What iOS 15 means for you: SKAdNetwork postbacks and working with Adjust

At Apple’s WWDC 2021 in June, a series of privacy updates set to roll out on iOS 15 were announced. One of the most interesting points for marketers and developers is the update to how postbacks on SKAdNetwork will work. App developers will be able to define an endpoint that will receive a copy of “winning” postbacks from SKAdNetwork (SKAN). While this brings a certain layer of complexity, it’s welcome news that will create more transparency, giving advertisers ownership over their data from install through to post-install events.

Up until this point, after Apple performed the attribution, postbacks were only sent to ad networks who would then forward them to advertisers and/or MMPs. Now, app developers can opt-in to receive copies of winning install-validation postbacks directly by defining an endpoint and configuring their server.

iOS 15 is already in its beta stage, and we recommend that all marketers and developers start testing and experimenting to develop their strategies for its full rollout later this year. As positive as it is for developers to receive and have transparency over their data, important data points required for analysis will be missing, including campaign information, cost data and campaign impression data. While it will help marketers to validate if the received data from networks is complete when looking at the total, Adjust will offer an endpoint URL that marketers can use to send a copy of these postbacks to us directly. They will then be able to receive the data via our raw data callbacks.

• Easy to use and implement
• The data will flow through clients’ existing data pipelines
• Adjust will store the data in our logs, allowing us to identify and debug discrepancies internally
• Clients will be provided with raw data exports, allowing them to:
  • Validate copies of postback installs from networks
  • Identify fraud in case of, for example, discrepancies from networks
  • Receive information about the source of an install (using publisher app ID)
  • Better analyze privacy thresholds
• Gain access to all the winning postbacks, including those that were sent to Facebook and Google.

We’re continuing to investigate and develop solutions that benefit our clients, and are working to allow comprehensive comparisons to network data, extend network attributed SKAdNetwork data and build new fraud prevention mechanisms.

To keep up with our latest insights, analyses, and developments regarding iOS 14.5+, you can take a look at our iOS and SKAN Solutions.