A Look at the Importance of Using Third-Party Attribution

Many clients often come to me and say, “I want to implement third-party attribution, but our boss won’t allow it. Could you please speak to our boss about it?” Other clients proactively approach us but are unsure why they need third-party attribution. They come to us because channels or agents recommend it, and everyone else is using it.

So, why exactly should we use third-party attribution? Let me explain from several perspectives:

Necessity: Some channels require attribution, and we have to comply. Integrating with third-party platforms helps advertisers attribute, determine user sources, and track user behavior within apps. Moreover, only self-attributing platforms support direct SDK integration for advertisers, such as using Facebook SDK for Facebook ads. Even platforms like TikTok still require integration with third-party attribution platforms for attribution. Therefore, besides Facebook, Google, Twitter, ASA, and Snapchat, other media channels overseas need third-party platforms for tracking.
Data Aggregation and Privacy Protection: Due to changes in Facebook’s policies, raw data can no longer be directly sent to clients or partners. However, third-party attribution platforms like Adjust can continue receiving user-level data from Facebook in an aggregated manner to ensure attribution monitoring and reporting integrity. Adjust also adheres to strict data protection measures and compliance policies, ensuring the security and privacy of user data.
- Reference: Adjust’s information on Facebook Raw Data Reportinghttps://help.adjust.com/zh/article/facebook-raw-data-reporting
Cost Savings – Global Coverage and Integration: Third-party attribution platforms are already integrated with hundreds of global data platforms, including major advertising media platforms and channels. Advertisers can manage channels more easily, saving on development and operational costs.
- Reference: Adjust’s official partner setup and integration information: Adjust Partner Setuphttps://help.adjust.com/zh/partner-setup
Data Integration and Visualization: Third-party attribution platforms consolidate data from all channels into a single dashboard. Advertisers can easily view and analyze ad performance through these platforms, saving on manpower costs and improving efficiency.
1. Provides rich data dimensions: country, date, app, channel, sub-ad level, material level, etc.
2. Comprehensive data metrics: ad-related data, attribution data, custom events, etc. In short, a few clicks allow you to determine which countries perform well and which channels/campaigns are effective, eliminating the need to spend hours downloading or consolidating reports from channels and letting key personnel focus on more productive tasks.
Raw Data: How do I know which users are influencers? Which users have become inactive? Third-party dimensions are not comprehensive enough; I need to build my own database! Excellent! Advertisers can utilize raw data provided by third parties to establish their own BI systems. We will provide all the data that can be sent to you! Reference: Adjust’s placeholders for partners
Deduplication Between Channels and Historical Data Deduplication: Third-party attribution platforms ensure deduplication across multiple channels, avoiding double-counting user actions and ensuring more accurate results. For example, if you advertise on channels A, B, and C, and a user interacts with ads on all three channels, third-party attribution can accurately determine which channel led to the final download of your product. This allows for precise evaluation of which channels are most effective and which ones play a supporting role. Additionally, Adjust provides permanent historical data deduplication to ensure the accuracy and consistency of data and determine the accurate LTV of users.
1. Note: AF default deduplication period: 90 days.
Anti-Fraud Toolkit: Common fraudulent behaviors include device spoofing and device farms, as well as click fraud and click hijacking (redirecting natural or other channel traffic). Adjust employs a suite of measures:
1. Checks if the ad ID format is correct.
2. Identifies SDK spoofing (packet scraping).
3. Verifies if the user’s IP is fraudulent (e.g., VPN usage).
4. Checks if the channel is inflating numbers.
5. Detects click fraud. Adjust promptly notifies all channels and partners of reasons for rejected traffic, ensuring fraudulent traffic is redirected appropriately. This helps us better analyze channel effectiveness and user quality.
  - Reference: Adjust’s fraud prevention solutionshttps://www.adjust.com/zh/solutions/fraud-prevention/
Google Firebase Dynamic Links to Be Discontinued: Google Firebase Dynamic Links will be completely discontinued on August 25, 2025. Google has already issued official notices advising against generating and using new Firebase links. For those interested, see Adjust’s official public account for instructions on transitioning.