Home / Troubleshooters / Meta

Why don't Meta installs match my MMP?

Meta counts installs within its own attribution setting, while an MMP gives each install to one source across all networks. Start with dates and time zones, then windows, then set-up.

Your answers

Every path

All questions and diagnoses

The full decision tree, if you'd rather read it than click through.

Is the gap only in the last two or three days?
- Yes, older days match better
  - Diagnosis: Reporting delay. Meta's own help pages say SKAN-based results are delayed by at least 24 hours, so recent days on iOS rarely match until the postbacks arrive.
- No, older data differs too
  - Which side shows more installs?
    - Meta shows more
      - Are both reports in the same time zone and on the same date basis?
        No, or not sure
        Diagnosis: Different time zone or date basis. Meta reports against the ad account time zone and, by default, the impression or click time, while most MMPs report on install time, so the same installs land on different days.
        Yes, both match
        Does your Meta attribution setting count a longer click window, or views, that your MMP does not?
        Yes, or not sure
        Diagnosis: Meta counts a wider window than your MMP. Meta credits installs within the click and view windows in your ad set's attribution setting, which can be wider than the window your MMP applies to Meta, and Meta also counts view-through installs.
        No, they are aligned
        Is most of the gap on iOS 14+ campaigns?
        Yes, mostly iOS
        Diagnosis: AEM modelling or SKAN-only reporting on iOS. On iOS 14+ Meta uses Aggregated Event Measurement or SKAdNetwork, and Meta says it may model results where reporting is incomplete, while third-party tools may only receive SKAN data.
        No, Android too
        Diagnosis: Your MMP gave the install to another source. Meta claims every install it touched within its windows, but an MMP gives each install to one source, so when another network had the later click, Meta keeps the install and the MMP does not.
    - The MMP shows more
      - Does Events Manager show install events arriving with the right app ID?
        No, or the app ID is wrong
        Diagnosis: Meta is not receiving install events. Meta's developer docs say that when Meta shows fewer installs than an MMP, the Facebook SDK integration and app ID are the first things to check.
        Yes, events arrive
        Is the app registered with Meta and connected to the ad account running the campaign?
        No, or not sure
        Diagnosis: The app is not connected to the ad account. Meta's help centre says that if the app is not registered or not connected to the ad account, the ad optimises for link clicks and the install metric shows zero.
        Yes
        Diagnosis: Shorter Meta window or ineligible events. If Meta's attribution setting is shorter than your MMP's window, or your events are not eligible for AEM on iOS, Meta shows fewer conversions than the MMP.

Related symptoms

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.→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.→

FAQ

Common questions

Why does Meta show more installs than my MMP?

Meta counts every install it touched within its own attribution setting, including view-through installs, while your MMP gives each install to a single source. Wider windows, views and cross-network deduplication all make Meta's number higher.

What attribution setting does Meta use for app installs?

Meta's help pages describe 1-day, 7-day and 28-day click settings for install reporting, and post-install events on 1-day or 7-day click. Check the setting on the ad sets you are comparing rather than assuming a default.

Why do Meta and my MMP disagree day by day?

New Meta ad accounts default to Pacific time and Meta can report by impression time, while most MMPs report by install time. Switch Meta to conversion time and the same time zone, or compare weekly totals.

Which number should I use for budget decisions?

Use the MMP for cross-channel totals because it counts each install once. Use Meta's own numbers for optimising inside Meta, where its model and windows apply.

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.