Fix Your Android App Attribution

Don't let your campaign data disappear into the "not set" abyss. Validate your Google Play Store URLs with precision referrer checking to ensure every install is attributed correctly in GA4 and the Play Console.

Campaign URL Inspector

How the Install Referrer API Works

The Google Play Install Referrer API is the secure technical bridge that connects a store click to an app install. When a user clicks your tagged link, the Play Store stores the `referrer` parameter. Once the user opens the app, your analytics SDK (GA4 or Firebase) calls this API to fetch the attribution data.

Common Tracking Pitfalls:

  • Double-Encoding: The characters inside your `referrer` must be URL-encoded (e.g., `%3D` instead of `=`). If not, the Play Store ignores the payload.
  • The First-Open Delay: Attribution is registered on the first_open event, not the install time. If a user waits days to open the app, the data follows that delay.
  • Invalid Domain: Campaign parameters only work on play.google.com links. Redirects or short-links often strip the referrer if not handled correctly.

Where to Find Your Data

Google Play Console

Navigate to Grow > Store presence > Store listing acquisition. This shows views and installs broken down by your UTM source and campaign.

GA4 / Firebase

In GA4, go to Reports > Acquisition > User acquisition. Look for the First user source/medium dimension to see your campaign performance.