AppsFlyer reporting in the same view as your ads
Connect AppsFlyer to Grower to see the installs, in-app events and revenue it attributes next to your web analytics and ad channels. Grower de-duplicates app conversions with everything else into one count, credits them with the model you choose and suggests changes you approve.
AppsFlyer reporting in Grower puts the installs, in-app events and revenue that AppsFlyer attributes in the same view as your web analytics and ad channels. AppsFlyer remains the attribution source for your app. Grower adds those conversions to one de-duplicated count, applies the attribution model you pick and turns the result into recommendations you approve.
What changes when AppsFlyer is connected to Grower?
Grower's web and app analytics cover users, traffic, engagement and e-commerce. A connected mobile attribution partner brings installs and in-app revenue into the same view and adds:
- Real mobile attribution, not ad platform estimates
- Install tracking by campaign, platform and device
- In-app revenue attribution
- AI-powered campaign optimization
Those app conversions join the unified conversion count: Grower de-duplicates conversions from every channel and app, then credits each touchpoint with the model you pick.
Fintech teams use this for app attribution from install to activation.
What does AppsFlyer measure?
AppsFlyer's attribution model defines attribution as "the act of determining what motivated (caused) a user to install an app or to perform post-install acts like re-engagement and re-attribution." In practice it measures four things:
- Installs. "In AppsFlyer, the timestamp of an app install is the first launch."
- In-app events such as login, registration or purchase, attributed to media sources and campaigns (in-app events overview).
- Revenue, sent in the af_revenue parameter, which "feeds all revenue metrics across AppsFlyer products (dashboards, LTV, cohort, ROAS, ROI)."
- Re-engagement. If the app is already installed, "the media source motivating the user to open the app is credited with a re-engagement" (retargeting guide).
How does AppsFlyer attribution work?
AppsFlyer combines several methods, including install referrer on Android, device ID matching, probabilistic modeling and Apple's SKAN. When more than one engagement qualifies, "AppsFlyer prioritizes clicks over impressions, and deterministic over probabilistic methods." Device ID matching is the primary method on iOS "but requires ATT consent." AppsFlyer calls probabilistic modeling "a privacy-preserving statistical method" whose output "is a campaign performance report, not an identification of any individual device or user."
Engagements only count inside the lookback window. From AppsFlyer's lookback window settings and retargeting guide:
| Attribution type | Range | Default |
|---|---|---|
| Click-through (referrer, ID matching) | 1-30 days or 1-23 hours | 7 days |
| View-through (ID matching, selected media sources) | 1-24 hours | 24 hours |
| Re-engagement window (retargeting) | 1-23 hours, 1-90 days or lifetime | 30 days |
Probabilistic modeling has "an adaptive duration of up to 24 hours". "Installs that take place after the lookback window are considered Organic."
On iOS, AppsFlyer reports aggregated results from SKAdNetwork, which "operates without IDFA or other advertising ID" and "functions without the need for ATT consent." Its guide to postback copies says references to SKAN "include both SKAdNetwork and the latest AdAttributionKit (AAK) framework", and recommends sending copies to AppsFlyer so it can validate conversion values.
Why do AppsFlyer and ad network numbers differ?
AppsFlyer puts it plainly: every player in the app ecosystem has its own attribution model, and "Each counts installs and events differently." The main reasons:
- Timestamps. AppsFlyer dates an install at first launch, while "ad networks use the engagement time and App stores use the download time."
- Lookback windows. "Each SRN has its own default lookback", so AppsFlyer recommends matching its window to each self-reporting network's value "to minimize discrepancies."
- Double attribution. During a re-engagement window, in-app events are attributed to both the retargeting source and, if known, the original acquisition source.
- Data-sharing limits. Some media sources restrict the user-level data AppsFlyer can pass to third-party platforms, so attribution there can differ. Aggregated data is not restricted.
Adding up every source's numbers can count the same user more than once. That is the case for one de-duplicated conversion count across app and web, with one model you choose on top. Our guide to marketing attribution models compares the options.
AppsFlyer notes for the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the UK
Shopping and finance apps in the region grow sharply around Ramadan. In AppsFlyer's Ramadan 2025 analysis, shopping app sessions across the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Qatar rose by over 20% year on year to 682 million, and Middle East finance app in-app revenue grew 29.35% to US$650 million. See our Ramadan marketing guide for planning.
Two revenue settings matter if you sell in AED, SAR, QAR or GBP. If af_currency is missing from an event, AppsFlyer sends it as USD, and af_revenue does not include any calculations for VAT or app store commissions unless your developers apply them first. For consent rules in all four markets, see our PDPL vs UK GDPR guide.
Getting connected
The AppsFlyer connection is set up with your Grower specialist during onboarding. For questions about permissions, sync timing or data retention, ask in the demo, where a specialist connects a channel live and shows the recommendations it produces, or contact us.
Frequently asked questions
Do I still need AppsFlyer if I use Grower?
Yes. Grower connects to your mobile attribution partner rather than replacing it. AppsFlyer keeps attributing installs, re-engagements, in-app events and revenue. Grower brings those results into the same view as your web analytics and ad channels, de-duplicates them with everything else and uses them in its analyses and recommendations.
What is AppsFlyer's default lookback window?
For click-through attribution with referrer or ID matching, the default is 7 days, with a range of 1 to 30 days or 1 to 23 hours. View-through attribution with ID matching defaults to 24 hours. Probabilistic modeling uses an adaptive window of up to 24 hours. Self-reporting networks have their own defaults, which AppsFlyer suggests matching.
Does AppsFlyer support AdAttributionKit?
Yes. AppsFlyer's documentation on postback copies covers both SKAdNetwork and AdAttributionKit, Apple's newer attribution framework, and recommends configuring your app to send postback copies to AppsFlyer on iOS 15 and later so it can validate conversion values. AppsFlyer reports SKAN results as aggregated data, and SKAN works without ATT consent.
How does Grower avoid double counting app conversions?
Grower's attribution engine de-duplicates conversions from every channel and app into one unified conversion count, then credits each touchpoint with the model you pick: last click, first click, linear, time decay, position-based (40/20/40) or custom. You get one total to compare channels on, instead of adding up each network's claims and AppsFlyer's separately.
See AppsFlyer installs and in-app revenue next to the rest of your channels: book a demo for a live walkthrough with a specialist, tailored to your channels.