Reference
Mobile app glossary.Definitions for operators.
221 field definitions covering ASO, rankings, monetization, attribution, user acquisition, analytics, and retention.
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Definitions
Attribution terms
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Ad FraudFraudulent practices that fake clicks, impressions, or installs to extract ad revenue from advertisers — a persistent industry problem that MMPs and ad networks fight continuously.App Tracking Transparency (ATT)Apple's iOS 14.5+ framework requiring apps to display a system prompt and obtain user consent before accessing the IDFA or tracking the user across other apps and websites.Attribution WindowThe time period after an ad click or impression during which an install will still be credited to that ad — the lookback window that defines what counts as "caused by" the campaign.Bot TrafficAutomated, non-human activity — scripts, bots, and emulated devices — that generates fake clicks, installs, and in-app events to defraud advertisers or distort analytics.CCPA / CPRA (California Consumer Privacy Act)California's privacy law, expanded by CPRA — the most consequential US state-level privacy regulation for mobile apps, using an opt-out model (vs GDPR's opt-in).Click SpamAn ad-fraud technique where a bad actor fires huge volumes of fake clicks so that, by chance, some precede organic installs — letting the fraudster claim attribution and steal the payout.Consent Management (CMP)A platform that manages user privacy consent (GDPR, CCPA, others) — the consent UI, the consent string, the vendor preferences, and the audit trail.Conversion ValueA small integer (0-63 on SKAN 1-3, coarse/fine pairs on SKAN 4) that apps encode post-install user behavior into, returned by Apple in SKAdNetwork attribution postbacks.Deep LinkingA link that opens directly to a specific screen inside a mobile app — bypassing the app's landing flow — and gracefully falls back to the App Store / Google Play if the app isn't installed.Deferred Deep LinkingA deep-link mechanism that preserves the intended in-app destination across an app install — the user clicks a link, installs the app, and opens directly to the intended screen on first launch.Device IDA unique identifier assigned to a mobile device (or its advertising profile) used to recognize the same device across apps and sessions — the backbone of deterministic mobile attribution.Emulated DevicesSoftware that mimics a real mobile device on a computer or server. Legitimate for development and QA, but also a primary tool for mobile ad fraud — faking installs and engagement at scale.Fingerprinting (Probabilistic Attribution)Probabilistic identification of devices based on combined signals (IP, device model, OS version, screen size) rather than deterministic identifiers — explicitly restricted by Apple post-ATT.First-Party DataData you collect directly from your users — name, email, in-app behavior, purchase history, preferences. The strategic anchor for marketing as third-party tracking declines.GAID (Google Advertising ID)Google's per-device advertising identifier on Android — the equivalent of Apple's IDFA. Still broadly available in 2026, but Privacy Sandbox for Android will eventually restrict it.GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation)The EU's General Data Protection Regulation — the foundational privacy law governing how mobile apps collect, process, and share personal data of European users.Identifier for Advertisers (IDFA)Apple's per-device advertising identifier — historically used for deterministic ad attribution, now only available when the user explicitly opts in via App Tracking Transparency.IDFV (Identifier for Vendors)Apple's per-vendor device identifier: the same across all apps from one developer on a device, available without ATT consent — but useless for tracking across publishers.IncrementalityThe causal lift a campaign produces — installs / conversions that happened BECAUSE of the campaign, not just installs the campaign happened to be present for. Measured via holdout experiments.Install AttributionThe process of assigning credit for a new install to the ad, campaign, and network that drove it — so advertisers know what's working and can compensate networks accordingly.Install Referrer (Android)Google Play's official mechanism for passing referral / attribution data from the play-store click to the freshly installed app — the cleanest Android attribution signal.Last-Click AttributionThe default mobile attribution model — credits the last ad clicked before install (within attribution window) with 100% of the install.Marketing Mix Modeling (MMM)A statistical method that estimates how each marketing channel contributes to overall installs / revenue, using aggregated data — no user-level identifiers required.Mobile Measurement Partner (MMP)A third-party attribution provider (AppsFlyer, Adjust, Singular, Branch, Kochava) that adjudicates which ads drove which installs across multiple ad networks, with its own SDK embedded in the app.Multi-Touch Attribution (MTA)An attribution model that distributes install credit across multiple touchpoints in the user journey — not just the last click.Privacy Sandbox (Android)Google's multi-year initiative to introduce privacy-preserving alternatives to GAID-based ad tracking on Android — the platform's eventual SKAN equivalent.Probabilistic AttributionAttribution that statistically estimates which ad click drove an install using non-unique signals (IP address, user agent, timestamp) when a deterministic device ID is unavailable.ReinstallWhen a user downloads an app they previously had installed and removed — a distinct event from a true new install, handled by attribution via reattribution rules.SDK (Software Development Kit)A packaged set of code, libraries, and tools a developer drops into an app to add a capability — the integration unit for attribution, analytics, ads, and monetization platforms.Self-Attributing Network (SAN)An ad network that handles its own install attribution natively — sends conversion postbacks directly to MMPs without click-tracker URL wiring.Server-to-Server (S2S) PostbackA backend-to-backend HTTP request that delivers conversion event data from your servers to ad networks / MMPs — bypassing client-side SDK reliance.SKAdNetwork (SKAN)Apple's privacy-preserving attribution framework for iOS — returns install credit to ad networks with a deliberate delay and aggregation, without exposing any device-level identifier.Source Identifier (SKAdNetwork)The SKAdNetwork field that identifies which ad campaign drove an install in Apple's privacy-preserving postback — formerly the 2-digit "campaign ID," now a 4-digit source identifier.Universal Link (iOS)Apple's native iOS deep-link mechanism using HTTPS URLs that automatically open the app when installed, or gracefully fall back to web when not — requires hosting an apple-app-site-association file.User AgentA text string a browser or app sends with each HTTP request that describes the device, operating system, and software — used as one signal in probabilistic attribution and fingerprinting.UTM ParametersTags appended to a URL (utm_source, utm_medium, utm_campaign, utm_term, utm_content) that tell web analytics which campaign drove a visit — the web-world equivalent of attribution parameters.View-Through AttributionAn attribution mechanism that credits installs to ads the user SAW but did not click, within a short window (typically 1-24 hours).Walled GardenA closed advertising ecosystem (Meta, Google, TikTok, Amazon, Apple) that controls its own inventory, data, and measurement — and reports on its own performance rather than exposing raw data to advertisers.