Customizing Generic Attribution Tracking...

In cases where an Ad Network or campaign source is not integrated and certified with Apsalar, we can often support the source with our generic Attribution Tracking Tags. Using these generic tags, non-certified Ad Networks can insert the required values into the click URL, generally using their own ad server macros.

Note: the following article and examples can be applied to Apsalar SmartTags as well. Any parameters added to a modified Attribution Tracking Tag can be appended to an Apsalar SmartTag. For more information or any questions, please reach out to support.

Generating a Generic Attribution Tracking Tag

To generate a generic Attribution Tracking Tag, please visit the Attribution Tracking Tag page for your Apsalar account. For more information about creating attribution tracking tags, please see our Attribution Tracking Tag and Campaign article.

Modifying a Generic Attribution Tracking Tag

Below are descriptions of the parameters necessary for iOS, Android, and/or all generic Attribution Tracking Tags. Please be sure to read through all applicable sections to ensure proper configuration of your generic Attribution Tracking Tag. Only parameters with bracketed values, e.g. [ENTER VALUE HERE], may be altered. Altering any other parameter will disrupt proper attribution tracking and skew your attribution data.

For all Generic Attribution Tracking Tags

These parameters are available for all generic Attribution Tracking Tags:

s : Source site or application of the click - Recommended
cl : Ad Network click ID to be included in a postback. - Recommended
ip : IP address of the device - Recommended
cr : Creative name - Optional
wd : Ad width - Optional
ht : Ad height - Optional
pb_d : Optional - An HTTP encoded postback URI using defined Apsalar macros for any required passthrough parameters. The macros for these parameters are simply the indicated parameter above enclosed in curly brackets; for example, the Ad Network click ID macro is {cl}. This URI will be fired when an installation is attributed to the click. Ad Networks usually require this postback be included. Here's an example of a postback URI before encoding:
```
http://server.domain.com/download/tracker?aid=Apsalar&our_click_id={cl}
```
Here is the same postback URI encoded and included in a generic Attribution Tracking Tag:
```
http://ad.apsalar.com/api/v1/ad?ca=Campaign_Name&an=Campaign_Name&a=Account_Name&i=com.app.name&p=Android&s=App_Name&pl=Group_Name&andi=9f6747c4a1be84bf&cid=61237&pb_d=http%3A%2F%2Fserver.domain.com%2Fdownload%2Ftracker%3Faid%3DApsalar%26our_click_id%3D%7Bcl%7D&h=230945665127af9d93568b3e226ea996ef075636
```

Additional Parameters For iOS Generic Attribution Tracking Tags

Here is an example of an iOS specific generic Attribution Tracking Tag with all available options:

http://ad.apsalar.com/api/v1/ad?a=SampleUser&i=com.apsalar.SampleApp&ca=Sample+Campaign+2&an=SampleCampaignSource&p=iOS&pl=SampleGroup&udid=[ENTER RAW UDID]&udi5=[ENTER MD5 UDID]&idfa=[ENTER RAW IDFA]&odin=[ENTER ODIN1]&mac1=[ENTER SHA1 MAC IN UPPERCASE WITH COLONS]&udi1=[ENTER SHA1 UDID]&ifa1=[ENTER SHA1 IDFA]&pb_d=[ENTER ENCODED HTTP POSTBACK HERE]&s=[ENTER PUBLISHER SOURCE APP NAME]&cl=[AD NETWORK CLICK ID]h=b784faeb71959020a73047940919caa914bf4916

Tags for iOS should contain one or more of the following parameters:

idfa : Unhashed iOS Advertiser Identifier - Recommended
ifa1 : SHA-1 of the iOS Advertiser Identifier - Recommended

Tags for iOS may contain any of the additional values to improve matching.

mac1 : SHA-1 of the MAC address - Recommended
mac5 : MD5 of the MAC address - Recommended
odin : MD5 of the binary of the MAC address - Recommended
udid : Unhashed UDID
udi1 : SHA-1 of the UDID
udi5 : MD5 of the UDID

A sample URL including an unhashed UDID and IDFA looks like this:

http://ad.apsalar.com/api/v1/ad?ca=Campaign_Name&an=Campaign_Name&a=Account_Name&i=com.app.name&p=iOS&s=Source_App_Name&pl=Group_Name&h=230945665127af9d93568b3e226ea996ef075636&udid=a81409ff1254b81c55cb7742e43173fa63f937c2&idfa=765D6E32-04F2-45B5-9D7F-6AAFA64F5B52

Additional Parameters For Android Generic Attribution Tracking Tags

Here's an example of an Android generic Attribution Tracking Tag:

http://ad.apsalar.com/api/v1/ad?a=SampleUser&i=com.apsalar.SampleApp&ca=Sample+Campaign&an=SampleCampaignSource&p=Android&pl=1&andi=[ENTER RAW ANDROID_ID]&and1=[ENTER SHA1 ANDROID_ID]&pb_d=[ENTER ENCODED HTTP POSTBACK HERE]&s=[ENTER PUBLISHER SOURCE APP NAME]&cl=[ENTER AD NETWORK CLICK ID]&h=57977bee2f98a0a77e8c2430e77bdfcfdc43834d

Tags for Android should contain one or more of the following parameters:

aifa : unhashed Google Advertising ID - Recommended
aif1 : SHA-1 of Google Advertising ID - Recommended

A sample URL including an unhashed Google Advertising ID is below:

http://ad.apsalar.com/api/v1/ad?ca=Campaign_Name&an=Campaign_Name&a=Account_Name&i=com.app.name&p=Android&s=App_Name&pl=Group_Name&h=230945665127af9d93568b3e226ea996ef075636&aifa=42b83977-b797-4321-8a95-8d7621dc9a75

Modifying a Generic Attribution Tracking Tag For an Internal Campaign

Attribution Tracking Tags can be created that will use Apsalar's fingerprinting solution to track attributions from the designated campaign source when the source does not have the structure in place to support device information. To modify a generic Attribution Tracking Tag for this type of solution, all customizable parameters must be removed.

For example, if this were your default generic Attribution Tracking Tag:

http://ad.apsalar.com/api/v1/ad?a=SampleUser&i=com.apsalar.SampleApp&ca=Sample+Campaign+2&an=SampleCampaignSource&p=iOS&pl=SampleGroup&udid=[ENTER RAW UDID]&udi5=[ENTER MD5 UDID]&idfa=[ENTER RAW IDFA]&odin=[ENTER ODIN1]&mac1=[ENTER SHA1 MAC IN UPPERCASE WITH COLONS]&udi1=[ENTER SHA1 UDID]&ifa1=[ENTER SHA1 IDFA]&pb_d=[ENTER ENCODED HTTP POSTBACK HERE]&s=[ENTER PUBLISHER SOURCE APP NAME]&cl=[AD NETWORK CLICK ID]h=b784faeb71959020a73047940919caa914bf4916

You would alter the tag to the following for compatibility with your internal campaign:

http://ad.apsalar.com/api/v1/ad?a=SampleUser&i=com.apsalar.SampleApp&ca=Sample+Campaign+2&an=SampleCampaignSource&p=iOS&pl=SampleGroup&h=b784faeb71959020a73047940919caa914bf4916

Please note for Android campaigns: Tags without device ID information rely on the Android install_referrer method and pass referrer information through the Google Play store. Please ensure that your Android application has been properly configured for attribution tracking. See our Integrating the Android SDK Guide for more information.

Testing Modified Generic Attribution Tracking Tags

To test modified Attribution Tracking Tags, complete these steps with an iOS or Android test device connected to WiFi or 3G:

From the test device, click the tracking tag. This can be done by emailing the link to the the device and clicking from the email client.
Download and then launch the application.
Validate a click and download have been registered in the Referral Traffic Report, found in the User Acquisition Report.