Mobile App Attribution

What is mobile app attribution?

When someone installs your app, you want to know what sent them. Attribution answers that by tying the install to an earlier click on a link, so you can compare campaigns, referrers and creators by the installs they produced rather than by clicks alone. For reporting on top of that data, see our guide to mobile attribution analytics and reporting.

How does install attribution work, from click to store to first open?

1. A user clicks a Smler link.
2. If the app is not installed, the link sends them to the App Store or Google Play.
3. After install, the first app open is matched back to the click.
4. The install is credited to that link inside the attribution window.

Carrying the click through the store step is what deferred deep linking does.

Which attribution model does Smler use?

Last-click by default: the most recent Smler link clicked before the install gets the credit. First-click and last-non-direct are available if you prefer them.

How long is the attribution window?

The attribution window is 90 days. An install within 90 days of a click is credited to that click.

How do deep links carry attribution through the install?

The same link that identifies the campaign also holds the destination. After install, the app opens on the right screen and the install is credited to the link. Check your setup with the deep link tester.

What can you attribute?

Anything you can put a link on. Group links into campaigns, use referral links to credit users who invite others, or give each creator a unique link for influencer tracking. Installs are credited per link.

How do you set up install attribution in your app?

Add the Smler SDK to your app, then follow the platform guide: React Native deep linking or Flutter deep linking. The campaigns docs cover grouping links.

How much does it cost?

The Free plan includes 25,000 attributed installs per month. See pricing for paid plans. Comparing tools? Read our Branch alternative page.