Been running campaigns that drive users to external checkout instead of in-app purchases to avoid Apple’s 30% cut.
Problem is I’m losing visibility into actual revenue attribution. Our analytics show installs but the purchase happens outside the app ecosystem.
What tracking setup are you using for this?
I track this by setting up server to server events that fire when the external purchase completes.
Your backend needs to capture the original campaign data when users first open the app, then match it to the purchase later when they buy through your website.
The tricky part is connecting the app install to the web purchase if users switch devices or clear cookies.
Set up postback URLs with your attribution partner to catch the external purchase events. We push purchase data back to Appsflyer whenever someone completes checkout on our web funnel.
The key is making sure your external checkout sends the click ID or device ID back to your attribution platform. Most payment processors let you pass custom parameters.
We also track a custom event when users land on the external checkout page. Not perfect for revenue attribution but helps measure funnel drop-off between app install and purchase intent.
Revenue tracking gets messier but the 30% savings usually makes up for the attribution gaps.
Use UTM parameters but keep them straightforward.
Pass a unique user identifier from app to web checkout. Generate a tracking ID upon app install and store it. Append that ID to your external checkout URL when the user initiates a purchase. On purchase completion, match the tracking ID to the original install source in your backend. Push that data to your analytics platform as a custom conversion event. This method is more reliable than trying to match cookies or device fingerprints across platforms.
We just accept some tracking loss for the extra margin. Worth it if your LTV is high enough.