Page Summary
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Apple's SKAdNetwork API is designed to measure app install ad campaign success while preserving user privacy.
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SKAdNetwork attribution is initiated by a Google Mobile Ads SDK ad click only if the click lands directly or indirectly in the Apple App Store.
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For view-through attribution supported in SKAdNetwork v2.2+, an ad must be displayed for a minimum of 3 seconds to allow attribution.
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Ad requests enabled for SKAdNetwork attribution are backward compatible as of SKAdNetwork v4.0, allowing ad networks to respond with earlier supported versions.
The Google exchange supports signals that the Google Mobile Ads SDK uses to initiate SKAdNetwork attribution with the Apple SKAdNetwork API. You can integrate with SKAdNetwork signals to let advertisers measure the success of App Install Ad campaigns for iOS devices while maintaining user privacy.
The following list covers how app installation attribution behavior changes depending on the SKAdNetwork version:
- 2.0-2.1: Attribution for installation of an advertised app is driven by the StoreKit-rendered App Store product page when the user clicks your ad, leading to the user installing the app.
- 2.2+: Additional support for view-through ads, where attribution for installation of an advertised app is given when the user installs the app after viewing your ad.
To learn more about differences in SKAdNetwork versions, see SKAdNetwork release notes.
Configure SKAdNetwork IDs in the UI
To receive bid requests containing SKAdNetwork IDs, you must specify
your SKAdNetwork IDs in the Authorized Buyers or Open Bidding UI. For example,
a SKAdNetwork ID might have a value such as a1b2c3d4e5.skadnetwork.
To specify your SKAdNetwork ID in the Authorized Buyers or Open Bidding UI, do the following:
- In the Bidder Settings navigation menu, click RTB Settings. The RTB Setting page appears.
- Navigate to the Allowed iOS SKAdNetworks IDs box to view and configure SKAdNetwork IDs.
The following image shows an example SKADNetwork ID in the Allowed iOS SKAdNetwork IDs box:
Configure creatives for attribution
Google Mobile Ads SDK initiates SKAdNetwork attribution only if the click-through URL lands in the Apple App Store. When you submit creatives for review using the Real-time Bidding API, the creatives must use a click-through URL that either is a direct link to the advertised app in the App Store, or uses HTTP redirects where the final destination is to the advertised app in the App Store. Google Mobile Ads SDK initiates attribution if the final destination of your creative's click-through URL begins with any of the following prefixes:
https://apps.apple.comhttps://itunes.apple.comitms-apps://itms://
If the final destination of your creative's click-through URL doesn't match these prefixes, or your click-through URL uses any other client-side redirect methods that don't lead to the App Store, Google Mobile Ads SDK might not initiate SKAdNetwork attribution. The following list covers examples of where this process might apply:
- An HTML page that requires user action to redirect to the app store.
- An HTML page that has an automated JavaScript-based redirect script to the app store.
- Meta refresh tags.
Initiate attribution by creative type
The click action to initiate SKAdNetwork attribution can be set up for the different creative types as follows:
- HTML
- This can be set up as the destination URL on the anchor tags surrounding the
clickable element, or as the target URL of
window.locationoperations from JavaScript-based on-click events. - MRAID
- The click action needs to call
Mraid.open()to initiate the SKAdNetwork attribution. - VAST video
- The app store URL should be set in the
ClickThroughelement in the VAST XML. - Native
- The app store URL must be set on the
BidResponse.seatbid.bid.{adm/adm_native}.link.urlfield.
Identify BidRequest signals
You can find information about your registered SKAdNetwork IDs that the
publisher app supports with the BidRequest.imp.ext.skadn field. If the skadn
field is specified, you can use the attributes to build a response for an app
install ad or re-engagement ad that associates an installation or conversion
with one of the included SKAdNetwork IDs. The skadn field is a
SKAdNetworkRequest object with the following attributes:
| Attribute name | Description |
|---|---|
sourceapp |
A string ID of the publisher's app in Apple's App Store. To identify the publisher app, use this attribute. |
skadnetids |
A list of strings representing your SKAdNetwork IDs that the publisher
app supports. You can reference this when building the response
to select a SKAdNetwork ID supported by the publisher to specify in the
BidResponse.seatbid.bid.ext.skadn.network field.
|
versions |
A list of strings representing SKAdNetwork versions that the publisher
supports. The SKAdNetwork version you specify in your response with the
BidResponse.seatbid.bid.ext.skadn.version field must be
one of the versions this field specifies.
|
fidelities |
A list of SKAdNetworkFidelityType enum values representing
the fidelity types supported by the publisher. The following describes
these enum values for bidding endpoints configured to use OpenRTB in
the Protobuf and JSON formats:
|
skoverlay |
A boolean when represented in the OpenRTB Protobuf format, or an integer when represented in the OpenRTB JSON format. You can use this boolean to determine whether SKOverlay is supported. Google only supports SKOverlay for video and HTML snippet creatives placed on interstitial or rewarded inventory. |
The following example shows a bid request for mobile inventory where the publisher's app supports your SKAdNetwork IDs:
{
"id": "9NaI48SmPW7Zf3MAHR43DY",
"imp": [
{
"id": "1",
// OMITTED...
"ext": {
// OMITTED...
"skadn": {
"sourceapp": "com.google.testapp",
"skadnetids": [
"cF58w81X"
],
"versions": [
"2.0",
"2.1",
"4.0"
],
"fidelities": [
1,
0
]
}
// OMITTED...
}
}
],
"app": {
"name": "Test App",
"ver": "5.6.0",
"bundle": "com.google.testapp",
"publisher": {
"id": "pub-6156239328255091",
"ext": {
"country": "JP"
}
},
"content": {
"url": "https://www.google.com",
"livestream": 0,
"language": "ja"
},
"storeurl": "https://www.google.com"
}
// OMITTED...
}
Populate BidResponse fields
You can include attribution information in your bid response that enables the advertiser to receive a postback notification when a user interacts with the advertiser's ad. To learn more about postback notifications, see Receiving ad attributions and postbacks.
You must pass attribution information that is consistent with what was included
in the bid request. The attribution information is specified in the
BidResponse.seatbid.bid.ext.skadn field, which is a SKAdNetworkResponse
object with the following attributes:
| Attribute name | Description |
|---|---|
version |
A string representing a SKAdNetwork version supported by the
advertiser. You must specify one of the SKAdNetwork versions supported
by the publisher, which is specified in
BidRequest.imp.ext.skadn.versions.
|
network |
A string SKAdNetwork ID for the advertiser. You must specify one of the
SKAdNetwork IDs included in
BidRequest.imp.ext.skadn.skadnetids.
|
campaign |
A two-digit numeric string ID representing the advertiser's ad
campaign. You must specify this attribute rather than
sourceidentifier if your bid response includes attribution
information using SKAdNetwork versions 3.0 or earlier.
|
sourceidentifier |
A four-digit numeric string ID representing the advertiser's ad
campaign. You must specify this attribute rather than
campaign if your bid response includes attribution
information using SKAdNetwork versions 4.0 or later.
|
itunesitem |
A string ID of the advertiser's app in Apple's App Store. This must be
consistent with the value specified in
BidResponse.seatbid.bid.bundle.
|
productpageid |
An optional string ID representing a custom product page to display for devices using iOS 15 or later. To learn more about custom product pages, see Custom product pages on the App Store. If not specified, the default product page is displayed. |
fidelities |
A list of Fidelity objects that identifies which fidelity
types apply to the placed ad, and provides cryptographic signatures
used to identify the advertiser's campaign when the advertiser receives
a postback notification. You must specify the fidelity
attribute only with values included in
BidRequest.imp.ext.skadn.fidelities.
|
sourceapp |
A string representing the publisher's app in Apple's App Store. You
must specify this with the ID found in
BidRequest.imp.ext.skadn.sourceapp.
|
skoverlay |
A SKOverlay object representing how the advertised app is
presented in an SKOverlay. You can only specify this attribute when
BidRequest.imp.ext.skadn.skoverlay is set to
true for bidding endpoints using the OpenRTB Protobuf
format, or 1 when using the OpenRTB JSON format.
|
The following example shows a bid response including app install attribution information:
{
"id": "9NaI48SmPW7Zf3MAHR43DY",
"seatbid": [
{
"bid": [
{
"id": "9NaI48SmPW7Zf3MAHR43DY",
// OMITTED...
"ext": {
// OMITTED...
"skadn": {
"version": "4.0",
"network": "cF58w81X",
"itunesitem": "788729094",
"sourceapp": "1422994973",
"fidelities": [
{
"fidelity": 0,
"nonce": "017e597c-3c7d-4a44-afeb-41cd9a17066f",
"timestamp": "1757235407882",
"signature": "11iF1L96q2cw8tu790p301c10530ogr7h250k1P9pLxqcJ2qe37klG8xB3M592YbpafQ9861493838C521XA6AEF4A40DK8X"
},
{
"fidelity": 1,
"nonce": "017e597c-3c7d-4a44-afeb-41cd9a17066f",
"timestamp": "1757235407882",
"signature": "f67L3C138Y6XB7940141011Pd58AZbdBk9Xo1Mlf1973706DsB5808ILLKumU2ic9fr72b9bSs3CD25CCZo8DJB65JB0615L"
}
],
"sourceidentifier": "5507"
},
"app_promotion_type": 1
// OMITTED...
}
}
]
// OMITTED...
}
]
// OMITTED...
}
The following list shares the expected behavior of SKAdNetwork corresponding to the bid response:
- When the advertised app is installed in 24 hours after the ad is viewed for at least three seconds, the SKAdNetwork view-through attribution postback notification is sent to the advertiser.
- When the ad is clicked, an inlined store overlay of the advertised app is shown, and the SKAdNetwork click-through attribution postback notification is sent to the advertiser if the user installs and opens the advertised app.
Increase attribution with SKOverlay
You can increase attribution for StoreKit-rendered ads you place by displaying an SKOverlay when SKOverlay is supported. An SKOverlay lets the publisher's app display an overlay that lets users download the advertised app without navigating away from the publisher's app. To learn more about SKOverlay, see SKOverlay.
When all of the following conditions are met, you receive attribution for installation of the advertised app:
- Your SKOverlay is displayed for three or more seconds.
- The advertised app is installed within 30 days of your SKOverlay being displayed.
- Your SKOverlay was the last displayed before the advertised app was installed.
Google supports SKOverlay for HTML snippet and VAST video creatives placed in interstitial or rewarded ads.
Determine if SKOverlay is supported
When you receive a bid request, you can find whether SKOverlay is supported by
checking the value of the BidRequest.imp.ext.skadn.skoverlay field. SKOverlay
is supported in cases where the skoverlay field is set to true for bidding
endpoints using the OpenRTB Protobuf format, or 1 for bidding endpoints using
the OpenRTB JSON format.
Place your ad with an SKOverlay
When SKOverlay is supported, you can specify the
BidResponse.seatbid.bid.ext.skadn.skoverlay field to indicate that you want
to display an SKOverlay. The skoverlay field has the following attributes:
delay: An integer representing the delay in seconds between the time the ad displays and the time the SKOverlay displays. For video creatives, the display time is the time when the video starts to play. If this field is unset, the SKOverlay isn't shown.endcarddelay: An integer representing the delay in seconds between the time a video creative's end card is displayed and the time the SKOverlay displays. If this field is unset, the SKOverlay won't be shown after the end card. Only applicable to VAST video creatives placed in interstitial or rewarded ads.dismissible: A boolean representing whether the SKOverlay can be dismissed by the user.
The following example shows a bid response:
{
// OMITTED...
"seatbid": [
{
"bid": [
{
// OMITTED...
"ext": {
// OMITTED...
"skadn": {
// OMITTED...
"itunesitem": "422689480",
"skoverlay": {
"delay": 5,
"endcarddelay": 0
},
"productpageid": "some_id"
}
}
}
]
}
]
}
Review expected SKOverlay behavior
Here is the expected behavior of SKOverlay corresponding to the preceding bid response:
- Show the SKOverlay five seconds after video starts.
- Show the SKOverlay immediately after the end card.
Open the app store when the user clicks the SKOverlay.
If
BidResponse.seatbid.bid.ext.skadn.productpageidis specified, the app listing data on the SKOverlay is the icon in the custom product page.For VAST video creatives, when a user clicks the SDKoverlay, the click-through and click tracking URLs are pinged.
For VAST video creatives, even if a user dismisses the SKOverlay during the video, the SKOverlay is still shown after the end card if the
BidResponse.seatbid.bid.ext.skadn.skoverlay.endcarddelayfield is set.