Attribution is a valuable part of your end user’s lifecycle story. To better understand how your end users are finding you, you’ll want to use Attribution.
If you haven’t yet, read up on the Attribution overview for a quick understanding of how Attribution works in Localytics. There are three different methods for collecting attribution data: ad network, ad-tracking vendor, and custom redirect URLs.
In this guide, we’ll go over the basic requirements, the differences between OSs, and how to set up different data streams of attribution. Click into any of the sections for more information on each type of setup.
Basic Requirements
There are basic requirements for setting up Attribution, and those vary based on the OS you’re working with. We’ll dive into each.
Android Requirements
You’ll need to be SDK version 3.3 or higher in order to use Attribution.
For attribution to work, you’ll need to make sure you’ve implemented Localytics properly—which means that your development team has followed our setup guide here. You’ll want to make sure they’ve set this part up in particular: Modify AndroidManifest.xml.
You’ll also want to make sure you have access to your app’s Bundle ID. More on that in the next section.
Android Setup
As long as everything is set up properly, you’ll next want to grab your app’s Bundle ID. Your Bundle ID is what appears at the end of your app’s URL in the Google Play store. It’s usually something like com.companyname.appname. Make sure it’s only the Bundle ID, not the whole URL (ie, https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.companyname.appname&hl=en)
Navigate to the Attribution Settings section with your Localytics Dashboard: Attribution > … (next to the green + button) > Settings.
You can also follow this handy link if you’re logged in. Keep in mind, the link will drop you into the attribution setup for whatever app you last were working with—so make sure to change the app (ie, iOS or Android) from the drop-down menu at the top if you need to.
Add the app Bundle ID you grabbed earlier to the Android Package field. Check the box for the Enable Android referrer attribution option.
We also highly recommend you test to make sure your app is set up properly. More on that here. That’s it for Android setup. Depending on the type of tracking you’re setting up, you’ll want to follow different instructions for each. Here’s the list:
iOS Requirements
Similar to Android, you’ll want to make sure that your development team has followed our setup guide. The important step is adding AdSupport.framework to the app. This is included by default if your app uses standard build tools.
You’ll also want to have your iTunes Package ID at the ready—we’ll use it in the next section.
iOS Setup
As long as everything is set up properly, you’ll next want to grab your iTunes Package ID. This is the number iTunes uses to recognize your app in the App Store. Make sure you’re only grabbing the number (ie, 895096435)—not the whole URL (https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/temps-local-weather-forecast/id895096435).
Next, head to the Attribution Setup section of your dashboard: Attribution > … (next to the green + button) > Settings.
If you’re logged in, you can also follow this link. Keep in mind, this link will drop you into the setup for whatever app you were last working with. So make sure to change the app name in the drop-down menu (ie, Android or iOS).
In the iTunes ID field, enter the iTunes Package ID that you grabbed earlier.
Depending on the type of tracking you’re setting up, you’ll want to follow the corresponding guide that. Here’s the list: