Attribution Debugger
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Paid installs showing as organic

Paid installs landing in organic usually means the MMP found no paid touchpoint in time. Here is how to tell delay, SDK timing and integration faults apart.

Run the organic installs troubleshooter →
SymptomInstalls you know came from paid campaigns appear as organic in your MMP.
Most likely causeThe MMP could not match the install to a paid touchpoint, most often because the SDK starts late or a network integration is disconnected.
First checkLook up a fresh test install in your MMP and see whether any touchpoint was recorded against it.

Short answer: an install is organic when your MMP cannot find a qualifying paid click or view inside a window. Check data age, network integrations and SDK start-up timing first, because those explain most cases.

What "showing as organic" really means

Organic install: an install that the MMP could not match to any paid touchpoint inside an attribution window, whatever actually drove it.

So organic is a fallback, not a source. Anything that breaks the match pushes a paid install into it: a late SDK, a disconnected network, a stripped link parameter or a window that closed too early.

Why did my organic installs jump when paid spend went up?

Because the paid installs are arriving but not being matched. If organic rises in step with spend on one network, the problem is almost always that network's integration or window, not real organic demand.

Likely causes

  • Data is too recent. Google says app conversion processing can take up to 24 hours, and SKAN postbacks take at least 24 to 48 hours. Recent installs often sit in organic until claims arrive. See why attribution data is delayed.
  • A network integration is disconnected. Meta, Google and TikTok are self-attributing networks: they only tell your MMP about installs when the integration is live.
  • The SDK starts too late. If the SDK waits for login or onboarding, users who drop off first never register, and the rest can arrive unmatched.
  • Windows do not match. The network credits installs inside its own window; if your MMP uses a shorter one, the difference lands in organic.
  • On Android, the Play Install Referrer is not read on first launch. Android's documentation says to call it once, on first execution after install.
  • On iOS, the user did not grant tracking permission. Apple returns an IDFA of all zeros without ATT permission, so user-level matching is limited.

How to confirm it

  1. Re-run your report on a date range that ended at least 72 hours ago and see if the organic share falls.
  2. Open each ad network's integration page in your MMP and confirm it is connected and active.
  3. Install a fresh build on a test device, tap a tracking link first, and check in your MMP which source the install was given.
  4. Log when the first SDK request fires. If it is after a login or consent screen, timing is the likely cause.
  5. Split the organic rise by platform. A rise mostly on iOS points to ATT and SKAN; mostly on Android points to the referrer.

MMPs such as Linkrunner, Tenjin or Kochava show the source assigned to each install, which is where step 3 starts.

How to fix it

  1. Initialise the MMP SDK on the first app open, before login, onboarding or paywalls.
  2. Reconnect any expired network integration with an account that has admin access.
  3. Align your MMP's lookback windows with each ad platform's setting, or document the gap.
  4. Remove redirects that drop tracking parameters before the app store.
  5. Read iOS paid results from SKAN and network aggregates rather than expecting user-level parity.
PatternMost likely cause
Organic spikes only on recent daysReporting delay
Organic rises with one network's spendIntegration or window for that network
Organic rises across all paid sourcesSDK start-up timing
Organic rise mostly on iOSATT and SKAN-only reporting

For a guided path through these checks, run the organic installs troubleshooter, or read the attribution windows guide.

Related

Related symptoms

Android · iOSDeferred deep link opens the home screenThe app routes the user before the SDK has returned the deferred link data.→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.→
FAQ

Common questions

Is an organic spike ever real?

Yes. App store features, press coverage and word of mouth can all lift organic installs. If paid installs fell by roughly the same amount at the same time, though, a broken match is more likely.

Can a disconnected Meta integration make installs organic?

Yes. Meta decides for itself which installs it drove and sends those claims to your MMP only while the integration is active. Without it, those installs have no paid match.

Does late SDK start-up only affect organic numbers?

No. It also loses installs entirely when users quit before the SDK starts, and delays event data for the rest. Fixing it usually lifts both attributed installs and event counts.

How long should I wait before judging organic numbers?

At least 48 to 72 hours. Google processing can take up to 24 hours and SKAN postbacks arrive 24 to 48 hours or more after install.

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.