What Are Postbacks?

How Do Postbacks Work?

To track user behavior in an app, you need to set up triggers for certain events completed in your app. In order to do this, an ad network integrates with a mobile measurement partner (MMP) and shares the postback URLs for different types of postbacks with the MMP.

But please note: You should consider when you want postbacks triggered. Requesting them for every action completed in your app will overload your internal servers and – in the worst-case scenario – negatively affect the performance and analysis of your app.

What Types of Postbacks Are There?

There are two types of postbacks you should make note of.

1. Install Postbacks

These are triggers sent when a user installs your app. These can be used to track new users. Install postbacks can also include parameters such as media source, cost per install, click ID, device type and search query, so you can receive even more specific postback data about your users.

2. In-App Event Postbacks

This type of postback is sent when a user completes an action that you want to track, such as making a purchase or completing a level. This information is used to generate detailed reports about how users are interacting with your app in real time, so you can measure performance or make changes quickly if needed.

There are some in-app events that are triggered by the MMP SDK itself without the publisher having to trigger them. These are known as “app open events.”

Examples of In-App Events You Can Track

In-app events could additionally include screen views, clicks, and form submissions.

• Screen views: A screen view is registered when a user opens or scrolls to a new screen within the app. Screen views are used to track how users are moving through your application and which screens are most popular.
• Clicks: Clicks are registered when a user taps on an element in the app, such as a link, button, or ad. Clicks can be used to measure click-through rates for links and buttons.

• Form submissions: Form submissions occur when a user submits a form. These submissions can be used to track how users are completing specific actions within your app, such as creating an account or making a purchase.

Does the Operating System Matter?

Depending on the operating system – iOS or Android – postback URLs can still provide you with important data, even when the user has opted out of cookies, since this user data is sent directly from the mobile device. 

Currently, Android allows you to attribute installs to individual devices, even if tracking has been turned off for the GAID. The postbacks would trigger in the app and then be sent via the MMP’s server to the ad network’s server. With devices operating on iOS, you can only use postbacks to measure campaign performance if the user has opted in to allow data to be shared via their IDFA.

In this instance, the postback would trigger from the advertised app, and the device would make the postbacks to the ad network and MMP. The postback will contain limited information, such as which campaign ID was attributed – but not the device used.

Why Do You Need a Postback?

Don’t underestimate the importance of tracking postbacks for advertisers and media sources. With them, you can make data-driven and informed decisions when you optimize ad campaigns and conversion rates.  

We’ve broken down the two most important benefits of postbacks for you:

1. Generate Real-Time User Behavior Reports

Developers can run postbacks on crash reports, for example, so that if an update results in user churn due to technical issues, they can spot the problem early and correct it. 

2.  Be Less Prone to Fraud

MMPs usually have mechanisms in place in order to prevent faking event triggers sent from the end user’s device. Besides this, ad networks have security tokens – and sometimes whitelists – to avoid fake postback callbacks. 

Conclusion

Postbacks are an essential tool for mobile app tracking. Not only does it allow you to monitor your marketing campaigns and where your installs come from, but they also provide insights into your user’s app behavior, making them an essential foundation for building a successful app.

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