Creating a remarketing tracker

Attention. You can only create a tracker after you integrate the AppMetrica SDK. For more information, see Installation and initialization.

This section explains the steps for creating a tracker for a remarketing campaign.

AppMetrica uses a remarketing tracker to track user re-engagement and new installations. The results of the remarketing campaign are available in the Remarketing report.

Note. You can configure Yandex.Direct ad campaign targeting by AppMetrica segments. To do this, save a segment in AppMetrica and add it to Yandex.Audience. For more information, see How to configure retargeting.
  1. Step 1. Prepare your app
  2. Step 2. Fill in the campaign details
  3. Step 3. Configure a destination URL / SmartLink
  4. Step 4. (Optional) Configure attribution
  5. Step 5. (Optional) Configure postbacks
  6. Step 6. Use the created tracking link and re-engagement deeplink

Step 1. Prepare your app

Before starting a remarketing campaign, prepare your app:

  1. Make sure that you have the AppMetrica SDK version 3.1.0 or higher.
    Note. If your SDK version is lower than 3.0.0, use the migration guide to SDK 3.x.x.
  2. Add deeplink support to your application.
  3. Add tracking app openings via deeplinks for Android.

Step 2. Fill in the campaign details

  1. In the AppMetrica interface, go to Trackers.

  2. In the top-left corner, click Create a tracker.
  3. In block The description of the campaign enable this option This is a remarketing tracker and fill in the fields:
    • Tracker name — A name for the tracker. The tracker will be shown in the Trackers list with the specified name.
    • Application — The application the tracker is being created for.
    • Partner — The media source to attribute clicks, installs, and conversions to. If the media source isn't in the list, you can add it. After being added, the new source will be saved in the list.
      Note. Once the tracker has been created, you can't change the media source in the settings.
  4. If you want to use a SmartLink to configure a destination URL, enable this option.

Step 3. Configure a destination URL / SmartLink

Fill in the fields of the Destination link settings section:

Available fields:

  • Platform — The target platform: Android and iOS.
  • Destination URL — A link that leads to the app store or a page where the user can install the app.
  • Deeplink: A link in the myapp://some_data format which can be used to send data to the application.

    To track app openings via deeplink, configure your app to support them (Android | iOS).

    Attention. A deeplink is required for remarketing campaigns.

Step 4. (Optional) Configure attribution

This attribution type correctly detects the source that brought users to your app and accurately links app installs to ad interactions, whether they're a click or an impression.

For more information about attribution methods, see AppMetrica tracking technology.

Available fields:
  • Fingerprint — Time interval of attribution (the time between the click and first start). AppMetrica uses it for the Device Fingerprint Matching attribution. The default value is 24 hours.

    Acceptable values are from 1 to 24 hours.

  • Device ID / Google Referrer — Time interval of attribution, that is used for the Device Identifier Matching attribution. The default value is 10 days.

    Acceptable values are from 1 to 10 days.

  • Reattribution — Attribution of reinstalls by pre-existing users. The option is enabled by default for remarketing campaigns. For more information, see Attributing app installs.
    Note. For test devices, reattribution is always enabled (regardless of the option status). For more information about adding test devices, see Testing attribution.

Step 5. (Optional) Configure postbacks

You can add up to 5 postbacks per tracker.

Available fields:
  • Postback destination — The partner who will receive the postback.

    If you want to collect your own statistics, you can send the postback to your own server. To do this, you need to add a media source.

  • Event — The target event that triggers sending the postback to the media source.

    The event may have one of several types:

    • Install postback — Send the postback after an attributed install.
    • Event postback — Send the postback after an attributed conversion.

  • Postback URL — A postback link. AppMetrica allows transmitting custom tracking parameters to the postback URL. By default, the postback URL contains parameters from the media source settings. To change the parameters, click Edit (changes will be saved in the media source settings).

    You can set the corresponding option to send the postback only for the first target event. All subsequent events will be ignored.

    Note. Some advertising partners can set a permanent Postback URL for their network. In this case, the postback is sent to the partner regardless of other settings. It can't be edited.
  • Re-engagement window — The maximum amount of time that can pass between the install and the target event. A postback won't be sent to the media source if the target event takes more than the specified time.
  • Send postbacks to install partner — Flag indicating that AppMetrica should send postbacks to the partner who attracted the user in another ad campaign. Use this option to send CPA postbacks that were set up in other advertising campaigns to installation partners. This option is disabled by default (AppMetrica doesn't send postbacks after attributing a user to the remarketing partner).

Step 6. Use the created tracking link and re-engagement deeplink

Attention. Don't use the target= " _blank" attribute when inserting a link into the markup. Some browsers may block the click-through when opening a link in a new window.

Don't place the link in the iframe element.

Use the tracking link and re-engagement deeplink in an ad campaign after successful testing. To do this, copy from the Tracking URL block the link that looks like https://redirect.appmetrica.yandex.com/serve/123456.

In a tracking URL, you can specify predefined, static (UTM), and custom parameters that will be passed to the destination URL, deeplink, and postback URLs. For example, you can disable JavaScript redirect using the appmetrica_js_redirect=0 parameter:
https://redirect.appmetrica.yandex.com/serve/123456?appmetrica_js_redirect=0
For more information, see Parameters of the tracking URL.

Example

Launching a remarketing campaign for a mobile e-commerce app. The goal is for the user to view a specific screen (for example, a product page).

Depending on the advertising network, there are two ways to create a remarketing campaign:

  1. The advertising network accepts an HTTP tracking link.
  2. The advertising network accepts a deeplink.
Add the necessary parameters to the tracking link and add the macros for the deeplink. For more information, see Sending parameters to the postback URL, deeplink, and destination URL.

If you didn't find the answer you were looking for, you can use the feedback form to submit your question. Please describe the problem in as much detail as possible. Attach a screenshot if possible.