About app install campaigns and attribution

With app install campaigns, advertisers run creatives in publisher apps that invite users to tap on them, get redirected to the app store and finally download and install the advertised app. App install campaigns use a “cost per install” (CPI) model where app publishers get compensated for promoting an app advertiser’s ad in their publisher app. The compensation follows an attribution model that specifies which publisher should get which compensation for which type of end user interaction (viewing or tapping the ad in the publisher app).

About Apple’s SKAdNetwork

SKAdNetwork is an iOS framework provided by Apple to allow for mobile app install attribution while preserving privacy. It helps to measure conversion rates of app install campaigns without compromising users’ identities. The postbacks, which signal to the ad network that an install occurred, do not contain any device or user data. Also, postbacks are sent with a delay, disabling the ability to single out a specific user.

Equativ's position in SKAdNetwork

The IAB Tech Lab provides technical specifications to support Apple’s SKAdNetwork for programmatic ad buying - see documentation on GitHub. In this framework, Equativ is positioned as a SSP/SDK vendor and thus has the responsibilities mentioned in this section.  

Supported integration types

At this time, Equativ's SKAdNetwork support is limited to the Server-side header bidding integration type. For SSB traffic, Equativ is capable of:

• sending SKAdNetwork information in bid requests using the objects BidRequest.imp.ext.skadn and BidRequest.imp.ext.skadn.skadnetlist (Equativ supports SKAdNetwork version 2.2)
• receiving SKAdNetwork information in bid responses using the objects BidResponse.seatbid.bid.ext.skadn and BidResponse.seatbid.bid.ext.skadn.fidelities (Equativ supports SKAdNetwork version 2.2)

For comprehensive documentation of all attributes, read the SKAdNetwork documentation on GitHub provided by the IAB Tech Lab.

About AdAttributionKit

AdAttributionKit is Apple's latest framework (iOS 17.4 and later) to enable advertising companies to receive postbacks after ads result in conversions while maintaining user privacy.

Configuring a publisher app - adding SKAdNetwork IDs manually

With the release of iOS 14, you are required to include the ad network IDs for all of your ad networks in the information property list file (Info.plist). Only ads from ad networks that have an entry in the app’s Info.plist file are eligible for install validation. To work with multiple ad networks, include each of the ad network IDs in the source app’s Info.plist file, as follows:

1. Select Info.plist in the Project navigator in Xcode.
2. Click the Add button (+) beside a key in the property list editor and press Return.
3. Type the key name SKAdNetworkItems.
4. Choose Array from the pop-up menu in the Type column.

Create an array that contains one dictionary for each allowed ad network, using the single key SKAdNetworkIdentifier. The string value for the key is the ad network ID. 

SKAdNetwork IDs json file

Download the SKAdNetwork IDs json file here. These SKAdNetwork IDs were shared by Equativ mediated DSPs and their supported adapters are compatible with iOS 14.