Have you ever wondered how your favorite apps can serve relevant ads without compromising privacy? Enter SKAdNetwork, a privacy-focused framework developed by Apple that helps app developers measure the effectiveness of their ad campaigns without revealing any personally identifiable information about the user.

The importance of SKAdNetwork cannot be overstated, as it is a critical tool in balancing the need for effective ad targeting with user privacy. With growing concerns around data privacy and security, users are becoming more aware and protective of their personal information, and this is where SKAdNetwork comes in to protect users’ privacy. Users can feel more confident in their app interactions by limiting the amount of data shared with advertisers.

In this article, we will dive into the specifics of what SKAdNetwork is, how it works, and its benefits and applications for users. Whether you are an app developer, an advertiser, or a concerned user, understanding the role of SKAdNetwork is crucial for navigating the mobile advertising landscape while prioritizing user privacy.

What is SkAdNetwork?

SkAdNetwork is a framework for mobile app advertising, allowing advertisers to measure ad campaign effectiveness while preserving user privacy. It uses a randomized, privacy-preserving mechanism to report conversion events to advertisers.

Created by Apple, this software suite and protocols enable marketers to get aggregated attribution on mobile app marketing campaigns.

SkAdNetwork was introduced in 2018 by Apple as an API to preserve privacy while allowing mobile apps to track the attribution of their installs due to marketing campaigns. While its adoption was slow since its launch, the new Apple privacy guidelines and AppTracking Transparency make SkAdNetwork more popular. This change to Apple’s data collection policy requires mobile marketers to ask users to consent to track them across apps and websites outside Apple.

How does SkAdNetwork work?

SkAdNetwork allows mobile marketers to measure conversion KPI, such as Cost per Install (CPI) or app installs, without sharing the user’s identity. The framework has a learning curve, but don’t worry; we’ll try simplifying the explanation.

The entities involved

There are three main entities involved in the SkAdNEetwork framework.

1. Ad network –  The platform that delivers the ads and reports the metrics, such as installs and conversions.

What are the ad network’s responsibilities? 

• Register with SkAdNetwork and provide the identifier to developers.
• Serve the signed ads to the publisher application.
• Also serve signed ads for display on Safari web pages through the SkAdNetwork for Web Ads API.
• Receive install-attribution postbacks and verify them.

2. Source app – The app where the ad network displays the ad.

What are the source app’s responsibilities?

• Ads the network identifier to the info.plist file.
• Display the ads from the ad network.

3. Advertised app – The app that is advertised in the ad.

What are the advertised app responsibilities?

• Account for an app installation by updating the conversion value with the first launch by the user.
• The app has three options to update the conversion:
  • Register the installation when the user first launches the app by using updatePostbackConversionValue(_:coarseValue:lockWindow:completionHandler:)
  • Continue to update the conversion value as the user engages with the app by using updatePostbackConversionValue(_:coarseValue:lockWindow:completionHandler:)
  • Specify a server URL in the info.plist file and receive a copy of the winning attribution postback.

A fourth player may be The mobile measurement partner (MMP), which connects all the partners, attributing and optimizing the data.

SkAdNetwork considers accountable two different types of interactions: views and StoreKit renders.  That means if users view the ad or a StoreKit rendering is generated.

The SKAN flow

To start with SkAdNetwork, an ad network registers with Apple. This enables them to get an ad network ID and use the API. On the other side, developers configure applications to accept attributable ads from an ad network and receive copies of postbacks. 

Source: Apple

The above diagram shows a typical path of an ad impression that wins attribution. In broad terms, the ad network serves an ad that displays on an application. A user carries an action with the ad, viewing it, clicking on it, or downloading the advertised app. How does the SkAdNetwork process work? Here are the steps:

1. The ad is displayed in the source app. As soon as this happens, the publishing app starts a 3 seconds timer and notifies SkAdNetwork.
2. What happens if the ad is run for 3 seconds or more? The source app will notify SkAdNetwork of that, and it will record a successful view.
3. If, in addition to viewing the ad, the user interacts with it, the publishing app will render the StoreKit.
4. When this happens, SkAdNetwork registers the rendering.

How SkAdNetwork ensures privacy on downloads? 

Apple sets a postback data tier for the application download. To ensure anonymity, the device uses this tier to determine how much detail the postback can have. If the user launches the app within the attribution time window, the ad impression gets attribution postback, and the app updates the conversion value.

How the ad attribution process works

The ad attribution process changed from iOS 16.1. In this new version, apps can use three different conversion windows to update conversion values. As a result,  for each ad signed in SkAdNetwork 4, there can be up to three postbacks. 

How do the postback systems work? 

1. The device sends install-validation postbacks to multiple ad networks that signed their ads ( in SkAdNetwork version 3 or later).
2. The winning ad network receives the postback with a did-win=true for the ad impression that wins the ad attribution.
3. If the ad impression qualifies for the attribution but doesn’t win, the ad network receives a postback with a  did-win=false, (up to five ad networks).

Source: Apple

The above image shows what happens to ad impressions that qualify for but don’t win the ad attribution.

What is included in each Apple postback, and what isn’t?

With SKAdNetwork APIs, applications don’t need to use App Tracking Transparency when calling the SKAdNetwork APIs, calling the API regardless of the tracking authorization status.

What is SkAdNetwork used for?

StoreKit Ad Network, or SKAdNetwork, is an Apple-operated API that helps ad networks and publishers measure ad activity, such as impressions, clicks, and installs.

Apple’s SKAdNetwork aims to protect the user’s privacy during mobile installs. It measures conversion rates without having to share the identity of the user. Because the attribution process takes place through the App Store and in the Apple servers, where it is removed from any user-identifying data, the ad network receives clean data.

What do you get when using SKAN?  

SKAdNetwork is a privacy-preserving framework created by Apple that measures the attribution of mobile ad campaigns for iOS apps while protecting user data. This technology benefits advertisers and publishers in the mobile app ecosystem.

Benefits for Publishers

Here are some benefits that SKAdNetwork offers to app publishers:

Helps publishers stay relevant: For publishers to stay relevant in the mobile app ecosystem, they must adapt and adopt the support of SKAdNetwork. If most advertisers use SKAdNetwork with Apple’s tracking and primarily utilize programmed advertising on iOS, SKAdNetwork inventory may be the only thing to bid on.

Provides a reliable method of attribution: SKAdNetwork provides a reliable method of measuring attribution for ad campaigns in a privacy-preserving way. This helps publishers understand their advertising efforts’ effectiveness and make data-driven decisions to improve performance.

Protects user privacy: SKAdNetwork measures conversion rates of app install campaigns without compromising users’ identities. This is achieved by providing limited data to advertisers and publishers while maintaining user privacy. This is a key benefit for publishers who want to build user trust and maintain a positive brand image.

Benefits for Advertisers 

Here are some benefits that SKAdNetwork offers advertisers:

Improves user trust: Advertisers that want to maintain a positive brand image and increase the trust of their users will benefit from SKAdNetwork’s restrictions on user privacy.

Helps advertisers understand the effectiveness of their campaigns:  Because SKAdNetwork’s attribution is reliable, it helps marketers check how effective their campaigns are, providing a way to make data-driven decisions.

Offers a way to continue advertising on iOS: With Apple’s iOS 14 update, the use of Identifier for Advertisers (IDFA) has been restricted, making it more difficult for advertisers to track users and target them with ads. SKAdNetwork allows advertisers to continue tracking and measuring their ad campaigns’ effectiveness on iOS.

SKAN enables advertisers to test contextual campaign parameters and optimize for both click- and view-through conversions without relying on user-level identity.

These transformations from Apple could pose problems for advertisers who utilize specific measurement tools for optimization, campaign budgeting, and reporting. Advertisers must use contextual marketing to understand which ad campaign performance is the best. There are a few things advertisers are asking themselves.

Challenges when using SKAN and How to Overcome them

SkAdNetwork has become the main method to measure attributions on iOS because of its significant benefits. But SkAdNetwork is far from perfect. Here are seven limitations to the framework.

1. Limited granularity

Under the old attribution model in iOS, you had perfect granularity. The IDFA was available to publishers, advertisers, and other players in the ad tech stack. So you could have divide-level data on metrics such as views, clicks, installs, and conversions. Now, you can still do that, but you need permission for every app on the publisher and advertiser’s apps.

Here are some ways granularity is limited with SKAdNetwork:

• It doesn’t provide device or creative-level data.
• Allows up to 100 campaigns
• Provides only 24 hours of post-install conversion data by default
• Allows only six bits of post-install conversion data

2. No retargeting

In the earlier era of IDFA, you could retarget people that formerly used or installed your app but not anymore. You could use the IDFA to target ads with offers so that they can reengage. Since iOS 14.5, there isn’t a real retargeting option. You have limited functionality as a redownload flag, but you cannot re-target the user via ad networks.

3. Distributed postback data

A postback is, in simple terms, a digital notification of an event, such as app installs, views, or clicks. With SKAdNetwork, every time a user sees an ad for the app clicks on it, and installs it, it generates a postback. The challenge is that your data is distributed among those servers when you use multiple ad networks.

4. No lookalike campaigns.

Previously, you could use the IDFA to make lookalike campaigns. That means you can take your attribution data and conversion values and use them to build a list of the best users. You can then export the list to other ad partners. Guess what? SKAdNetwork does not support IDFAs. So you cannot make lookalike campaigns.

5. No direct link between impressions and postbacks.

You can measure app-to-web journeys in SkAdNetwork with the Private Click Measurement feature. The challenge comes when you try to measure web-to-app journeys. You can easily measure the app to the web because you have an app on iOS that connects to the SKAN framework. In addition, you can be on a browser that Apple doesn’t control on the mobile web, such as Firefox, Opera, or Chrome.

6. Easier to manipulate by fraudsters.

Although the Apple postback for app installs is cryptographically signed, the payload of the post-install conversion data is not. As a result, malicious actors can easily manipulate these unencrypted data in several ways.

• Fraudsters can easily fake post-install conversion data.
• Because there is no geolocation data, the traffic can be from anywhere.
• A fraudster can replay fake SkAdNetwork postbacks repeatedly.

7. Data siloing

SkAdNetwork helps you get the data you need, but it won’t be the only data you need. There is data on IDFA users that opted in or other campaign data that SkAdNetwork does not cover. It can be challenging to decide which dataset you will use to optimize campaigns and how to manage other data types, such as partial IDFA or creative data.

Conversion Values of SkAdNetwork 4.0

What is considered a conversion value in the SKAN 4.0 framework? A conversion value is a single number sent to the ad network by a newly installed app. 

SKAdNetwork 4.0 is the version available in iOS 16.1 and later.

Who can use SKAN 4.0? To receive a version 4 postback, all parties must meet the following conditions:

• The ad network should generate a signature for version 4.0
• The app should be built with iOS 16.1 SDK. 
• Web ads should appear in Safari 16.1 or later.

These advertised apps can opt for up to three conversions resulting in winning ad impressions.

New features of the SKAdNetwork 4.0

• Multiple postbacks:  Now when you call the update methods:

updatePostbackConversionValue(_:coarseValue:completionHandler:) updatePostbackConversionValue(_:coarseValue:lockWindow: completion andler:),

The app can update the conversion in three different conversion windows, sending multiple postbacks for the winning ad attribution.

1. Lock a conversion during a conversion window: 

a. Call
updatePostbackConversionValue(_:coarseValue:lockWindow:completionHandler:)

b. Set the lock to =true.

2. Coarse and fine-grained conversion values: In SKAN,  every conversion value sent can include a fine-grained or coarse-grained value.

• • Coarse-grained conversion values: can result in three different values, low, medium, or high. The value is set according to the event completed by the user and the conversion values set in the advertiser’s mapping. To use them, you call them in the method: 

 updatePostbackConversionValue(_:coarseValue:completionHandler:) and updatePostbackConversionValue(_:coarseValue:lockWindow:completionHandler:).

• • Fine-grained conversion value: These are the conversion values of a 6-bit value that allow up to 64 combinations. 

3. Hierarchical source identifiers. Another new feature of SKAN 4.0 is that it allows ad networks to provide hierarchical source identifiers when signing an ad. This feature replaces the old campaign identifiers. This new source identifier is a four-digit integer. A winning postback may have two, three, or four digits of the source identifier.

How to make the most of SkAdNetwork 

iOS marketing is now all about SKAN, and many marketers still find it challenging to use it fully to measure the performance of their campaigns. If you are in this group, don’t worry, we compiled a list of recommendations you can follow to maximize your strategy when setting conversion values:

With SKAN, your only way to measure post-install performance for users out of the ATT prompt is by setting your conversion values strategically. By setting your conversion values to measure performance, you can gain insights that can help you find valuable app users that can turn into leads.

Take time to configure your conversions values to give you additional KPIs, such as retention, engagement, and revenue. You can also add measures of fraud protection.

So, how do you do it? The golden rule for networks is the earlier the postback, the better. For instance, use one of the most important metrics in marketing, the Return on Advertising (ROA), to track the revenue you earn from each dollar spent in marketing, if possible. However, because you cannot always track ROA accurately, you can still have insights by getting an earlier indication of performance.

Why? Earlier signals give a network more incentive to optimize the campaigns and earn more of your budget. Sending a postback on day one instead of day four can increase your overall conversion value by increasing the number of experimentations available.

Understanding Apple’s conversion value mechanism

We discussed the challenges and limitations of SKAdNetwork compared with previous attribution methods. The key to making the most of the framework starts by understanding how Apple’s conversion value mechanism works. This section will give you a primer on this.

First, let’s understand what bits are

Apple’s conversion values are configured, so a single conversion value is included in the postback iOS sends to the ad network. The conversion value contains all the information you can get about a user’s post-install.

A conversion value is defined by 6 bits on 64 possible combinations. You can use these values to measure revenue, engagement, gender, and device, assigning the KPIs that are most valuable to you. These values, with their own decoding, are attributed to the source of the install.

To make the most of your conversion value strategy, you must define what you assign to each bit. What events matter most to your campaign goals? There are several ways to combine those six bits, but we can categorize them broadly into three:

• Flat – All 6 bits measure a single KPI, for example, measuring revenue. The bit combination shows a specific binary value that informs the app the user generated a specific amount of revenue.
• Split – Three bits measure one KPI and the other three another KPI, for example, revenue and time on the app.
• Combo-split –  Here, the six bits are divided into three sets, a set of three values, another of two, and another single value, which measures three different KPIs.

Summary 

SKAdNetwork is a framework developed by Apple to help app developers measure the effectiveness of their ad campaigns while protecting user privacy. The SKAdNetwork framework allows for measuring ad clicks and conversions without revealing any personally identifiable information about the user.

One of the main benefits of SKAdNetwork is that it enables app developers to better understand their ad campaigns’ performance and optimize them accordingly. This can lead to more effective ad targeting, higher conversion rates, and, ultimately, increased revenue for the app developer.

In addition, SKAdNetwork helps protect user privacy by limiting the amount of data that is shared with advertisers. This can help build user trust in the app ecosystem, which is especially important given the growing data privacy and security concerns.

SKAdNetwork has already been adopted by a growing number of app developers and ad networks and is expected to become an increasingly important part of the mobile advertising landscape. As more and more companies seek to balance the need for effective ad targeting with the importance of user privacy, the benefits of SKAdNetwork are likely to become even more apparent.

FAQs

How do I set up SkAdNetwork?

Please bear in mind that SKAN is only available on devices running iOS 14 and later. For ad networks, you first need to register as an ad network with Apple in order to get your Ad Network ID. Publishers displaying SKAdNetwork ads must include this id in the app configuration. You can find more information about registering an ad network in the Apple documentation.

Then you need to provide signed ads to the source application. When the application loads the ad, they call the loadProduct() method and give a signature that combines the following values.

• The version of the ad network API you are using.
• The ad network identifier
• The campaign identifier (integer number from 1-100)
• Ad network nonce ( a unique number generated for each impression)
• App Store ID of the app displaying the ad
• Timestamp

Then the ad network verifies the postback, including the transaction ID, source app Id, and conversion value.

What version of iOS is SKAN on?

SKAdNetwork is available for iOS version 14, but the new version SKAdNetwork 4.0, is available in iOS 16.1 and iPadOS 16.1.

Why don’t I see Apple Search Ads (ASA) data in the SkAdNetwork report?

Because Apple Search Ads doesn’t support SKAN but uses a different mechanism for measuring a campaign’s performance.

Why are installs lower than expected?

Note that SKAdNetwork does not register all installs. The following are not supported:

• Web-to-app installs
• Re-engagements
• The install postback is usually sent at least 24 hours after the install

Why are Revenue metrics lower than expected?

If the revenue metrics are significantly lower, check if all the postbacks have a conversion value.

Does Google support SKAdNetwork?

Google initiates SKAN attribution by Google Mobile Ads SDK if the click action lands in Apple App Store. Learn more about Google attribution with SKAdNetwork.

Does Facebook use SKAdNetwork?

Facebook partners with Mobile Measurement Partners (MMPs) to support SKAdNetwork for Facebook ads. Learn more about Facebook’s guide on SKAN.

Apple launched Universal Links on iOS9 in 2015 as an alternative solution to deep linking and URI schemes.

Let’s begin with a definition of universal linking 

Universal linking is Apple’s solution of pointing a link to a website page or application regardless of whether the application is installed on the user’s phone. It is a deep linking protocol exclusive to Apple devices version 9 and later. 

What is unique about Universal Linking?

Universal links allow users to intelligently follow links to content in your app or your website. They provide users with an integrated mobile and desktop experience, even when your app isn’t installed on their phone.

Some of the benefits of universal links, according to Apple, are

• Security,
• Flexibility,
• Simplicity,
• Uniqueness,
• Privacy.

What are Universal links used for?

Developers use universal links to create a two-way association between their mobile applications and website. A universal link can open both, depending on the user’s preference.

How does iOS Universal Link Work?

A universal link is a single link that can take the user to a specific place in an app or an associated webpage. The link’s path depends on whether the app is installed on the user’s phone and the preferences based on previous interactions with universal links.

A universal link aims to respect where the user wants to view the content if a web browser or an application. When users click on a universal link, the system redirects the link directly to the application without going through Safari.

Universal links are standard HTTP or HTTPS links. Therefore, a single link can connect to an app and a website. If a user installs your app, the system verifies your website and allows your app to open URLs on its behalf.

In addition, apps can communicate with each other through universal links. 

An app that supports universal links allows other apps to send small amounts of data, directly to the app, without using a third-party server.

The Apple documentation brings the following example of using universal linking to communicate between apps: 

A photo library app that specifies parameters, including the name of an album and the index of a photo to display.

Other apps can create an URL based on the domain, path, or parameter. Then they can ask the app to open them by using one of these methods for calling:

1,  open(_:options:completionHandler:) method of UIApplication in iOS and tvOS

Here is a code example of an app calling the universal link in iOS and tvOS

2. openSystemURL(_:) method of WKExtension in watchOS

Here is a code example of an app calls your universal link in watchOS:

3. open(_:withApplicationAt:configuration:completionHandler:) method of NSWorkspace in macOS

Here is a code example of an app calling an universal link in macOS:

How do you support universal links? 

According to Apple developer documentation, an app developer that wants iOS users to connect to the app with universal links must take the following steps:

1. Creating a two-way association between the app and the website, specifying the URLs of the application.
2. Updating the app delegate to respond to user activity when a universal link routes the app.

Benefits of Universal Links

There are several advantages to using universal links:

Simplified User Experience 

Before universal links, users that wanted to connect to an app from a link, were served a pop-up prompt asking where they wanted to open the app. This disrupted the user experience and often resulted in users bouncing away.

Universal links take the user where they want to go with a single link. Thus simplifying the user experience. Because there are no disruptions, the chances of conversions are greater.

Engagement 

Universal links are also a way to increase user engagement. Marketers can direct the link to the best location in the app for conversions. Users then can go exactly where they need, resulting in more efficient use of the app.

User Retention 

Happy users come back. Not only there is an improved user experience, but users can convert faster, — complete purchases in fewer steps—. Therefore, universal links tend to increase retention and conversion rates.

Enhanced Analytics 

The improved analytics capabilities of universal links, makes them a versatile tool for marketers. For instance, they can use universal links for accurately attribute and reattribute events.

Deep Linking Definition

Deep linking was the standard method for iOS apps. App developers implemented Uniform Resource Identifiers (URI) schemes to simplify the path of linking users directly to a destination inside the app.

For example, fb:// opens the Facebook app, and when adding profile details, it can direct the user to a specific profile.

The problem with deep links is that they work great when the app is installed on the user’s phone.

But if the user doesn’t have the app installed, it shows the user a “Cannot open Page”, prompt in Safari, which impacts the user experience, as shown in the diagram below.

Universal Linking Definition

Universal links and app links are two powerful technologies that allow app developers to easily link their apps with web pages or other apps. These links offer a seamless user experience by directly taking users to the relevant content within the app or website, without the need for a web browser or a separate app.

Universal links are routed directly by the operating system, associating the app and the web page securely. The goal of universal links is to improve the user experience, whether the user has the app installed or not, creating a more secure connection between the web and the app.

Deep Linking vs. Universal Linking 

Despite deep and universal links similarities, they have key differences. Let’s start by defining them:

A deep link links to a specific section within an application, such a specific page. 

A universal link, works similarly to deep links but for iOS device, so Apple users can navigate directly to a specific point on an application.

There are several advantages to universal links, such as enhanced security features. Another advantage is that an universal link can be shared across multiple platforms and devices, while a deep link uses a custom URL which only works within a specific app.

Here is a summary of the main differences between Universal Links and Deep Links.

How to create and set up a Universal Link 

Different platforms may have different dashboards to create universal links. On a high level, here are the basic steps to get universal linking working for your app. 

1. Set your app to register approved domains 

1. Register your app with Apple at developer.apple.com
• Log in to developer.apple.com.
• Click on Certificates, Identifiers & Profiles. Then, on Identifiers.
• If you have an App Identifier, follow to the next section. If not, click on the + sign and fill out the form.
2. Allow Associated Domains on the app identifier.
3. Allow Asociated Domains on your Xcode project.
• Make sure your Xcode project has the same Team selected as your App Identifier.
• Go to the Capabilities tab and choose your project file
• Enable Associated Domains. Check your Bundle Identifier for your project matches the one registered with your App Identifier.
4. Add the right domain entitlement. Ensure the entitlement file is included at build
• Prefix applinks: to your domain tag.

2. Set your website to host the apple-app-site association

1. Buy or use your existing domain name
2. Purchase the SSL certification for the domain
• Go to a third-party service and fill out the form to generate an openSSL command.
• Log into your remote server
• Execute the OpenSSL command and generate a certificate signing request (.csr) and certification file (.cert)
3. Create the apple-app-site-association JSON file.
4. Sign the JSON file with the SSL certification.
5. Configure the file server.

Setting up on iOS

Add the following in AppDelegate.m file so the app can listen to the incoming universal links.

Once you add the scheme to your Xcode project configuration, you need to setup the Associated Domains  on your server

Run the following JSON code for an example of a simple association file:

Setting up on Android

Configuring external linking in Android requires to make changes to the manifest file. To do that:

1. Open android/app/src/main/AndroidManifest.xml file:
2. Go to MainActivity/launchmode and choose the setting to singleTask
3. Inside the MainActivity, select VIEW and add a new intent-filter
4. Ensure your new has an android:autoVerify=”true”
5. Add a new entry inside the with your domain’s URL scheme and host.

How to Test Universal Links

Let’s explain it better with an example:  imagine you create a React Native application. How do you test the universal links on iOS? Source

1. Open prompt and run the following code:

2. Create the RootNavigation.js file using the following code:

3. Build an app in React Native containing two screens. Open the App.js file and enter the following code:

4. Configure the React Navigation and the dependencies.

Testing on iOS

1. Check your app allows Associated Domains 

Allowing associated domains enable the app to listen to incoming universal links requests. Follow the steps in the above section to enable this feature in your app Xcode project.

2. Set up a Digital Asset Links  JSON file, like the following example:

3. Run the following command:

4. Test Universal Links Using Safari

According to the Apple’s developer forum, there are a few methods to test the universal link before releasing the application using Safari.

• You can simply embed the link in any webpage and then access the page from the Safari browser. If it opens the link then it works.
• If the application has a banner that shows up when scrolling, you can use that banner to enable universal links for the user.

There are limitations to testing universal links in Safari. For instance, you cannot use Safari wrappers to test universal links on some devices.

5. Test Universal Links Using Xcode Simulator 

Until 2019, universal links wouldn’t work in the simulator, but could be tested from a device. Now you can use the User Interface Testing, released with iOS 9. Because universal links don’t work unless a user clicks on the link, it can be frustrating to try to test this in the simulator, so typing the link into Safari or redirecting with javascrip won’t open the application. But there is a simple workaround.

1. Open the simulator’s iMessage app
2. Select a contact and open up a chat
3. Type the URL into the message bar and send the message
4. Click the message bubble.
5. The universal link should open the app.

Testing On Android

1. Technically, there are no universal links in Android: 

Universal links are an Apple’s exclusive feature. Android has App Links, which behave similarly to universal links. Before testing universal links on Android, you should ensure your application can handle the incoming requests for universal links. As we mentioned above, the intent filters must include your domain scheme and host for the app’s universal links.

2. Test Universal Links Using Chrome:
Once your app’s intent filters are properly configured, you can test universal links on Android using Chrome. While universal links work when opened in Safari or Chrome, they don’t work if  you enter the universal link in the Chrome address bar and press Enter. You should host the links in a web environment to test them.

Start by creating a testing page in HTML, the follow these steps:

• Add your complete universal link to the test webpage
• Install the app in the test device
• On the test device open the test web page from Chrome
• Click the universal link.
• If the link is configured correctly, your app should launch and take you to the relevant content.

3. Tips to debug Android App Links 

•  To debug your universal link for an Android app, first you need to ensure the device browser is not the default handler for the app link. If the user clicks the link before app links are enable, they have the option to select where they want to open the link, if they choose to open in browser “always”, the domain will not open the app, ever.
• If this happens, you can reset browser to default by following this path: Settings/Apps/select browser/defaults/”Clear Defaults”.
• All domains should pass verification. If you don’t have autoVerify=”true” in all intent filters, Android will verify all domains, and if one domain fails verification, App Links will be disabled for the rest.

4. Test Universal Links Using ADB: 

You can also test universal links on Android using the Android Debug Bridge (ADB). To do this, connect your Android device to your computer, open a command prompt, and enter the following command: “adb shell am start -a android.intent.action.VIEW -d universal-link-url”. Replace “universal-link-url” with the actual universal link you want to test. If the link is configured correctly, your app should launch and take you to the relevant content.

Other Tips to test universal links

• Test the link on different channels. Not only on the web but also in social media, SMS, and messaging platforms.
• Keep in mind that universal links only work when clicked on.
• When testing, ensure the app is installed on the devices you will be testing.

Universal links have limitations too.

They are not Universal

The way that Apple implements Universal Links forced social media platforms such as Twitter, Pinterest, and Facebook to significantly change how they handle external links.

Currently, these apps intercept the link and open with an internal review to track the user’s web activity. A universal link must send the user externally, losing their track capabilities.

So, if you want to use universal links in social media, you must work around deep linking with legacy methods. Apple builds most apps that support universal links.

You can’t use universal links for email campaigns.

Many organizations use email to interact with their users and as a marketing tool. Tools like MailChimp or Sendgrid are commonly used to handle the volume of email campaigns. They provide services such as click-tracking, where they wrap the original link in a redirect so the user goes to the provider’s server before the final destination. That’s where the problem lies with universal links. You cannot wrap a universal link in a redirect.

Users can disable them.

It is simple to disable Universal links on the phone. Click the domain name in the top right-hand corner after clicking a universal link. If you do that, it opens the link in safari and permanently disables universal links from the device.

Universal links are complicated to debug and test.

Debugging a feature is an essential part of development. However, debugging universal links is a 7-step process involving configuring the web server, the native app project, and the developer portal. With many steps along the way, the chances of mistakes are increased. And even when there are several ways a universal link can break, Apple doesn’t have a validator tool to help with debugging.

Phantom Banners

This is a known Safari issue. Apple may randomly install a banner into your site in Saari when you enable universal links. You cannot control this, customize it or measure it. While most users just ignore this, it can be annoying.

Why allow apps to Link to your content?

Despite its limitations, allowing universal links has several benefits.

• Improve customer experienceUniversal links take the user straight to the in-app content instead of having the user install the app and then find the content they are looking for. By doing that, they create a seamless user experience.
• Increase app conversions.When users get to what they want right away, they are satisfied and happy users tend to make purchases. Therefore, the improved customer experience often leads to a boost in conversion rates.
• Increase retention rates.Finally, the improved experience results in higher user engagement and retention rates.
• Provide a secure path for users.
  Universal links can prevent malicious actors from hijacking links and redirecting users to fraudulent applications.

Why a Universal Link Improves the performance of your app

Implementing universal links may take some time and effort to implement, but if you can do it, it will ultimately improve performance:

1. Universal links can fall back to the store if the app opening breaks

Universal links are a feature that can be used in conjunction with MMPs to redirect users to the App Store to prompt an app install if an app-open trigger fails to launch  This is a big plus for mobile-first advertisers who want users to re-engage in their app. The user flow for universal links significantly improved from URL schemes and deep links where the user would have arrived at a dead-end when the URL scheme failed to respond.

While a fallback was also possible for URL schemes in the past, Apple has since removed that feature. Therefore, universal links are now the preferred method for redirecting users to an app from a website.

While having a mobile website is still beneficial for mobile-first advertisers, it is no longer required to redirect users to the App Store. Universal links have made it possible to redirect users directly to the App Store without needing a mobile website.

However, it is still recommended that advertisers have a mobile website to provide a better user experience and to attract potential customers who may not have the app installed yet.

• They are necessary for re-engaging users

When deep links bring the users back from an ad into your app, the links prompt a pop-up message on the user’s screen, impairing the user experience and performance. By directing the user straight to the app content, universal links prevent this. 

• Improves re-attributions accuracy and decreases rejected re-attributions

A re-attribution is an association between a click and an open application such as the future in-app events happening after the click will be attributed to the advertising party that delivered that last click. If the app open happens after a given time frame,  a mobile measurement partner usually rejects the reattribution. Because universal links create a smooth flow, the number of rejected re-attributions decreases.

FAQS

What does a universal link look like?

Universal links look like regular HTTPS URLs. When the user clicks on it, the device opens the app in the content of the link directed to.

How do I set up Universal links for my app?

There are two basic steps:

1. Set your app to register approved domains at the developer. Apple.com
2. Configure your website so it can host an apple-app-site-association file.

Why don’t universal links sometimes work as tracking links?

Link-wrapping is not supported by universal linking, meaning you cannot wrap the link with a link redirect. Therefore, universal links sometimes fail as tracking links.

Is the universal link only on iOS?

Apple created these links protocols for launching apps on iOS from any website; therefore, are iOS-specific.

How do I reset my iOS for universal linking? 

Long press on a universal link and it will take you to a message with an “open in `AppName`” option. Select the option to set opening the links in your app again.

Mobile advertising uses various ad types, each standardized into many sizes and form factors. Knowing when to use the right ad formats in the appropriate contexts is critical to ensure the optimal performance of ads displayed on your site, app, or digital property.

Learn everything you need to know about the most popular ad formats in the most common contexts and discover the top 10 best-performing ad sizes across all mobile devices.

Rich Media Ads

In digital advertising, “rich media” refers to ad units that combine audio, video, and interactive elements. Rich media technologies allow for ad creatives that users can interact with in more ways than simply clicking and being redirected to a different site or app store page.

While most rich media mobile ads typically combine audio, video, and dynamic displays, some contain more advanced features allowing for more complex ad creatives. A typical example is rich media ads for mobile games: many such ads are fully playable demonstrations or snippets of the advertised game that conclude in a link to the game’s app store page.

Rich media ads are interactive and employ multiple technologies to engage viewers more effectively than simpler ad formats. However, their relative complexity results in a significantly larger file size, requiring users to have up to 100 times more bandwidth to display correctly.

Common Rich Media Ad Sizes

Mobile Standard Banner Ads

The banner ad is one of the oldest standards of digital advertising and one of the most frequently used to this day. This form factor usually employs rectangular ad units to display image-based creatives, either static or animated. The primary difference between a mobile banner ad and an equivalent for desktop computers is the banner’s size.

Banner ads intended for display on smartphones and equivalent devices are typically shorter to accommodate their smaller screen resolutions.

In contrast, banner ads optimized for tablets more closely resemble desktop banners in size, offering more space to display ad creatives.

Common Mobile Ad Sizes: Mobile Standard Banner Ads

Mobile Swipe Ads

A swipe ad is an ad format specifically designed and optimized for use on mobile devices. Swipe ads are a variation of animated banner ads. However, instead of displaying a single creative, they use simple rich media technologies to display multiple image creatives (usually 3 to 5), automatically swiping to the next after every 10 seconds.

Users can manually view images or skip through the creatives on a mobile swipe ad with a swiping motion. Tapping the ad usually redirects to the product page, although some swipe ads may activate a full-screen ad instead.

Swipe ads are a compromise between banner ads and rich media ads, employing simpler rich media technologies while being more engaging and interactive than standard banner ads.

Common Mobile Ad Sizes: Mobile Swipe Ads

Native Ads

A native ad is an ad unit designed to resemble or blend into the content. They generally achieve this by matching the visual design and elements of the content surrounding the ad and appearing indistinguishable from the content at first glance. For example, a native ad in a text-based environment like a blog may take the form of sponsored links using the same fonts and styling as the rest of the blog post.

Other examples of native ads include in-game advertising in mobile games, news-feed ads on social networks, promoted results in search engines, and promoted articles in content recommendations. Native ads that employ image-based creatives tend to use standardized form factors like their banner counterparts.

The primary benefit of a native ad is its resemblance with the content the user comes for, increasing their attention and driving engagement rates up. They are also less intrusive than other formats, resulting in a more positive experience for the user.

However, native ads are more time-consuming to produce (they must be equally as engaging as the content), and their effectiveness can be more challenging to measure without the right analytics tools.

Common Mobile Ad Sizes: Native Ads

In-App Ads or Interstitial Ads

An interstitial ad is another type of digital ad exclusively designed and optimized for mobile devices. This ad format exploits the technologies used in mobile applications to automatically inject ads in between specific actions or triggers inside a mobile app, creating a distinctive transition to and from the content. Consequently, they are one of the best mobile ad formats to ensure the users view the ad creatives.

Although app developers and publishers can implement interstitial ads in virtually any mobile app, users most commonly encounter interstitials in mobile games or highly-interactive applications. An interstitial can, for example, appear after a user has completed a game session, displaying a short ad (30 to 60 seconds) before they can resume playing.

By nature, interstitials are impossible to avoid. They are designed to appear instantly in response to a trigger condition (usually a specific action within the application). This factor makes interstitials both highly viewable and potentially very disruptive. Many mobile advertising networks impose strict rules on the usage of interstitials to ensure the user experience (UX) has a minimal impact and to avoid annoying or distracting users.

Common Mobile Ad Sizes: Interstitial Ads

Mobile Video Ads [In-Video] Ads

Mobile in-video advertising uses ad creatives specifically designed to appear in video content. They are designed to display in video players, such as video-sharing platforms (e.g., YouTube) or built-in players on other websites.

Mobile video ads typically interrupt the video content the user came for to display the ad creative. Three types of in-video ads exist; pre-roll, mid-roll, and end-roll. Each type is named after the location of the ad creative in the video content: either before, in the middle, or after.

Common Mobile Ad Sizes: Mobile Video Ads

Scratch Banner Ads

A scratch banner ad is a specialized mobile ad format with interactive elements. Scratch ads hide the ad creative behind a layer and incite the user to “scratch” or “wipe” the layer off to reveal the link or ad underneath, using gestures similar to scratchcard tickets.

Scratch banner ads typically don’t use standardized form factors, instead adapting to the device’s display size as needed. This particularity makes scratch banners a relatively versatile category of mobile ads.

Mobile Cube Ads

Like swipe ads, the mobile cube ad is a variation on standard mobile banner ads that employs multiple ad creative simultaneously. However, instead of featuring swiping motions, a mobile cube ad places six image- or video-based ad creatives, one per side, on the user’s screen.

The cube can either automatically rotate or be manually rotated by the user using swiping motions, allowing them to view a specific creative. While mobile cube ads are relatively new in the mobile advertising landscape, they are highly versatile, with a high potential for novel ad campaigns.

What Are The Best Mobile Banner Ad Sizes?

1. Medium Rectangle (300×250)

The medium rectangle, 300 pixels wide and 250 pixels tall, is one of the most popular and frequently used mobile banner ad sizes. Medium rectangles consistently perform well on top advertising platforms and networks.

Their rectangular but almost square shape is ideal for accommodating nearly any type of ad creative, from static images to interactive ads, making it one of the best mobile ad sizes for all types of campaigns. In addition to mobile banners, the medium rectangle format is also frequently utilized in other ad types, such as rich media ads and swipe ads.

2. Double Rectangle [Half Page] (300×600)

The double rectangle, also known as the half-page banner, is typically 300 pixels wide and 600 pixels tall. This form factor is known as a “half-page” because it is just over half the height of the most common screen resolution on desktop devices: 1920×1080, also known as 1080p.

Double rectangle banners are primarily used to display ads on desktop versions of websites due to being ideally suited for filling up the page’s margins. When configured this way, double rectangle banners remain prominently visible without breaking up the content, preserving user experience.

On mobile devices, where the screen resolutions are much smaller and don’t allow for as much margin space, this ad format is large enough to cover most of the screen of a typical smartphone. Consequently, it is less used as a traditional webpage banner but is a common choice for some interstitials and other full-screen mobile ads.

3. Large Mobile Banner (320×100)

The large mobile banner is 320 pixels wide and 100 pixels tall, making it a mobile equivalent to the classic desktop webpage banner ad. This form factor is ideally suited for breaking up mobile webpages with ad creatives without significantly disrupting the user’s experience.

For example, they can be used as banners to split a mobile webpage with primarily text-based content into two halves. The ad creative serves as a separator with minimal distraction.

Another common use for large mobile banners is for “sticky” ads displayed at the bottom of certain websites, games, and applications. These sticky banners remain on the screen even when swiping or scrolling the page, showing small ad creatives and acting as an overlay without directly breaking up the page content.

4. Expandable Display Ad / Interstitial Ad Format (320×480)

The expandable display ad often referred to as a standard interstitial ad, is typically 320 pixels wide and 480 pixels tall. These dimensions are an IAB standard ad format. It is often selected because it typically covers most of the screen in most smartphone models, if not the entirety of the screen space.

When used in interstitials and other rich media full-screen ad units, the 320×480 ad format is one of the highest-performing across all ad networks, making it a suitable choice for ad campaigns requiring high viewability. Although it is done more rarely, this ad format can also be placed directly into the content of mobile pages, similar to the medium rectangle. The format is also commonly used amongst all mobile ad formats for achieving high CTR when displaying mobile banner ads in some mobile ad campaigns.

5. Tablet Banner / Full Banner (468×60)

The tablet banner on mobile devices is identical in size to the standard full banner on desktop: 468 pixels wide and 60 pixels tall. In the past, before mobile devices entered common usage, desktop display resolutions were much lower (usually 1024×768), making the full banner a natural choice for displaying at the very top of a webpage.

Today, the full banner ad format has experienced a resurgence, partially due to the emergence of the smart tablet. Tablet display resolutions are similar to those used in older desktop displays, with the most common format being 768×1024: identical to the 1024×768 of old, but in portrait format instead of landscape.

These screen resolutions allow developers and publishers to reutilize this classic ad format for tablet versions of their web pages and other digital content, making it one of the most popular formats for mobile ads today.

6. Mobile Leaderboard (320×50)

The mobile leaderboard is a variant of the standard leaderboard format optimized for smartphones. The IAB standard mobile leaderboard is 320 pixels wide and 50 pixels tall.

Mobile leaderboards are a wide, narrow ad format that is relatively unobtrusive. They are typically placed at the top or bottom of the screen when using a mobile web browser. Due to their form factor, mobile leaderboard ads are optimized for use in portrait mode.

Due to limited space, mobile leaderboards typically display only static text or images. However, like large mobile banners, these units are frequently utilized in “sticky” ads overlaid on the content and remaining at the top or bottom of the page.

7. Large Mobile Leaderboard (320×100)

Large mobile leaderboards for mobile banner ads, for example, are similar to their standard counterparts but are twice as tall: 100 pixels tall instead of 50. This form factor makes them identical in size to the large mobile banner.

Consequently, large mobile leaderboards can be utilized in the same contexts as large mobile banners.

8. Standard Leaderboard (728×90)

The standard leaderboard is an IAB standard ad size featuring a width of 728 pixels and a height of 90 pixels. It is one of the oldest ad formats and was originally intended for displaying ad creatives at the top of a website.

In the past, when desktop screen resolutions were smaller, and internet speeds were slower, placing a leaderboard ad at the top ensured it would be among the first elements to load when opening a webpage. Though it is less common, standard leaderboards can also be placed in the middle of the content or at the bottom of the page.

Today, the standard leaderboard is experiencing a resurgence due to the popularity of smart tablets, as they fit the width of most tablet displays without modifications. It is almost twice as long and 1.5 times taller than the tablet banner, making it an ideal fit for tablet versions of websites and specific mobile applications.

9. Square Format (336×336)

One of the most versatile standard banner ad sizes is the square.  It is the best mobile ad format. Although there are multiple square format sizes, such as 200×200, 250×250, or 300×300, one of the top-performing sizes today is the 336×336 square. They offer more space for ad creatives and can be placed in more locations.

Usually, a square format ad is the best solution for inserting ads in content where a rectangular ad of the same height would not fit. Square ads can also fit in margins like skyscrapers and half-page ads with no impact on user experience.

10. Wide Skyscraper (160×600)

The wide skyscraper is another IAB standard ad size, with a width of 160 pixels and a height of 600 pixels. Being tall and narrow ad formats, they are primarily suited for displaying text and simple graphics on the margins of a webpage displayed on a desktop screen.

However, developers and publishers can also use the wide skyscraper efficiently in many mobile banner ad contexts, such as the margins of a tablet-optimized website. Although it is considered less versatile than the half-page due to having just a little over half its width, the wide skyscraper remains a top-performing format.

Tips to Choose the Best Formats for your App or Digital Property

Follow these tips and tricks to optimize ad placement and find the best mobile ad sizes for your mobile banner ads & application.

• Research how your users interact with your application and adapt the size and placement of your ads accordingly. Ideally, the ads should neither harm the user experience nor distract them from the content.
• If you intend to implement rich media ads, research whether your users habitually have sound on while using your application. If most of your user base prefers using your digital property with audio disabled, a rich media ad relying on audio content may not be a suitable fit.
• Experiment with multiple sizes whenever possible. Avoid depending on a single format for all your ads; they risk not performing as well as a selection of ads with more varied sizes.
• Use analytics tools to observe the performance of your ads. Regular analysis and periodic retargeting provide you with the information you need to adjust your ad sizing and placement as efficiently as possible.

Need Help Optimizing Your Revenue? Contact CodeFuel Today

Finding the best mobile ad sizes and form factors for your website, blog, app, or mobile game can be daunting. Fortunately, CodeFuel’s team is here to help. We can help you find the best ad sizes for your mobile apps and provide assistance and advice on the best ways to monetize your digital properties. Get started with CodeFuel today.

The mobile marketing sector uses many performance metrics to estimate the success of a mobile application. One of the most critical metrics is the K-Factor, also known as the viral coefficient.

If you are a mobile app publisher or developer, understanding what the K-Factor measures and how to use a K-Factor calculator are essential to ensuring the success of your apps and mobile digital properties.

What is the K-Factor in Online Marketing?

The K-Factor is a mobile application’s viral coefficient, also referred to as the coefficient of virality. It can be considered a type of Key Performance Indicator (KPI) because it measures your application’s virality, or in other words, how effectively your app is spreading to other users through word-of-mouth, invites, or referral programs.

The term “K-Factor” is borrowed from the medical world, as epidemiologists use it to measure a given pathogen’s infection rate and estimate its contagiousness. In other words, the higher your mobile application’s K-Factor, the more your existing users introduce your application to other people, bringing in new users.

Therefore, the K-Factor is a critical metric to evaluate whether your application’s user base is growing, stagnating, or shrinking. The K-Factor calculator is a simple but essential tool to plan your app’s user growth strategy.

How to Use a Simple K-Factor Calculator

K-Factor calculators can help determine your current user base’s growth rate. To use a typical K-Factor calculator, all you need is three basic metrics:

• The number of users or starting customers your app currently has
• The average number of invites or referral codes sent by each member
• The percentage of sent invites that are accepted, converting them into new users (in other words, the conversion rate of your invites)

1. Enter the number of starting customers

First, enter your number of starting users or customers in the requisite field. For example, if your application currently has 3,200 users, enter 3,200 in the K-Factor calculator’s relevant field.

2. Enter the number of invites each member sends

Determine the average number of invites sent by each user. You can typically find this information in your mobile app’s analytics dashboard. For example, if the typical user sends an average of 3.4 invites, enter 3.4 in the corresponding field.

3. Enter the percentage of sent invites accepted (conversion rate)

Your app’s analytics dashboard can also provide you with information regarding the number and percentage of sent invites that have been accepted, also known as the conversion rate.

If your dashboard doesn’t provide you with a percentage to use directly, you can calculate it by dividing the number of accepted invites by the number of total invites sent. For instance, if 600 out of 2,000 total invites sent have been accepted, your conversion rate is 30%, and you’ll need to enter “30” in the K-Factor calculator’s corresponding field.

4. Click “Calculate” 

Once you have all three data points, simply click the “Calculate” button and calculate the k factor. Most K-Factor calculators will take the data and calculate two results: your current K-Factor (viral coefficient) and an estimation of your user base’s size for each invite period, also known as a “loop.”

For example, if you have 3,200 users, each sending approximately 3.4 invites, of which 30% are accepted, your K-Factor is 1.02. If you define a loop as a 1-month period, assuming the average invites sent and conversion rates do not change, your user base will grow to 6,464 members at the end of the 1st loop (1 month), 9,793 after two loops (2 months), and 16,651 after four loops (4 months).

In reality, the number of invites sent and the conversion rate likely fluctuate with each loop. This phenomenon is especially likely if your app is relatively large and popular. The best way to ensure these estimates are accurate is to run the calculator at the end of each loop.

What K-Factor Coefficient Do I Need?

Generally speaking, the higher the K-Factor, the better. A higher coefficient translates into a higher number of new users coming in solely through virality. While it is a vital KPI to understand how quickly your app is growing, the K-Factor alone is insufficient to determine whether that growth rate is sufficient.

To understand the K-Factor you need to grow, you must compare it with your churn rate (also known as attrition rate), which is the number of users that abandon the application.

A user is considered to have abandoned the application when it ceases interacting with it for a significant period, often correlating with the length of a “loop” (e.g., one month).

Your app’s churn rate is calculated with the following formula:

• (Users at the start of a loop – Users at the end of a loop) / Users at the start of a loop = Churn rate.

For instance, if you had 4,200 members at the start of a loop and 4,000 members at the end, your churn rate is 0.048. The formula is: (4,200 – 4,000) / 4,200.

Your user base is experiencing growth if your K-Factor exceeds your churn rate. For example, if your K-Factor is 1.2 and your churn rate is 0.4, word-of-mouth and virality are currently bringing more users than are lost by abandonment, resulting in a net increase.

In contrast, if the K-Factor is inferior to the churn rate, you are losing more users per loop than you are getting from virality, suggesting your user base may be shrinking.

Why the K-Factor is Important

Knowing your app’s K-Factor and how to use a K-Factor calculator allows you to gain insights into how effectively your application is being shared from existing users to new users. High K-Factors reflect apps that are popularly referred to as “going viral,” or in other words, experiencing a period of very high user growth. A K-Factor is generally considered high when it is 1.0 or more, as it suggests the user base is doubling or more with every loop.

The information you can obtain from knowing your app’s K-Factor, especially if you compare it with the churn rate, makes it a critical KPI if you primarily focus on attracting new users and generating higher app installation rates. The K-Factor also allows you to compare and contrast how well your app is being shared “naturally” (by your users directly) instead of more traditional avenues, such as paid advertising campaigns.

Optimize Your Digital Properties with CodeFuel

Regardless of your app’s number of users, knowing and optimizing its K-Factor is critical to ensure your user base grows steadily. If you need help finding the best ways to optimize your app’s growth, the experts at CodeFuel are here to help.

Our team of mobile advertising experts can analyze your app’s current performance and help you explore as many growth and monetization avenues as possible. Contact us to learn more about our services.

FAQs

1. Does A High K-Factor Translate Into High User Retention?

No. The K-Factor measures how many new users your app acquires due to existing users bringing them, such as word-of-mouth or a built-in invite system. User retention is measured over time using other metrics, such as active user rates over multiple months or yearly periods.

2. What is the Difference Between K-Factor and Churn Rate?

The K-Factor measures your app’s virality; the growth rate of your user base from invites and word-of-mouth. In contrast, the churn rate measures the rate of app abandonment; the rate at which existing users stop using the application, no longer being active users. Comparing the K-Factor and the churn rate is critical to estimate your application’s net growth.

3. What Are the Best Practices to Increase My App’s K-Factor?

The best way to increase your mobile application’s K-Factor is to improve it in ways that enhance its shareability. In other words, you should incentivize your user base to share the application, and the sharing process should be as easy as possible.

For example, if your app is a mobile game, you can offer rewards for every invite that converts into a new user and plays for a specific period. Building a generally high-quality application that your users enjoy is also a significant factor in increasing its shareability and ensuring that the app retains most of these new users efficiently.

Premium platforms such as Google AdSense are among the most frequently cited ad networks for publishers today. While it is one of the top options for larger entities, AdSense’s strict requirements are often too high for a small or medium-sized publisher to meet.

Fortunately, many viable and high-paying alternatives are available. Learn about the top ad networks suitable for smaller publishers and what ad formats, features, and services they offer.

Why Small Publishers Need Ad Networks

Even if you operate a smaller website, app, or niche digital property, partnering with an ad network remains one of the best ways to monetize your content and make the most out of your ad spaces.

As a smaller publisher, manually finding and partnering with individual advertisers is a significant expense of time and effort that would be better spent maintaining your digital property. The role of an ad network is to serve as an intermediary platform that automatically connects publishers and advertisers.

Quality networks have brand safety systems and controls to ensure your ad spaces are filled with high-quality, high-relevancy ad creatives. While publishers of any size benefit from these features, they are especially vital for smaller properties, as they may not yet have other monetization avenues.

Best Ad Network Features to Look For as a Small Publisher

If you are a small publisher, you must ensure the network you partner with has the elements and services you need to grow and focus on your business. Some of the most critical features to look for are the following:

Fast approval process

Premium networks primarily intended for large publishers often subject new applicants to a lengthy approval process.

While owners of larger digital properties often have the resources to wait until this process ends, smaller publishers cannot earn as long as they are stuck in the “pending approval” stage.

For these reasons, partnering with an ad network with fast or instant approval processes is crucial to many publishers. Joining these networks ensures you minimize the time it takes from signing up to earning.

Accessible minimum traffic requirements

Premium ad networks are well-known for requiring new members to meet specific minimum requirements, most often in the form of minimum traffic. While these measures exist to ensure profitability for both sides, they are also prohibitive for smaller publishers, who haven’t yet grown to drive such traffic.

An ad network with low or no minimum traffic requirements is ideal for a smaller publisher because it eliminates one of the most significant entry barriers, allowing them to start monetizing as soon as possible.

Diverse ad inventory

The ad network you partner with must have access to a sufficiently large pool of advertisers to guarantee a diverse selection of high-quality ads.

While no publisher wants to serve low-quality ads, smaller publishers are especially at risk of the consequences. Low-quality ads can drive traffic down and significantly harm the monetization potential of smaller websites and applications.

Good UI and UX

A publisher may eventually stop using an ad network if it is challenging to work with or inconvenient to use, even if they offer high-quality ads and a fast approval process.

The primary factors behind a network’s ease of use are the user interface (UI) and user experience (UX). Quality ad networks should offer easily navigable interfaces, no hidden or obscured features, and sufficient documentation and resources to make the most out of the platform.

Advantageous payment options and frequency

Most networks generally make it easy to configure your ad spaces and start the monetization process of your digital property. However, you may end up unable to earn money with this network if the ad network’s payment terms impose too many conditions, pay too infrequently, or don’t let you withdraw using your preferred payment processors.

Review the network’s payment process and conditions and ensure they can pay you at your preferred frequencies and using your favorite platforms or methods. Quality ad networks should offer multiple options to suit the needs of any publisher. 

For example, if you expect to receive your earnings on a biweekly or monthly basis, ad networks that only provide NET-60 payment (bimonthly) may not be suitable.

Smaller publishers should also ensure the minimum payout value isn’t too high, as ad networks will not send any money to your account until the amount is met.

Top 5 Ad Networks for Small Publishers

Here are the top 5 ad networks small publishers should consider partnering with to monetize their digital properties.

1. Media.Net

Media.Net is not only among the best ad networks for small publishers, but it is also one of the highest-performing ad networks available today and one of the best alternatives to traditional options, such as Google AdSense. Numerous premium international publishers have partnered with Media.Net, including CNN, Forbes, Reuters, and Kiplinger

Media.Net is a contextual ad network that uses advanced technologies to adapt and match the ads served on each ad space to the digital property’s context.

Contextual advertising technologies ensure the ads viewed by website visitors or app users are as relevant as possible, keeping the overall ad quality high.

For example, a contextual ad network serving ads on a sports-themed blog may attempt to serve ads about sportswear or sporting equipment, ensuring maximum relevance to the blog’s readers.

Media.Net also offers many features advantageous to small publishers, such as an easy-to-use interface, real-time analytics and reporting, fast payment processing, and 24/7 customer support.

Media.Net’s Features in a Nutshell

2. PropellerAds

PropellerAds is one of the older players in the advertising network industry, with over 11 years of experience providing small publishers and bloggers with a way to monetize their digital properties conveniently.

PropellerAds guarantees the safety and quality of all ads served with a manual checking and review process of all partner advertisers to ensure no dubious or low-quality ad creatives are displayed on your digital properties.

The network processes over 1 billion impressions monthly from worldwide traffic, making it an excellent option for reaching new audiences. It also employs anti-ad blocking technology, enabling the highest number of viewers to see ads and the best possible payout rates for publishers.

Additionally, PropellerAds is well-known for being one of the most convenient networks regarding payment, offering publishers a lightning-quick NET-7 payment frequency, a wide selection of payment methods, and low starting payout thresholds.

The network also provides dedicated, experienced campaign managers to assist publishers with less experience in the industry, ensuring their campaigns are correctly configured and providing assistance interpreting analytics reports.

PropellerAds’s Features in a Nutshell

3. BidVertiser

Smaller publishers operating newer or niche websites may find BidVertiser a more attractive ad network than other options. Founded in 2003 as a pay-per-click advertising network, it became a modern ad network favored by over 80,000 partners worldwide.

BidVertiser’s monetization model combines a wide selection of ad formats, low minimum payout thresholds, and a 100% transparent process connecting advertisers and publishers. 

Best of all, signing up and getting started on BidVertiser is very quick.

All a new publisher needs to do after creating an account is provide the network with their website details for review. BidVertiser’s automated approval system verifies your site conforms to the terms of services, then lets you configure your ads immediately.

The network features a highly detailed, cookie-based audience targeting feature, allowing publishers to configure ads by well-defined and precise audience segments: age groups, geographic regions, website usage rates, and many other data points found in visitor cookies.

In addition to the in-house features, BidVertiser is also compatible with Google AdSense. Publishers with an AdSense account can use both simultaneously to benefit from the Google system’s contextual advertising alongside BidVertiser’s comprehensive ad formats and layouts.

BidVertiser’s Features in a Nutshell

4. AdMaven

Founded in 2010, AdMaven is an Israeli-based ad network processing over 2 billion ad impressions daily for over 25,000 publishers and sell-side partners.

AdMaven is renowned as one of the best ad networks for publishers primarily interested in implementing pop-under ads. However, the platform also offers a large selection of other ad formats, making it easy to diversify your digital platform’s monetization. 

AdMaven supports desktop interstitials, in-page push ads, push notification ads, and an ad format exclusive to the network: native push notifications. The latter appears as a cross between a standard native ad and a push notification, allowing greater flexibility and creative control. AdMaven states this new ad format results in higher conversion rates and increased payouts for publishers.

While AdMaven has a minimum traffic requirement of 2,500 daily visitors, this number is much lower than ad networks imposing similar entry barriers. Your digital property must also not feature a free top-level domain, such as .tk or .ga.

However, the network’s verification process is automatic, meaning that as long as your blog or website meets the listed requirements, you will receive approval.

Once the approval process is complete, AdMaven provides all publishers with a dedicated account manager. The manager’s role is to provide assistance and suggestions on ad placement and ad format optimization, helping publishers use AdMaven’s dashboard efficiently and increase their earnings.

AdMaven’s Features in a Nutshell

5. AdsTerra

Although AdsTerra has been part of the advertising network industry for less than ten years, it offers many attractive features that small publishers should not overlook.

The ad network processes over 1 billion impressions daily for 40,000 partners, including 12,000 buy-side entities: advertisers, media agencies, and other affiliates. 

While AdsTerra offers classic CPC, CPI, and CPM ad campaigns and multiple ad formats, the network specializes in campaigns on the CPA model with fully customizable pop-unders. The network claims a near-constant 100% fill rate, ensuring maximum monetization efficiency.

AdsTerra also operates a fully automated self-serve platform (SSP), giving publishers full control over their ad campaigns, statistics, analytics, reporting, and configuration options. Publishers also have access to a 24/7 support service and help resources available in multiple languages, ensuring accessibility for worldwide users.

While the network requires each website submitted by publishers to pass an approval process, AdsTerra’s system is notable for its speed. 

Most publishers receive approval and can start monetizing within 10 minutes as long as the website conforms to the platform’s terms of service.

AdsTerra’s Features in a Nutshell

Optimize Your Earnings and Grow As a Publisher with CodeFuel

As a smaller publisher, utilizing all of the tools and monetization avenues at your disposal is crucial to ensure you earn as much as you can. However, finding what works best for your digital property on your own can be a challenging ordeal.

Fortunately, CodeFuel is here to help. Our team is here to help you assess your situation, find the best monetization options for your website, app, or property, and help you make the most out of it. Get started with CodeFuel today.