To launch a User Acquisition Mobile campaigns with Smadex, it’s essential to have the right setup in your MMP in place. This guide provides step-by-step instructions for setting up Appsflyer correctly.
This guide outlines the steps for marketers to successfully create and integrate their Retargeting campaigns within Appsflyer using Smadex. It is fundamental to follow these steps in order to be able to correctly set retargeting users and correct attribution settings.
A great part of this guide is inspired by Appsflyer documentation as most of the settings must be done on their site. Links are provided across the guide to give better context on what to do on each of the steps.
Prerequisites
Before you begin, ensure you have:
An active Appsflyer account with admin access.
An active Smadex account with access to campaign management.
An integration done between Smadex and Appsflyer, with a given Tracking Group ID.
Enable non-attributed data sharing.
In case an integration has already been done for Mobile UA campaigns,
Tracking Group ID will be the same as in that integration.
Step 1: Setting up the ad network
From the side menu, select Collaborate > Partner integrations.
Select the ad network.
Under Attribution Link, enable retargeting settings. This modifies the attribution link to a retargeting URL, by appending is_retargeting=true to the link.
Select one of the following:
Use a standard attribution link for single-platform (app-specific) links.
Use OneLink.
Enter a deep link URL, if needed (see Deep linking guide from Appsflyer)
Step 2a.1: Setting up the OneLink template
Use these types of links if you want to use the same link across multiple operating systems (iOS and Android)
In AppsFlyer, from the side menu, select Engage > OneLink management.
Select the OneLink template you want to edit.
Click the menu icon (⋮), then click Edit OneLink template.
Scroll down to When the app is installed.
On the creation screen, set a Name for your template and select the platforms (iOS and/or Android) you want it to be used for. Follow the following guide to create your links.
Click Update OneLink template.
Step 2a.2: Creating your OneLink link
In AppsFlyer, from the side menu, select Engage > OneLink management.
Select the OneLink template to add a custom link for.
Click Add link.
Select the experience you want to create for your users.
Select Smadex as a media source.
Click Next.
Complete General settings.
Turn on Ignore active users for retargeting and select the inactivity window.
This adds the parameter af_inactivity_window=[number of days] to your link, and all users active during the period are ignored for retargeting.
Set the re-engagement window to determine the time period following the re-engagement, where the user's in-app events are attributed to the retargeting media source.
You can set the value in days (1-90), hours (up to 23), or even lifetime.
The re-engagement window is added to the link in the af_reengagement_window parameter.
Click Next.
[Optional] In Deep linking and redirection, complete deep linking/deferred deep linking setup. Skip this section if this link isn’t intended for deep linking.
[Optional] In Deep linking and redirection, change the redirection settings. Skip this section if the redirection settings from the OneLink template are correct.
Click Next.
In Additional parameters, add predefined or custom parameters to your link for more granular analysis. Learn more about attribution parameters.
Click Generate link. Make sure your domain redirect allowlist is updated with all domains you want to redirect users to.
Step 2b.2: Creating your OneLink link
These links will be the ones used for cases where you are only intending to use this link for a specific OS. As said before, it is needed that you have the NAD enabled. When creating them like that, just select the standard attribution link under Collaborate > Partner Integrations > Attribution link.
There you can use the following parameters:
is_retargeting=true
af_reengagement_window=30d - not needed, the default setting is 30 days.
af_inactivity_window=14d
af_click_lookback=7d - not needed, the default setting is 7 days.
af_viewthrough_lookback=24h - not needed, the default setting is 1 day
Step 3: Testing, Validation and Troubleshooting
Share your OneLink Impression attribution Link with Smadex. Smadex will perform a test install to confirm everything is in place.
In case the test install is not successful, either the initial integration is not correct, or any step of this guide was not applied correctly. Review all the steps and make sure it’s all in place. You can also check this Appsflyer article on how to create OneLinks.
If issues further persist, contact Smadex and Appsflyer for further assistance.