Google Analytics - iOS Install Tracking

Question

I'm currently working a project that is using Google Analytics to track various things throughout the application. One of the last things I want to do is track application installs based on some kind of promotion for the application. After some searching I came across an articles about iOS install tracking for Google Analytics, which seemed to be exactly what I wanted.

Afterwards, I followed their guide to get things setup: https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/3389142

However, after doing the 3 steps they described I'm confused as to how those tie into the custom campaign URLs that we will create use their URL builder: https://developers.google.com/analytics/devguides/collection/ios/v3/campaigns#ios-url-builder (bottom of page)

How does following this setup and creating that URL link together in a way to send the report to my Analytics page? Perhaps there is a working example or more detailed explanation that I could follow? I feel as though I am missing a piece of information to get this working.

Example of how I imaged this would work would be: Create a campaign URL to be included in an email or newsletter of some kind and once a user selected that link and installs the application it would be reported in my Analytics page.

Thanks for your time. =)

Answer 1

The deviceId parameter is populated with the IDFA of the device when the user clicks on the Ad. The software that serves the ad is responsible for doing it.

So you need to use this url on an Ad served through an adNetwork. It won't work otherwise. You need to work with the adNetwork on exactly what's their syntax for a url macro to be substituted by the IDFA. The url builder comes with a few ones pre-listed but if you happen to be working with another one you can use custom and figure it out with them.

Unfortunately you can't just test this by going into the url, it MUST be served through the adNetwork and MUST be served through a mobile ad on another App.

More info see: Google Analytics iOS Campaign Tracking and URL Builder

Answer 2

I've also been researching this. Eduardo is correct to say that Google Analytics' own iOS install tracking only works where the source of the click/install is a mobile ad network like Admob.

It seems to me that one solution is to use something like Appsflyer (I'm sure there are other similar services). You install Appsflyer SDK in your app. Appsflyer tracks your installs. And tracks the source of those installs (Adwords, Facebook, organic, etc.). So you can use it instead of Google Analytics. Or you can send data from Appsflyer into Google Analytics if you need to see it there.