Managing media sources

A media source is an external source of traffic that helps promote your app. In AppMetrica, a media source can be an advertising network, an agency, or another platform involved in user acquisition.

Media sources participate in various tracking and analytics processes:

• Tracker creation. You can create trackers for media sources. These are unique URLs used to attribute installs and events.

• Attribution. User events can be attributed to a specific media source (for example, using click or impression attribution).

• Analytics. Data in AppMetrica reports can be filtered and grouped by media source.

• Integration. You can configure postback templates for media sources and set up automatic sending of postbacks with conversion information across all conversion sources.

Media source types

Type	Description
Shared media source	Available to all AppMetrica organizations. Preset in the system, associated with a brand, and may have built-in templates
Custom media source	Created manually to manage custom sources

List of media sources

AppMetrica actively partners with advertising networks to promote apps. For a list of shared AppMetrica media sources, see Ad networks and technologies. If a media source isn't in the list, you can add it manually.

In AppMetrica, you can find media sources listed under Tracking → Media sources. By default, the list shows both shared AppMetrica media sources and the custom sources added by you or your colleagues. To view only your custom media sources, enable Created. To find a specific media source, use the search bar.

A user can see a custom media source in the shared list if at least one of the following conditions is met:

• The media source creator owns or has guest access for the apps available to the user.
• The media source has settings specified for at least one available app.
• The media source is specified in agency-level guest access for the user. Learn more about access.

You can rename your custom media source or archive it if if you no longer work with them. To do this, click next to the name of the media source and select the desired action.

Adding a media source

If you don't find the desired media source in the shared list, you can create it manually.

1. Go to Tracking → Media sources and click Add Media Source.

2. Enter a name for the media source.

3. If you want, provide a link to the media source's website. In this case, the list of media sources will show its logo.

4. Click Create.

The new media source will be available in the shared list. To open the media source page, click its name.

Media source page

To open the page of a media source, click its name in the list.

On the media source page, you can:

• Rename a custom media source. To do this, click → Edit in the upper-right corner and enter a new name.

• Archive a custom media source you no longer need. To do this, click → Archive in the upper-right corner and confirm the action.

• Set up postback templates (reusable templates for trackers).

• Set up sending of postbacks about conversions regardless of the install source (see Postbacks for all sources).

Postback templates

A postback template is used to set up automatic sending of conversion data to a media source. The template can be helpful if you want to use it in multiple trackers.

You can find available templates in the Postback templates tab of the media source page.

To create a new template:

1. Click Create template.

2. Enter a name for the template.

3. Select the conversion for which you want to send a postback, then choose a sending method (POST or GET).

4. Generate a postback URL. You can use this URL when setting up the tracker's postback for this media source.

   To transmit additional information about the event to the media source, use macros when generating the URL.

5. If you select Add to new trackers by default, the postback will be automatically activated for all new trackers with this media source. You can disable the postback when creating or editing a tracker.

6. Click Save.

Postbacks for all sources

With postbacks for all sources, you can send event data to a media source regardless of whether the user was acquired through advertising or organically. These postbacks aren't linked to specific trackers and work for all data sources.

Postbacks for all sources are used:

• For training media source models (including those that use organic traffic).
• For media sources that require all events, not just those attributed to a given source.
• For integration with third-party data analysis and visualization systems.

You can find your postbacks in the Postback (all sources) tab of the media source page.

To create a new postback for all sources:

1. Click Create.

2. Enter a name for the postback.

3. Select the conversion for which you want to send a postback, then choose a sending method (POST or GET).

4. Generate a postback URL for sending conversion info to the media source.

   To transmit additional information about the event to the media source, use macros when generating the URL.

5. Click Save.

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.

Contact support

A link for sending an event message (about an install or a target event). The event recipient is a media source. You can send additional parameters to the postback URL.