps tracks installs from multiple channels:

1. Paid Advertising

Track installs from your paid UA campaigns:

• Apple Search Ads: Keywords, ad groups, and campaigns
• Google Ads: App campaigns, search, display
• Facebook Ads: Campaign tracking via deferred deep links

Connect your ad accounts to see spend + attribution in one place.

Setup: Ad Networks Integration →

2. BoostLinks (Campaign Clicks)

Track clicks on your BoostLinks (dynamic deep links):

• Marketing campaigns (email, social, influencers)
• Referral programs
• QR codes and offline marketing
• Cross-channel campaigns

Every BoostLink click is tracked and attributed to the resulting install.

Setup: BoostLinks Guide →

3. Cross-Promotion

Track installs from your cross-promo campaigns:

• Users who clicked “More Games” in your other games
• App wall clicks
• Interstitial cross-promo ads

See which games drive the most cross-promo installs.

Setup: Cross-Promotion →

4. Referrals

Track referral installs from your referral program:

• Friend invites
• Influencer codes
• Affiliate links

Attribute revenue back to the referring user.

Setup: Create BoostLinks with referrer parameters

5. Organic

Users who found your app without clicking any link:

• App Store search
• Browsing categories
• Direct URL entry
• Social media posts (no tracking link)

Organic installs are attributed when no other source is detected.

How Attribution Works

Standard Attribution Flow

1. User Clicks Link: User clicks a BoostLink, ad, or cross-promo link
2. Click Recorded: BoostOps records the click with campaign parameters
3. User Installs: User downloads and opens the app
4. SDK Reports: BoostOps SDK sends first-open event with device fingerprint
5. Attribution Match: BoostOps matches install to click based on device + timing
6. Source Assigned: Install attributed to the campaign/source

Attribution Window

Default: 30 days

Users are attributed to a click if they install within 30 days of clicking. After 30 days, the install is marked as “organic”.

Why 30 days? Some users click an ad, don’t install immediately, then remember your game weeks later and install. We still want to credit that campaign.

Customize: Change attribution window in SDK settings (7-90 days).

Multi-Touch Attribution

What if a user clicks multiple links before installing?

BoostOps uses last-click attribution:

• If user clicks Google Ad (Day 1), then BoostLink (Day 3), then installs (Day 4)
• Install is attributed to the BoostLink (most recent click)

Why last-click? It’s simple and matches how most ad platforms work. Future versions may support multi-touch models.

Attribution Reports

Overview Dashboard

See high-level attribution metrics:

Total Installs by Channel

• Pie chart showing % from each source
• Organic vs Paid breakdown
• Top campaigns

Installs Over Time

• Line chart showing daily installs by channel
• Compare paid vs organic trends
• Identify spikes and drops

Channel Performance

• Table showing: Installs, Cost (if ad network connected), Revenue, ROAS
• Sort by most profitable channels

Location: Projects → Your Game → Attribution

Timeseries Analysis

Track attribution trends over time:

• Daily/weekly/monthly install volumes
• Channel mix changes
• Seasonal patterns
• Campaign performance trends

Useful for:

• Identifying growth opportunities
• Spotting underperforming campaigns
• Understanding seasonal trends

Location: Projects → Your Game → Attribution → Timeseries

Channel Breakdown

Deep dive into specific channels:

By Source

• Which sources drive the most installs?
• Example: google_ads, cross_promo, facebook, organic

By Campaign

• Which campaigns are most effective?
• Example: summer_sale, influencer_promo, launch_week

By Country

• Geographic distribution of installs
• Identify strong/weak markets

By Platform

• iOS vs Android breakdown
• Store distribution (Apple, Google, Samsung, etc.)

Location: Projects → Your Game → Attribution → Channels

Campaign Performance

Track performance of specific BoostLinks campaigns:

• Clicks: Total clicks on the link
• Installs: Attributed installs from clicks
• Click-to-Install Rate: % of clicks that converted
• Revenue: Total revenue from these users
• LTV: Average lifetime value per install

Compare campaigns to find winners.

Location: Projects → Your Game → BoostLinks → Analytics

Revenue Attribution

Link revenue back to the acquisition source.

How It Works

1. User installs from a campaign (e.g., Google Ads)
2. BoostOps stores attribution: user_123 → google_ads
3. User makes purchases over time
4. BoostOps links purchases to original attribution
5. Calculate LTV by channel

Lifetime Value (LTV)

LTV by Channel

• See average LTV for users from each source
• Compare: Do Google Ads users spend more than organic?
• Optimize: Focus on high-LTV channels

LTV Over Time

• Day 1, Day 7, Day 30 revenue curves
• Understand monetization patterns
• Predict long-term value

LTV by Campaign

• Which campaigns drive the highest-spending users?
• Identify winner campaigns to scale

Location: Projects → Your Game → LTV

First Purchase Attribution

When do users make their first purchase after install?

Conversion Metrics

• Conversion Rate: % of users who ever purchase
• Time to First Purchase: Average days from install to first purchase
• First Purchase Value: Average first purchase amount

By Channel

• Which channels convert fastest?
• Which have highest conversion rates?

Location: Projects → Your Game → Conversion

ROAS (Return on Ad Spend)

If you connect ad networks, see ROAS by campaign:

Formula: Revenue / Ad Spend

Example:

• Campaign spent $1,000
• Drove 500 installs
• Those users generated $2,500 in revenue
• ROAS = 2.5x (making $2.50 for every $1 spent)

Blended ROAS

• Total ad spend across all networks
• Total revenue from paid users
• Overall profitability

Location: Projects → Your Game → Paid Installs

Advanced Features

Apple Search Ads (ASA) Attribution

Deep integration with ASA:

• Keyword Attribution: Which keywords drive installs
• Ad Group Performance: Compare ad groups
• Campaign Breakdown: ASA campaign performance
• Spend + Attribution: See cost and installs together

ASA attribution uses Apple’s official Attribution API for 100% accuracy.

Setup: Connect Apple Search Ads →

Cross-Promo Attribution

Track cross-promo between your games:

• Source Game: Which game did the user come from?
• Campaign: Which cross-promo campaign?
• Placement: App wall, interstitial, banner?
• Creative: Which ad creative drove the install?

See full funnel: Click in Game A → Install Game B → Revenue in Game B

Setup: Cross-Promotion →

SKAdNetwork (SKAN) Support

For iOS 14.5+ attribution:

• Configure conversion value mappings
• Track postbacks from Apple
• Aggregate campaign performance (privacy-safe)

SKAN supplements deterministic attribution (not a replacement).

Setup: Projects → Settings → SKAN Configuration

Integration with Analytics

Firebase Analytics

If you use Firebase Analytics (GA4):

• BoostOps reads first_open events for install attribution
• Reads in_app_purchase events for revenue attribution
• Links GA4 user properties to attribution data

Setup: Firebase Integration →

Unity Analytics

If you use Unity Analytics:

• BoostOps reads install events from Unity services
• Tracks Unity Monetization revenue (IAP + ads)
• Links Unity user IDs to attribution

Setup: Unity Integration →

Best Practices

Tag Your Campaigns

Always use campaign parameters in BoostLinks:

https://yourgame.boostlink.me/launch
?campaign=launch_week
&source=instagram
&medium=social
&content=video_ad_v1

This lets you track performance by:

• Campaign name (launch_week)
• Traffic source (instagram)
• Ad format (video_ad_v1)

Set Up Conversion Tracking

Track key events beyond install:

• Tutorial completion
• First purchase
• Level 10 reached
• Day 7 retention

Link these events to attribution source to find quality channels.

Compare Channels

Don’t just look at install volume - compare:

• LTV: Which channels drive high-value users?
• Retention: Which channels have best D1/D7/D30 retention?
• Time to Convert: Which channels monetize fastest?
• ROAS: Which channels are actually profitable?

Test Different Creatives

Run A/B tests on ad creatives:

• Create multiple BoostLinks for same campaign with different content parameter
• Compare which creative drives more installs
• Test headlines, images, CTAs

Monitor Attribution Delays

Attribution can take 1-24 hours (waiting for user to install and open app).

• Don’t panic if installs don’t show immediately
• Check the next day for complete data
• Use real-time dashboard for quick checks

Pricing

Attribution tracking is included in all BoostOps plans:

• Free Tier: 2,001 attributed installs/month
• Paid Tier: $0.01 per attributed install after free tier
• No Setup Fees: Connect unlimited campaigns and channels
• Unlimited History: Keep attribution data forever

See Pricing for details.

Need Help?

Getting Started:

• Quick Start Guide - Full setup walkthrough
• BoostLinks Setup - Create trackable links

Troubleshooting:

• Common Issues - Solutions to setup problems
• Contact Support - Get help from our team

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