Postback
A postback refers to an exchange of data between servers that is used to attribute and report on a user's action and behavior in a website, app, or network. A postback contains the information needed by attribution providers in order to accurately determine what actions a user took on a website or app. Also referred to as a callback, a postback is a type of attribution that notifies an ad network that a user has taken an in-action or performed a conversion event such as an install.
There are two main types of postbacks:
Install postback This type of postback tells the media source that led to an install that it was attributed for the conversion.
In-app postback event This is used to inform the original media source of actions that users take in-app.
Aside from these two main postback mechanism kinds, it's important to note that Apple's SKAdnetwork works differently due to the AppTrackingTransparency update. However, SKAN does also send postbacks with different data payloads, depending on privacy thresholds.
How do postbacks work?
Postbacks send data between platforms involved in the ad delivery process, including ad networks, advertisers, and MMPs, depending on which parties are involved. Below are the steps to activating postbacks and communicating user activity.
- An ad network presents a digital ad to the user.
- The user views the ad.
- If the user is interested, they will engage with the ad. Let's say it is promoting a new gaming app. The user clicks on the ad, which redirects them to the app store install page.
- In the app store, the user installs the app.
- Post-installation, the user opens the app and engages in in-app events like in-app purchases.
- User activity data is sent to the corresponding attribution provider like MMPs that will analyze the data for assigning attributions.
- The MMP detects the ad responsible for triggering an install or in-app event. It sends an install postback or in-app event postback to the ad network that published the respective ad, notifying them of the attribution.