A self-attributing network (SAN) is an ad network that handles its own install attribution natively. The SAN's ad serving and attribution are integrated end-to-end — when a user clicks (or sometimes views) an ad and installs the app, the SAN's backend recognizes the install via its own user-graph mechanisms and sends a conversion postback directly to your MMP (AppsFlyer, Adjust, Singular). You don't need to wire click-tracker URLs or set up custom attribution paths — the SAN handles it.
Major SANs in 2026
- Meta (Facebook + Instagram Ads) — largest SAN by spend volume.
- TikTok Ads — major SAN for mobile-app advertising.
- Google Ads (UAC — Universal App Campaigns) — Search + YouTube + Display + Play Store, attributed end-to-end.
- Apple Search Ads — Apple's own attribution API, particularly clean on iOS (first-party).
- Snapchat Ads — full SAN integration with major MMPs.
- Twitter Ads (now X) — SAN integration available.
SANs collectively represent 80-90% of total mobile UA spend across most consumer apps.
SAN vs non-SAN attribution flow: SAN attribution: 1. User clicks ad in Meta / TikTok / Google. 2. SAN's backend tracks user → install. 3. SAN fires postback directly to MMP via partnership integration. 4. MMP receives clean attribution data, deduplicates against other sources, assigns credit. Non-SAN attribution (programmatic DSPs, in-app networks): 1. Ad network fires custom click tracker URL when ad is clicked. 2. Click tracker pre-redirect creates click record in MMP. 3. User installs app. 4. MMP SDK in installed app reads device signals. 5. MMP matches the device's install against recent click records. 6. Attribution assigned based on matched click. SAN flow is simpler, less prone to fraud, has cleaner data quality. Non-SAN flow requires more configuration and is more vulnerable to click flooding / fraud.
Implications for UA strategy
- SAN-first portfolio: most mature mobile UA programs allocate 70-90% of spend to SANs because the attribution is clean and the audience graphs are sophisticated.
- Non-SAN as supplementary: programmatic DSPs and in-app networks (AppLovin, ironSource, Mintegral, Unity) are useful for incremental reach, lower-CPM in-app inventory, and audience diversification, but require more attribution setup.
- iOS post-ATT: SAN attribution handles SKAN integration automatically. Non-SAN networks require more careful SKAN configuration and may have weaker iOS measurement.
- Fraud risk: SAN networks have much lower fraud rates (typically under 3%) than non-SAN exchanges (often 10-25%). Reflect this in budget allocation.