Definition of the Ad Attribution Kit

What is the Ad Attribution Kit?

The Ad Attribution Kit is an ad attribution framework introduced by Apple alongside App Tracking Transparency. Designed to work within both the traditional iOS ecosystem and alternative App Stores, it enables advertisers to measure the impact of advertising campaigns while respecting user privacy.

Unlike SKAN, AAK offers greater flexibility for customization and better interoperability with other marketing channels (deep links, push notifications, etc.).

What Is It For?

The Ad Attribution Kit (AAK) was designed to provide developers and marketers with an attribution solution that is more flexible, interoperable, and privacy-friendly than SKAdNetwork. Its main use cases include:

• Measuring the impact of ad campaigns: Identifying the origin of an installation (click or view), even without the presence of the IDFA.
• Facilitating testing and optimization: Thanks to its developer mode, different attribution scenarios can be simulated to refine activation mechanics.
• Re-engaging inactive users: By allowing post-install attribution, AAK enables tracking of re-engagement campaigns, which SKAN does not.
• Offering broader coverage: By being compatible with alternative App Stores, AAK supports the diversification of app distribution channels.
• Reinforcing deep linking strategies: AAK retains source signals when a user clicks on an ad containing a deep link, improving post-click analysis.
  

Ad Attribution Kit vs SKAN: What Are the Differences?

Although SKAdNetwork has long been the only solution offered by Apple for measuring ad attribution on iOS, the Ad Attribution Kit introduces a more flexible, modern approach, better suited to the evolving market. Below is a comparison of the main differences between the two frameworks.

Alternative App Stores Coverage

SKAN is exclusively tied to Apple’s App Store, limiting its usefulness in an environment where alternative App Stores (AltStore, Setapp, Epic Games Store…) are becoming increasingly common, especially in Europe.

AAK was designed to be agnostic to the distribution platform. This allows advertisers and developers to continue measuring ad attribution regardless of the app’s download channel.

Custom Creative Support

SKAN only supports a limited number of creative variants and provides only aggregated performance signals.

With AAK, campaigns can include personalized creative elements (banners, videos, interactive formats), and attribution takes these variations into account. This allows:

• Measuring the precise impact of each creative,
• Quickly testing creative hypotheses,
• Optimizing UA campaigns in a more granular way.

Easier Testing Through Developer Mode

One of SKAN’s weaknesses is the difficulty of conducting reliable testing: no real-time data, delayed postbacks, no debugging capabilities.

AAK offers a “developer mode” that allows:

• Simulating clicks, views, and installs,
• Forcing postbacks,
• Validating integration autonomously before going live.

This saves considerable time for UA and tech teams, who can validate their setups in controlled test environments.

Deep Linking

Deep linking is essential to the mobile user journey. With SKAN, deep redirections often result in lost attribution information.

AAK retains the trace of the user’s path, even when a deep link is involved, which enables:

• Better post-click traceability,
• Precise measurement of in-app conversions (page views, add to cart, etc.),
• Improved cross-channel user journeys.

Re-engagement

SKAN only supports the attribution of initial installations (user acquisition), which prevents tracking the effects of retargeting campaigns.

AAK, on the other hand, introduces a post-install attribution logic, allowing:

• Measuring the performance of reactivation campaigns,
• Identifying the most effective re-engagement channels,

Feeding this data into your CRM and push strategy.

Summary

Track and Re-engage Your Audiences with Ad Attribution Kit

With the introduction of deep links and re-engagement features, AAK proves to be a robust alternative to SKAN. Let’s look at how it works in practical terms.

Deep Linking: Better Tracking of User Activity

Thanks to its seamless integration with deep linking systems, Ad Attribution Kit allows you to accurately track user actions after installation. This significantly improves ROI analysis of your campaigns, particularly in the retail, gaming, or fintech sectors.

How Does AAK Enable Audience Re-engagement?

AAK introduces a logic of continuous attribution, even after the app is installed. This means it is now possible to:

• Identify inactive users,
• Target reactivation campaigns,
• Measure the impact of these actions while retaining the original source information.

This approach is valuable in a context where the user lifecycle is increasingly fragmented.

What’s New in 2025: iOS 18.4 Accelerates AAK Adoption

The year 2025 marks a major milestone with iOS 18.4 introducing several key features to the Ad Attribution Kit:

Multi-Re-engagement Attribution

Until now, only a single source could be credited per user. With iOS 18.4, AAK now allows:

• Multiple re-engagement campaigns to be attributed to the same user,
• The ability to distinguish successive sources of interaction,
• The measurement of the cumulative value of marketing efforts over time.

👉 Example: A user is reactivated by an email campaign, then a push notification, then a native ad. All of these actions can now be attributed.

Introduction of Conversion Tags

These tags allow developers to associate custom events with user actions, such as:

• Add to cart
• Account login
• Booking or subscription

Each tag is flexible and defined by the developer, enabling a precise understanding of the conversion funnel.

Customizable Attribution

Advertisers can now:

• Define the duration of the attribution window (default: 30 days),
• Choose the attribution model (last click, first click, etc.),
• Set specific rules per campaign.

This provides full autonomy in configuring attribution according to marketing objectives.

Geolocated Postbacks (Country Level)

AAK 2025 allows each postback to be associated with a geographical location (country-level granularity, without collecting personal data).

Benefits include:

• Analyzing performance by market,
• Optimizing budgets based on geography,

Adapting creatives to local preferences.

What Are the Concrete Benefits of These New Features?

More Control for Marketing Teams

With customizable attribution, marketing teams can adapt the rules based on:

• Business goals (acquisition, retention, reactivation),
• The nature of the app (freemium, e-commerce, service, etc.),
• The creative strategy in place.

Result: More accurate KPIs, deeper insight into results, and better collaboration between UA, Product, and CRM teams.

More Granular Analytics

Thanks to conversion tags and geolocated postbacks:

• It becomes possible to analyze performance by action type, not just by installation,
• Identify the most profitable geographical areas,
• Adapt advertising messages in a smarter and more relevant way.

Better Tracking of the User Lifecycle

Multi-reengagement attribution allows teams to:

• Better understand long-term user behavior,
• Adjust loyalty and retention strategies accordingly,
• Accurately measure the impact of CRM, cross-promo, or email marketing levers.

Compatibility with a More Open Ecosystem

With iOS becoming open to alternative App Stores in Europe, AAK is becoming an essential tool to:

• Continue tracking user acquisition campaigns,
• Maintain marketing performance despite the fragmentation of distribution channels,
• Prepare for a post-App Store future in mobile marketing.

Conclusion

The Ad Attribution Kit represents a major evolution in iOS attribution. It offers a credible and effective alternative to SKAdNetwork: more flexible, compatible with diverse environments, and built with the future of mobile marketing in mind.

As the adoption of alternative App Stores accelerates and users become more demanding, integrating the Ad Attribution Kit into your marketing stack is no longer optional — it’s a strategic lever for performance, measurement, and privacy-compliant growth.