{"id":218,"count":0,"description":"","link":"https:\/\/tenjin.com\/es\/glossary\/skad-network\/","name":"SKAdNetwork","slug":"skad-network","taxonomy":"glossaries","parent":0,"meta":{"status":["1","1"],"order":["0","0"],"glossary_term_description":["
\r\n\r\nDefinition:<\/b>\r\n\r\nSKAdNetwork (Stock Keeping Ad Network) is Apple's privacy-first mobile attribution framework for iOS. It allows advertisers to measure app install campaigns and attribute conversions to the correct ad source without relying on user-level identifiers like IDFA. It is the primary attribution mechanism for iOS campaigns in a post-ATT world.<\/span>\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n\r\n

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What is SKAdNetwork?<\/strong><\/h2>\r\nSKAdNetwork is a mobile advertising attribution framework developed by Apple. It was designed to give advertisers a way to measure campaign performance on iOS while respecting user privacy. Rather than tracking individual users, SKAdNetwork works at an aggregated level, providing install and conversion signals without exposing any personal data.<\/span>\r\n\r\nSKAdNetwork became the central framework for iOS attribution following Apple's App Tracking Transparency (ATT) rollout in 2021, which significantly limited access to the IDFA (Identifier for Advertisers). For mobile marketers running iOS campaigns, understanding how SKAdNetwork works is no longer optional. It is fundamental.<\/span>\r\n\r\nIf you would like to learn more about SKAdNetwork, you can also read this article<\/a> that explains what SKAdNetwork is in depth.\r\n

How SKAdNetwork Works<\/strong><\/h2>\r\nSKAdNetwork operates through a defined flow between ad networks, app developers, and Apple. Here is a simplified breakdown:<\/span>\r\n
    \r\n \t
  1. A user sees an ad served by a participating ad network<\/span><\/li>\r\n \t
  2. The user installs and opens the advertised app<\/span><\/li>\r\n \t
  3. The app registers a conversion value with Apple using the SKAdNetwork API<\/span><\/li>\r\n \t
  4. Apple validates the install and sends a postback to the ad network with limited attribution data<\/span><\/li>\r\n \t
  5. The ad network shares that data with the advertiser or MMP<\/span><\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\nThe main thing to understand about SKAdNetwork is that data is not sent in real-time. There is a timer-based delay built into the postback or callback process, so the data returned is intentionally limited. You receive a campaign ID and a conversion value, but no user-level identifiers.<\/span>\r\n\r\nThis is a very fundamental shift from traditional attribution, where individual click and install events could be matched precisely. SKAdNetwork requires a different approach to measurement and optimization.<\/span>\r\n

    SKAdNetwork Conversion Values<\/strong><\/h2>\r\nOne of the most important and most discussed aspects of SKAdNetwork is the conversion value. This is a 6-bit value (ranging from 0 to 63) that the app sets to communicate post-install activity back to the ad network.<\/span>\r\n\r\nBecause you only get one value with a limited update window, you need to decide upfront what you want to measure. Common approaches include encoding:<\/span>\r\n