Tracking Facebook Mobile Ads with Google Analytics

17
votes

I want to track the installs that I am getting from Facebook mobile ads using Google Analytics.

To track the installs from this campaign, Google has provided me with a custom campaign URL appended with all the necessary parameters.

However, there is no way to integrate this parameter in Facebook Mobile Ads, as all they use the package name and class name to reach the application on play store.

Is there any way to insert the campaign URL into FB Mobile Ads? Can the parameters be appended to the package name?

TIA

3
androidfacebookgoogle-analyticsgoogle-play
I have the same issue. Did you find an answer? - JRun
Same here. Did you ever find a work-around? I'm experimenting with an ad to a bitly url seeing as facebook keeps stripping out any parameters to a play store url. - KJN
Same Issue here. Did you find any workaround? - CommonMan

3 Answers

1
votes

The Facebook help center page How do I use URL tags? says:

Note that for mobile app ads there is no URL tags field, only a deep link field. The URL tag field only appears for Canvas app ads.

It's not possible to do that right now as Facebook doesn't allow you to pass any referral parameters - you can only set the Android App name (no way to use a standard URL.)

I was told that something could be done using certified tracking partners. As far as I know, they could send a request to Facebook to find out if a user has previously clicked your ads.

Anyhow, you still have to trust on Facebook reports and you cannot audit the traffic.

0
votes

Another confirmation that you cannot achieve it currently without going to Facebook partners.

https://business.facebook.com/ads/manager/pixel/facebook_pixel/?act=848281788635562&pid=p1&business_id=618211764975900

I think that what you can do is a workaround by tricky using deep linking mechanism. You can pass some info via deep link URL and on the Android app side - post an event to your backend informing that there was such deep link parameter passed. Some additional work, no data on Google Analytics, only in your custom backend - it is up to you if it's worth it.

-1
votes

On Android, the android SDK actually has libraries to process that referral:

https://developers.google.com/analytics/devguides/collection/android/v2/campaigns#general-campaigns