Home / Symptoms

Symptom index

Find what you're seeing, then follow the checks in order. The early checks catch most problems.

All platformsAttribution data delayed by a day or moreAd platforms and Apple add processing and privacy delays before conversions reach reports.→All platformsNumbers differ by day but match over a weekThe tools assign installs to different days because of different time zones or because one reports by ad interaction date.→Android · iOSDeferred deep link opens the home screenThe app routes the user before the SDK has returned the deferred link data.→GoogleGA4 or Firebase installs differ from the MMPGA4 and Firebase use different lookback windows, count reinstalls and only credit Google paid channels for app conversions.→GoogleGoogle Ads shows more installs than the MMPGoogle Play conversions count downloads and reinstalls, while the MMP counts first opens and applies its own windows.→All platformsSame install claimed by two networksEach self-attributing network claims installs within its own windows, while the MMP gives each install to one winner.→Android · iOSInstalls attributed to the wrong campaignLast-click rules gave the install to a later touchpoint, or the tracking link carries the wrong campaign parameters.→iOSiOS installs attributed far lower than AndroidWithout ATT permission the IDFA is zeroed, Apple bans fingerprinting, and many iOS results arrive only as aggregate SKAN data.→iOS SKANSecond and third SKAN postbacks arrive days lateApple adds a random delay of 24 to 144 hours after the second and third windows close.→MetaMeta shows fewer installs than the MMPMeta is not receiving install events correctly, usually because of a Facebook SDK or app ID problem or an app not connected to the ad account.→MetaMeta shows more installs than the MMPMeta counts installs within its own attribution setting, including views, while the MMP gives each install to a single source.→iOS SKANNo SKAN postbacks arriving at allThe app never registers the install with SKAN, or the postbacks are still inside Apple's random delay.→AndroidAndroid installs from other stores never attributeThose installs have no Google Play Install Referrer, so the main Android matching signal is missing.→iOS SKANOnly one SKAN postback, never the second or thirdThe install falls into tier 0, the ad was signed with SKAN 3 or earlier, or the app uses the older update method.→Android · iOSPaid installs showing as organicThe MMP could not match the install to a paid touchpoint, most often because the SDK starts late or a network integration is disconnected.→All platformsPostbacks from the MMP not reaching the ad networkThe network is not connected or linked correctly, the event is not mapped for that network, or the network rejects what the MMP sends.→AndroidReinstalls inflate installs in one toolGoogle Ads and Firebase count reinstalls as installs, while many MMPs only count a reinstall again after a re-attribution window.→All platformsRevenue events missing in the MMP or networkThe event is not reaching the MMP, is not mapped to the network, or is rejected by the network.→All platformsROAS differs although event counts matchRevenue is sensitive to currency handling, refunds, failed purchases and single missing or duplicate events.→iOS SKANSKAN postbacks with a null conversion valueThe postback is non-winning, falls into a low crowd anonymity tier, or the app never set a value.→TikTokTikTok numbers jumped or dropped around a dateThe app moved to TikTok's self-attributing network integration, or new ad groups started with different attribution settings.→GoogleZero Google Ads installs in the MMPThe Google Ads account is not linked to the MMP or its app conversion actions were never imported.→

FAQ

Common questions

What is mobile attribution?

Mobile attribution is the process of crediting each app install or in-app event to the ad, link or channel that drove it. A mobile measurement partner (MMP) does this across all your channels so each install is counted once.

Why do ad networks report more installs than my MMP?

Each network counts every install it touched within its own windows, including views, while an MMP gives each install to a single source. Adding the networks' numbers together therefore overstates real installs.

What is an attribution window?

An attribution window, or lookback window, is how long after a click or view an install can still be credited to that ad. Installs outside the window count as organic or go to another source.

What is a self-attributing network?

A self-attributing network (SAN), such as Meta, Google or TikTok, decides for itself whether it drove an install and reports that to the MMP, rather than the MMP matching a tracked click.

Is an organic install always really organic?

No. Organic is whatever can't be matched to a paid touchpoint, so broken links, missing SDK events and untracked campaigns all show up as organic.

Where should I start when installs look wrong?

Check the basics first: date range, time zone, attribution windows and whether the SDK starts on first app open. Most gaps come from these before anything more complex.