Confirming the SDK Integration:
Ensure the SDK has been properly integrated.
After integrating the SDK or creating a new App GUID, we suggest performing these tests to ensure the SDK has been integrated successfully and is functioning as expected within your app.
Validate the Install:
The SDK will send an install for the app once, after a fresh install. This test ensures the SDK was configured properly and successfully sent the install to Kochava.
- Double check the SDK configuration in code, ensuring the correct App GUID.
- Run the app for approximately 30 seconds, which will allow more than enough time for the SDK to start and send an install to Kochava under typical conditions.
- Wait a minute or two and visit the Install Feed Validation page for your app within the Kochava dashboard, under Apps & Assets > Install Feed Validation. Within that page, look for the Integration Success! message which indicates integration was successful and that Kochava did receive an install from the SDK. At this point you have confirmed a successful SDK integration and can move ahead to Validate Post Install Events below.
- If instead you see a Integration Not Complete! message, wait a few more minutes and refresh the page. After refreshing, if the Integration Not Complete! message persists, double check the following, then repeat this test:
- Correct App GUID is used within SDK code configuration.
- Ensure the SDK configuration and startup code is being reached.
- Ensure the network connection from the test device is not limited behind a firewall or otherwise.
Validate Event Tracking:
If you are tracking user events, you can use this test to ensure the SDK was configured properly and is successfully sending these events to Kochava.
- Double check the SDK configuration in code, ensuring the correct App GUID.
- Double check your event tracking code and ensure it is reachable.
- Launch the app and perform necessary actions within the app to trigger the event(s) you wish to test. After performing these actions, wait 60 seconds to allow more than enough time for the SDK to send these events.
- Wait a minute or two and visit the Event Manager page for your app within the Kochava dashboard, under Apps & Assets > Event Manager. Within that page, ensure the tested event names are displayed here, in which case you have confirmed the SDK is successfully tracking these events.
- If your event names are not displayed here after waiting a few minutes, double check the following, then repeat this test:
- Correct App GUID is used within SDK code configuration.
- Ensure the SDK configuration and startup code is being reached prior to any event code.
- Ensure the SDK event code is being reached.
- Ensure the network connection from the test device is not limited behind a firewall or otherwise.
Supporting SKAdNetwork:
Kochava’s SKAdNetwork support is seamlessly integrated with standard event tracking.
SDK VERSION NOTE: This feature requires Kochava SDK Version 4.4.0 or higher.
SDK PLATFORM NOTE: This feature is applicable to iOS platforms only.
No special code is needed to support SKAdNetwork, beyond tracking your existing events which are eligible for conversion.
After setting up SKAdNetwork in your Kochava dashboard, the SDK will automatically:
- Call Apple’s SKAdNetwork registration at the first opportunity following launch.
- When an eligible conversion event is triggered on iOS 14, the SDK will calculate the appropriate conversion value based on the event’s properties and automatically call Apple’s SKAdNetwork conversion update.
Generating SKAdNetwork Postbacks:
While the SDK automatically makes the necessary Apple API calls for you, a SKAdNetwork postback will only be generated if requirements are met for both the source app and advertised app. The advertised app must have been reviewed and available for download in the App Store, while the source app (where the ad is displayed) can be one that you are currently developing and run from Xcode or through TestFlight. Be sure to use the correct SKStoreProductParameterAdNetworkSourceAppStoreIdentifier per your case.
For testing purposes, you can cut down on the 24 hour postback wait by using the “SKAdNetwork Profile” from the Apple developer console here: https://developer.apple.com/download/more/ (search for “skad”).
Subscribe to SDK Callbacks:
Optionally, you may set callbacks which will be called by the SDK when it calls Apple’s registerAppForAdNetworkAttribution() and updatePostbackConversionValue() APIs. Subscribing to these notifications is NOT required, and is necessary only if you wish to do something with the latest conversion value or understand the timing of these calls.
SDK VERSION NOTE: Requires iOS SDK version 4.4.0 or higher.
AppTrackingTransparency and IDFA Collection:
Method for handling Apple’s new IDFA collection model.
SDK VERSION NOTE: This feature requires Kochava SDK Version 4.0.0 or higher.
SDK PLATFORM NOTE: This feature is applicable to iOS platforms only.
As of iOS 14, IDFA collection is gated behind Apple’s new AppTrackingTransparency (ATT) permission-based authorization. This means that when an app is running on iOS 14, the IDFA is not available for collection until after the user grants permission, similar to any other iOS permission-based collection. However, Apple is delaying enforcement of ATT, which is discussed below.
Enforcing ATT for IDFA Collection
The SDK makes this very simple for you. All you need to do is tell the SDK you want to enable ATT enforcement during configuration.
As a tracking requirement by Apple, you must include in your info.plist the key NSUserTrackingUsageDescription and a string value explaining why you are requesting authorization to track. This text will be included in the prompt displayed by the operating system when tracking authorization is requested.
Configure the SDK
During SDK configuration, tell the SDK you wish to enable ATT enforcement. By default, the user will be prompted for tracking authorization one time, upon launch, and the SDK will allow up to 30 seconds for the user to answer the tracking authorization prompt. You may adjust this behavior if you wish.
Example Enabling ATT with default settings (recommended):
Swift:
KVATracker.shared.appTrackingTransparency.enabledBool = true
KVATracker.shared.start(withAppGUIDString: "_YOUR_APP_GUID_")
Example Allow more than the default 30 seconds for the user to respond:
Swift:
KVATracker.shared.appTrackingTransparency.enabledBool = true
KVATracker.shared.appTrackingTransparency.authorizationStatusWaitTimeInterval = 90.0
KVATracker.shared.start(withAppGUIDString: "_YOUR_APP_GUID_")
At this point you are done. The user will be prompted for tracking authorization one time, during the first launch of the app, and the IDFA will be gathered if authorization is granted.
For purposes of testing, you will need to uninstall and reinstall the app each time you wish for the tracking prompt to appear, as Apple will only allow this to be displayed once.
Optionally, if you wish to prompt the user for tracking authorization at a specific moment or you do not want the SDK to trigger the prompt, continue reading below.
Custom Prompt Timing (Optional)
Follow these steps only if you wish for the tracking authorization prompt to be displayed at a time other than when the app is first launched or you do not want the SDK to trigger the prompt.
In order to accomplish this, first configure the SDK so that it does not automatically request authorization and allows enough time for the user to reach the point where tracking authorization will be requested at the moment of your choosing. In this example, we are allowing up to 120 seconds for the user to provide an answer to the tracking authorization request.
Example Configure the SDK:
Swift:
// a. This will instruct the SDK not to request authorization results yet, unless we've already prompted the user on a previous launch:
KVATracker.shared.appTrackingTransparency.enabledBool = true
KVATracker.shared.appTrackingTransparency.autoRequestTrackingAuthorizationBool = UserDefaults.standard.value(forKey: “com.myOrg.didATTPrompt”) as? Bool
?? false // [a]
KVATracker.shared.appTrackingTransparency.authorizationStatusWaitTimeInterval = 120.0
KVATracker.shared.start(withAppGUIDString: "_YOUR_APP_GUID_")
Secondly, add code which requests the tracking authorization at the time of your choosing and then notifies the SDK when the authorization request completes. It is your responsibility to ensure your tracking authorization request code is reached. If it is not, the timeout will be reached and the SDK will proceed without collecting the IDFA.
NOTE: Regardless of how many times you request tracking authorization, the user is only prompted once. This means you can repeatedly request tracking authorization at a specific moment per app launch and the user will only be prompted once, the first time the code is reached.
Example Request authorization and notify the SDK upon completion:
Swift:
// ATTrackingManager
// ⓘ Request tracking authorization at a curated moment, and then:
// a. Notify the Kochava SDK that it may proceed with tracking authorization.
// b. Persist a flag indicating the user has answered the ATT prompt at least once.
ATTrackingManager.requestTrackingAuthorization
{
authorizationStatus in
KVATracker.shared.appTrackingTransparency.autoRequestTrackingAuthorizationBool = true // [a]
UserDefaults.standard.setValue(true, forKey: “com.myOrg.didATTPrompt”) // [b]
}App Store Submission Guidance and Best Practices
If you have added the NSUserTrackingUsageDescription entry to your info.plist and/or are referencing the ATT framework, Apple expects to visibly see the ATT prompt during the review process of your submission. At the time of this writing, the App Store submission guidelines do not state this requirement, but Apple has cited this as cause for rejection.
If the ATT prompt is not automatically triggered upon launch, we suggest that you include instructions for the reviewer detailing the steps they must take to trigger the ATT prompt. If you’ve forcibly disabled the ATT prompt whether through our UI or otherwise, you must add a review note indicating that you are not invoking the ATT consent prompt until the release of iOS 14.5.
NOTE: Apple may reject apps which attempt to preempt the ATT prompt with a soft prompt of any kind. We suggest that you avoid this approach and allow the ATT prompt to be triggered immediately upon launch.
Supporting App Clips:
Additional steps to properly support App Clips.
SDK VERSION NOTE: This feature requires Kochava SDK Version 4.1.0 or higher.
The standard SDK is used within your app clip app (no special variant of the SDK is needed for an app clip).
In order to properly support user and attribution flow between the app clip and full app, the following steps must be taken.
Create Two App GUIDs:
The app clip and full app should not use the same App GUID. For the app clip, create or use a Kochava app of platform type iOS – App Clip. For the full app, create or use a Kochava app of platform type iOS.
Configure the SDK:
You will need to provide an app group identifier string which facilitates shared storage between the app clip and full app. To accomplish this, in Xcode under the project Signing & Capabilities, add a new capability for App Groups if you do not have one already using the plus button. For the new identifier, start with your app’s bundle identifier and then prefix it with group. and suffix it with .kochava. Provide this identifier to the SDK prior to starting the SDK. This identifier must be the same between the app clip and full app.
Example Provide a Shared Storage Container Before Starting the Tracker:
Swift:
// KVAAppGroups
// ⓘ Set the shared deviceAppGroupIdentifier. This facilitates shared storage between the app clip and full app.
KVAAppGroups.shared.deviceAppGroupIdentifier = "group.com.kochava.host.kochava"
// KVATracker
// ⓘ Start. Pass the Kochava app guid for either the app clip or full app.
KVATracker.shared.start(withAppGUIDString: "_YOUR_APP_GUID_")
NOTE: The SDK detects your app clip by looking for the bundle identifier’s default .clip suffix. If your app clip does not use the default .clip suffix, you must also set KVAAppGroups.shared.appClipBool to true immediately following setting KVAAppGroups.shared.deviceAppGroupIdentifierString within the app clip code (not the full app).
Process the Deeplink:
When the instant app is launched, pass the invocation URL to the SDK’s Process Deeplink API as soon as possible, just as you would any other deeplink. See the topic Enhanced Deeplinking for complete instructions on how to use the Process Deeplink API.
By taking these steps, all functionality related to attribution, analytics, and measurement will be properly implemented between the app clip and full app.
Tracking Events:
Track user behavior and actions beyond the install.
Examples include in-app purchases, level completions, or other noteworthy user activity you wish to track. Events can be instrumented either by using the standard format provided by the SDK or using your own custom event name and data.
Standard Events:
Standard events are built by first selecting a standard event type and then setting any applicable standard parameters you wish to include with the event. For example, you might choose a Purchase standard event type and set values for the Price and Name parameters. There are a variety of standard event types to choose from and dozens of standard parameters available. When creating a standard event, you only need to set values for the parameters you wish to track. A maximum of 16 parameters can be set.
- Create an event object using the desired standard event type.
- Set the desired parameter value(s) within the event object.
- Pass the event object to the tracker’s Send Event method.
Example (Standard Event with Standard Parameters) —
let event = KVAEvent(type: .purchase) event.nameString = "Gold Token" event.priceDoubleNumber = 0.99 event.send()KVAEvent *event = [[KVAEvent alloc] initWithType:KVAEventType.purchase]; event.nameString = @"Gold Token"; event.priceDoubleNumber = @(0.99); [event send];
Custom event parameters (which can also be serialized JSON) may also be set within a standard event.
Example (Standard Event with Standard and Custom Parameters) —
let event = KVAEvent(type: .levelComplete) event.nameString = "The Deep Dark Forest" event.infoDictionary = [ "attempts": 3, "score": 12000 ] event.send()KVAEvent *event = [[KVAEvent alloc] initWithType:KVAEventType.levelComplete]; event.nameString = @"The Deep Dark Forest"; event.infoDictionary = @{ @"attempts": @(3), @"score": @(12000) }; [event send];
If you wish to use a custom event type with standard parameters, use a custom event name string within your event constructor in place of a standard event type.
For a detailed list of standard event types and parameters, see: Post Install Event Examples
Custom Events:
For scenarios where the standard event types and standard parameters do not meet your needs, custom events can be used. To instrument a custom event, pass the event’s name and data (which can also be serialized JSON) to the tracker’s Send Event method.
Example (Custom Event with Custom Parameters) —
let event = KVAEvent(customWithEventName: "Enemy Defeated") event.infoDictionary = [ "enemy": "The Angry Ogre", "reward": "Gold Token" ] event.send()KVAEvent *event = [[KVAEvent alloc] initCustomWithEventName:@"Enemy Defeated"]; event.infoDictionary = @{ @"enemy": @"The Angry Ogre", @"reward": @"Gold Token" }; [event send];let event = KVAEvent(customEventWithNameString: "Enemy Defeated") event.infoDictionary = [ "enemy": "The Angry Ogre", "reward": "Gold Token" ] event.send()
Example (Send a Custom Event with Only a Name, no Event Data) —
KVAEvent.sendCustom(eventName: "Player Defeated")[KVAEvent sendCustomWithEventName:@"Player Defeated"];KVAEvent.sendCustom(withNameString: “Player Defeated”)
Example (Send a Custom Event with Event Data) —
KVAEvent.sendCustom( eventName: "Player Defeated", infoString: "Angry Ogre" )[KVAEvent sendCustomWithEventName:@"Player Defeated" infoString:@"Angry Ogre"];KVAEvent.sendCustom(withNameString: "Player Defeated", infoString: "Angry Ogre")
Example (Send a Custom Event with Additional Data) —
KVAEvent.sendCustom( eventName: "Player Defeated", infoDictionary: ["enemy": "Angry Ogre"] )[KVAEvent sendCustomWithEventName:@"Player Defeated" infoDictionary:@{@"enemy": @"Angry Ogre"}];KVAEvent.sendCustom(withNameString: "Player Defeated", infoDictionary: ["enemy": "Angry Ogre"])
NOTE: No custom event name pre-registration is required. However, a maximum of 100 unique event names can be tracked within the Kochava dashboard (including any standard event types also used), so keep this in mind as you create new custom event names.
Tracking Purchases:
Track in-app purchases and revenue.
In-app purchases and subscription can be easily tracked and attributed by creating a purchase event. To accomplish this, simply create an event of type Purchase and include the total amount of revenue as the price value within the event data parameters.
App Store receipts can also be optionally included with your purchase event to be validated server-side by Kochava through the App Store. If desired, include the receipt in your event using the standard parameter appStoreReceiptBase64EncodedString.
Example (Standard Purchase Event):
let event = KVAEvent(type: .purchase) event.priceDecimalNumber = 4.99 event.currencyString = "usd" event.nameString = "Loot Box" event.appStoreReceiptBase64EncodedString = appStoreReceiptBase64EncodedString event.send()KVAEvent *event = [[KVAEvent alloc] initWithType:KVAEventType.purchase]; event.priceDoubleNumber = @(4.99); event.currencyString = @"usd"; event.nameString = @"Loot Box"; event.appStoreReceiptBase64EncodedString = appStoreReceiptBase64EncodedString; [event send];
Example (Custom Purchase Event with Additional Data):
KVAEvent.sendCustom(eventName: "Purchase", infoDictionary: [ "price": 4.99, "name": "Loot Box" ])[KVAEvent sendCustomWithEventName:@"Purchase" infoDictionary:@{ @"price": @(4.99), @"name": @"Loot Box" }];KVAEvent.sendCustom(withNameString: "Purchase", infoDictionary: [ "price": 4.99, "name": "Loot Box" ])
Tracking Subscriptions and Trials:
Track user subscriptions and tree trials.
In order to effectively track user subscriptions and free trials, an event should be instrumented at the time of the subscription purchase or start of the free trial along with an accompanying identity link.
When a subscription or free trial begins, first set an identity link for this subscriber and then instrument a standard Subscription or Trial event populated with the following values:
- Price
- Currency
- Product Name
- User or Subscriber ID (hash suggested)
- Receipt (if available)
Example (Identity Link with Subscription):
// KVAIdentityLink // ⓘ Register. First this user is linked with this install. KVAIdentityLink.register( name: "Subscriber ID", identifier: "ABCDEF123456789" ) // event // ⓘ Send. Next, the subscription is sent. let event = KVAEvent(type: .subscribe) event.priceDecimalNumber = 9.99 event.currencyString = "usd" event.nameString = "Monthly Subscription" event.appStoreReceiptBase64EncodedString = appStoreReceiptBase64EncodedString event.send()// KVAIdentityLink // ⓘ Register. First this user is linked with this install. [KVAIdentityLink registerWithName:@"Subscriber ID" identifier:@"ABCDEF123456789"]; // event // ⓘ Send. Next, the subscription is sent. KVAEvent *event = [[KVAEvent alloc] initWithType:KVAEventType.subscribe]; event.priceDecimalNumber = (NSDecimalNumber *)[NSDecimalNumber numberWithDouble:9.99]; event.currencyString = @"usd"; event.nameString = @"Monthly Subscription"; event.appStoreReceiptBase64EncodedString = appStoreReceiptBase64EncodedString; [event send];// identityLink // ⓘ Register. First this user is linked with this install. KVATracker.shared.identityLink.register( withNameString: "Subscriber ID", identifierString: "ABCDEF123456789" ) // event // ⓘ Send. Next, the subscription is sent. let event = KVAEvent(type: .subscribe) event.priceDecimalNumber = 9.99 event.currencyString = "usd" event.nameString = "Monthly Subscription" event.appStoreReceiptBase64EncodedString = appStoreReceiptBase64EncodedString event.send()
A free trial is handled in a similar way, although the price should be set to 0 and the event type should indicate Trial rather than Subscription. The product name should remain the same, as the event type indicates whether this was free trial or subscription.
Example (Identity Link with Free Trial):
// KVAIdentityLink // ⓘ Register. First this user is linked with this install. KVAIdentityLink.register( name: "Subscriber ID", identifier: "ABCDEF123456789" ) // event // ⓘ Send. Next, the subscription is sent. let event = KVAEvent(type: .startTrial) event.priceDecimalNumber = 0.00 event.currencyString = "usd" event.nameString = "Monthly Subscription" event.userIdString = "ABCDEF123456789" event.appStoreReceiptBase64EncodedString = appStoreReceiptBase64EncodedString event.send()// KVAIdentityLink // ⓘ Register. First this user is linked with this install. [KVAIdentityLink registerWithName:@"Subscriber ID" identifier:@"ABCDEF123456789"]; // event // ⓘ Send. Next, the subscription is sent. KVAEvent *event = [[KVAEvent alloc] initWithType:KVAEventType.startTrial]; event.priceDecimalNumber = (NSDecimalNumber *)[NSDecimalNumber numberWithDouble:0.00]; event.currencyString = @"usd"; event.nameString = @"Monthly Subscription"; event.userIdString = @"ABCDEF123456789"; event.appStoreReceiptBase64EncodedString = appStoreReceiptBase64EncodedString; [event send];// identityLink // ⓘ Register. First this user is linked with this install. KVATracker.shared.identityLink.register( withNameString: "Subscriber ID", identifierString: "ABCDEF123456789" ) // event // ⓘ Send. Next, the subscription is sent. let event = KVAEvent(type: .startTrial) event.priceDecimalNumber = 0.00 event.currencyString = "usd" event.nameString = "Monthly Subscription" event.userIdString = "ABCDEF123456789" event.appStoreReceiptBase64EncodedString = appStoreReceiptBase64EncodedString event.send()
Deeplinking:
Track deeplink related actions and user activity.
Tracking deeplinks is accomplished similar to any other type of event. In order to track a deeplink event, create a standard event of type Deeplink and set the uri parameter along with any other relevant parameters to the values provided when the deeplink occurred.
Example (Standard Deeplink Event):
let event = KVAEvent(type: .deeplink) event.uriString = "some_deeplink_uri" event.send()KVAEvent *event = [[KVAEvent alloc] initWithType:KVAEventType.deeplink]; event.uriString = @"some_deeplink_uri"; [event send];
Enhanced Deeplinking:
Universal click deeplinking and re-engagement attribution.
Enhanced Deeplinking facilitates the routing of users who are deeplinked into the app, whether through a standard deeplink or deferred deeplink. Re-engagement attribution is also supported for those users.
Use of this feature consists of these steps:
- Acquire a deeplink and Pass it to the SDK.
- Wait for the callback and Route the user.
Terminology:
Standard Deeplink: A deeplink into an app which is already installed. The app opens (or is already open) and the deeplink is immediately available.
Deferred Deeplink: A deeplink into an app which is not yet installed. In this case, a deeplink-enabled Kochava tracker is clicked, but the user must first install and then launch the app. The deeplink would have been lost during the installation, but Kochava is able to provide you with the original deeplink.
Acquire the Deeplink and Pass it to the SDK:
As a first step, acquire any incoming deeplink on launch or at runtime. If no deeplink exists on launch, pass in an empty string to indicate a deferred deeplink may be present. Remember, you do not need to check whether the deeplink is from Kochava or not; the SDK will do this for you.
A timeout, in seconds, may also be specified with the deeplink, which indicates the maximum amount of time to allow the SDK to attempt to process the deeplink. Typical standard deeplink processing should complete in less than 1 second, but if network connectivity is poor the timeout could be reached. Deferred deeplinking typically completes in 3-7 seconds, but could take longer depending on network connection and attribution processing time. We suggest setting a timeout of at least 10 seconds for standard deeplinks and 15 seconds for deferred deeplinks.
NOTE: Ensure you have started the Kochava Tracker SDK before using this feature.
Example (Acquire the Deeplink) —
func application(_ application: UIApplication, continue userActivity: NSUserActivity, restorationHandler: @escaping ([Any]?) -> Void) -> Bool { if let url = userActivity.webpageURL { KVADeeplink.process(url: url) { deeplink in // handle deeplink } } return true }- (BOOL)application:(UIApplication *)application continueUserActivity:(NSUserActivity *)userActivity restorationHandler:(void (^)(NSArray<id<UIUserActivityRestoring>> *restorableObjects))restorationHandler { NSURL *url = userActivity.webpageURL; if (url != nil) { [KVADeeplink processWithURL:url completionHandler:^(KVADeeplink * _Nonnull deeplink) { // handle deeplink }]; } return YES; }func application(_ application: UIApplication, continue userActivity: NSUserActivity, restorationHandler: @escaping ([Any]?) -> Void) -> Bool { if let url = userActivity.webpageURL { KVADeeplink.process(withURL: url) { deeplink in // handle deeplink } } return true }
Example (Acquire the Deferred Deeplink) —
func application(_ application: UIApplication, didFinishLaunchingWithOptions launchOptions: [UIApplication.LaunchOptionsKey: Any]?) -> Bool { // ... let userActivityDictionary = launchOptions?[UIApplication.LaunchOptionsKey.userActivityDictionary] as? [AnyHashable: Any] if userActivityDictionary == nil { KVADeeplink.process(url: nil) { deeplink in if let destinationString = deeplink.destinationString, destinationString.count > 0 { // handle deferred deeplink } } } return true }- (BOOL)application:(UIApplication *)application didFinishLaunchingWithOptions:(NSDictionary *)launchOptions { // ... NSDictionary *userActivityDictionary = launchOptions[UIApplicationLaunchOptionsUserActivityDictionaryKey]; if (userActivityDictionary == nil) { [KVADeeplink processWithURL:nil completionHandler:^(KVADeeplink * _Nonnull deeplink) { NSString *destinationString = deeplink.destinationString; if (destinationString.length > 0) { // handle deferred deeplink } }]; } return YES; }func application(_ application: UIApplication, didFinishLaunchingWithOptions launchOptions: [UIApplication.LaunchOptionsKey: Any]?) -> Bool { // ... let userActivityDictionary = launchOptions?[UIApplication.LaunchOptionsKey.userActivityDictionary] as? [AnyHashable: Any] if userActivityDictionary == nil { KVADeeplink.process(withURL: nil) { deeplink in if let destinationString = deeplink.destinationString, destinationString.count > 0 { // handle deferred deeplink } } } return true }
Example (Set a Timeout) —
Optionally, you may set a timeout other than the default of 10 seconds.
KVADeeplink.process(url: nil, timeoutTimeInterval: 15.0)
{
deeplink in
// ...
}Wait for the Callback and Route the User:
Once the SDK finishes processing the deeplink, a callback will fire which will include the final routing destination for this user. This destination may or may not differ from the original deeplink passed in, but it’s been validated and is now ready to be used. Please note that if the timeout is reached the callback will fire with the unchanged deeplink originally passed in.
If no deeplink was present, an empty string will be returned as the destination.
It is important to understand that if the SDK does not recognize the deeplink as a Kochava deeplink, the deeplink passed in will be returned via the callback unchanged. Because of this, you don’t need to add code to determine whether or not the deeplink is from Kochava before passing it to the SDK; simply pass all deeplinks to the SDK and wait for the callback each time.
Example (Wait for the Callback) —
KVADeeplink.process(url: url) { deeplink in if let destinationString = deeplink.destinationString, destinationString.count > 0 { // deeplink exists, parse the destination as you see fit let urlComponents = URLComponents(string: destinationString) // route the user to the destination accordingly print("urlComponents=\(String(describing: urlComponents))") } else { // no deeplink to act upon, route to a default destination or take no action } }[KVADeeplink processWithURL:url completionHandler:^(KVADeeplink * _Nonnull deeplink) { NSString *destinationString = deeplink.destinationString; if (destinationString.length > 0) { // deeplink exists, parse the destination as you see fit NSURLComponents *urlComponents = [NSURLComponents componentsWithString:destinationString]; // route the user to the destination accordingly NSLog(@"urlComponents=%@", urlComponents); } else { // no deeplink to act upon, route to a default destination or take no action } }];KVADeeplink.process(withURL: url) { deeplink in if let destinationString = deeplink.destinationString, destinationString.count > 0 { // deeplink exists, parse the destination as you see fit let urlComponents = URLComponents(string: destinationString) // route the user to the destination accordingly print("urlComponents=\(String(describing: urlComponents))") } else { // no deeplink to act upon, route to a default destination or take no action } }
About Deferred Deeplinking:
By passing an empty string (“”) to the Tracker’s ProcessDeeplink() method, as described in the first example above, the SDK will automatically look for any deferred deeplink from the attribution results and surface it within the callback no differently than a standard deeplink.
This means you do not need to care about where a deeplink is coming from or whether it is deferred or standard. Just pass in the deeplink if it exists or pass in an empty string if it does not, then wait for the callback and route the user.
Enhanced Deeplinking vs. Attribution Retrieval:
If you choose to use this Enhanced Deeplinking functionality for deferred deeplinking, you should not also need to use the SDK’s attribution retrieval feature for deferred deeplinking, unless you want to parse the attribution results for another reason. If you do not want Enhanced Deeplinking checking for a deferred deeplink, do not pass an empty string to the SDK when no deeplink exists. Choose one method or the other, but don’t rely on both for deferred deeplinking as you could end up routing the user twice.
One important difference between these two approaches is that Attribution Retrieval has no timeout and will eventually complete, no matter how much time it takes. If, for example, the network connection is bad and attribution results are not able to be retrieved, they would eventually be retrieved once the network connection was restored or even on a future launch. By contrast, Enhanced Deeplinking is designed with user experience in mind, and will only attempt to retrieve a deferred deeplink on the first launch of the first install, and only up to the timeout you specify. If the SDK is able to detect a reinstall, any deferred deeplink from the original install will be ignored. This is because a user would not expect to be routed to a deeplink destination long after the relevant time window had expired or on a future app launch. Imagine clicking a deeplink on a Monday, and being routed on Friday; it would be a confusing experience.
In summary, if you want to parse the raw attribution results yourself, or you do not care about receiving a deferred deeplink after the relevant time window expires, you may use the Attribution Retrieval (within this page) functionality for deferred deeplinking. If you do not care to parse the raw attribution results and you want to receive a deferred deeplink only when relevant, use the Enhanced Deeplinking functionality described here.
Identity Linking:
Link existing user identities with kochava devices.
Setting an Identity Link provides the opportunity to link different identities together in the form of key and value pairs. For example, you may have assigned each user of your app an internal ID which you want to connect to a user’s service identifier. Using this feature, you can send both your internal ID and their service identifier to connect them in the Kochava database.
In order to link identities, you will need to pass this identity link information in the form of unique key and value pairs to the tracker as early as possible. This can be done during tracker configuration if the identity link information is already known, or it can be done after starting the tracker using the Set Identity Link method.
Example (Register an Identity Link During Tracker Configuration):
KVAIdentityLink.register( name: "User ID", identifier: "123456789" ) KVAIdentityLink.register( name: "Login", identifier: "ljenkins" ) KVATracker.shared.start(withAppGUIDString: "_YOUR_APP_GUID_")[KVAIdentityLink registerWithName:@"User ID" identifier:@"123456789"]; [KVAIdentityLink registerWithName:@"Login" identifier:@"ljenkins"]; [KVATracker.shared startWithAppGUIDString:@"_YOUR_APP_GUID_"];let tracker = KVATracker.shared tracker.identityLink.register( withNameString: "User ID", identifierString: "123456789" ) tracker.identityLink.register( withNameString: "Login", identifierString: "ljenkins" ) tracker.start(withAppGUIDString: "_YOUR_APP_GUID_")
Example (Register an Identity Link After Starting the Tracker):
KVAIdentityLink.register( name: "User ID", identifier: "123456789" ) KVAIdentityLink.register( name: "Login", identifier: "ljenkins" )[KVAIdentityLink registerWithName:@"User ID" identifier:@"123456789"]; [KVAIdentityLink registerWithName:@"Login" identifier:@"ljenkins"];
Retrieving Attribution:
Access the attribution results within the app.
Install attribution results can be retrieved from Kochava servers if you wish to use these results within your app. Be aware that attribution results are always determined by Kochava servers; this feature simply provides the app with a copy of whatever the results were.
For example, you may wish to present a user with a different path if you have determined they installed the app from a certain advertising network or source.
Attribution results are fetched by the tracker as soon as requested and returned to the app asynchronously via a callback. This process usually takes about 3-4 seconds but can take longer depending on network latency and other factors. Once attribution results have been retrieved for the first time, they are not retrieved again and the results are persisted. From that point on they can be queried synchronously by calling the attribution data getter which always provides the persisted attribution results from the original retrieval.
NOTE: For purposes of deferred deeplinking, care should be taken to act upon the attribution results only once, as the original results will continue to be reported after the first retrieval, and are not refreshed on a per-launch basis.
Example (Requesting Attribution Results):
// This completion handler will fire on every launch. Optionally check the retrievedBool if you wish to only parse these results once. if !KVATracker.shared.attribution.result.retrievedBool { KVATracker.shared.attribution.retrieveResult { attributionResult in // do something with attributionResult } }// This completion handler will fire on every launch. Optionally check the retrievedBool if you wish to only parse these results once. if (!KVATracker.shared.attribution.result.retrievedBool) { [KVATracker.shared.attribution retrieveResultWithCompletionHandler:^(KVAAttributionResult * _Nonnull attributionResult) { // do something with attributionResult }]; }
Example (Using the Getter After Attribution Results Have Been Retrieved):
let attributionResult = KVATracker.shared.attribution.result print("do something with attributionResult... \(attributionResult.kva_as(forContext: .log) as! [AnyHashable: Any])")KVAAttributionResult *attributionResult = KVATracker.shared.attribution.result; if (attributionResult != nil) { NSLog(@"do something with attributionResult...%@", attributionResult); }let attributionResult = KVATracker.shared.attribution.result print("do something with attributionResult... \(attributionResult.kva_asForContextObject(withContext: .log) as! [AnyHashable: Any])")
Once you have the attribution results, you will need to parse and handle them in some meaningful way. A variety of data exists within this json object and you will need to determine which data is meaningful for your purposes. For an overview of the attribution dictionary contents, see: Attribution Response Examples.
NOTE: If you wish to send attribution results to your own server, this should be done directly through Kochava’s postback system, rather than retrieving attribution in the app and then sending the results to your own server.
Getting The Kochava Device ID:
Obtain the unique device identifier assigned by Kochava.
If at any time after starting the tracker you would like to get the unique identifier assigned to this device by Kochava, this string (represented as a GUID) can be obtained by calling the device id getter.
Example (Getting the Kochava Device ID):
if let kdidString = KVATracker.shared.deviceId.string { print("do something with the kdidString...\(kdidString)") }NSString *kdidString = KVATracker.shared.deviceId.string; if (kdidString != nil) { NSLog(@"do something with the kdidString...%@", kdidString); }
Enabling App Limit Ad Tracking:
Limit the ad tracking at the application level.
If you wish to limit ad tracking at the application level, with respect to Kochava conversions, you can set this value during or after configuration. By default the limit ad tracking state is not enabled (false).
For example, you might provide an option for a user to indicate whether or not they wish to allow this app to use their advertising identifier for tracking purposes. If they do not wish to be tracked, this value would be set to true.
Example (Enabling App Limit Ad Tracking During Tracker Configuration):
KVATracker.shared.appLimitAdTracking.bool = true KVATracker.shared.start(withAppGUIDString: "_YOUR_APP_GUID_")KVATracker.shared.appLimitAdTracking.boolean = YES; [KVATracker.shared startWithAppGUIDString:@"_YOUR_APP_GUID_"];
Example (Enable App Limit Ad Tracking After Starting the Tracker):
KVATracker.shared.appLimitAdTracking.bool = trueKVATracker.shared.appLimitAdTracking.boolean = @(YES)
Enabling Logging:
Enable logging output from the SDK.
Logging provides a text-based log of the SDK’s behavior at runtime, for purposes of debugging.
For example, while testing you may wish to see the contents of certain payloads being sent to Kochava servers, in which case you would enable logging at a debug (or higher) level.
Six different log levels are available, each of which include all log levels beneath them. Info log level is set by default, although trace log level should be used when debugging so that all possible log messages are generated.
| Log Level: never No logging messages are generated. |
| Log Level: error Errors which are usually fatal to the tracker. |
| Log Level: warn Warnings which are not fatal to the tracker. |
| Log Level: info Minimal detail, such as tracker initialization. |
| Log Level: debug Granular detail, including network transaction payloads. |
| Log Level: trace Very granular detail, including low level behavior. |
To enable logging, set the desired log level during tracker configuration. When the tracker runs, each log message will be printed to your console log. In this example we’re setting a higher log level only when a debug build is detected, which is suggested but is not required.
Example (Enabling trace logging in a non-production build):
// KVALog #if DEBUG KVALog.shared.level = .trace #else KVALog.shared.level = .warn #endif // KVATracker.shared KVATracker.shared.start(withAppGUIDString: "_YOUR_APP_GUID_")// KVALog #if DEBUG KVALog.shared.level = KVALogLevel.trace; #else KVALog.shared.level = KVALogLevel.warn; #endif // KVATracker.shared [KVATracker.shared startWithAppGUIDString:@"_YOUR_APP_GUID_"];
NOTE: If you are copying a trace log for the purposes of troubleshooting, please copy the entire log, as the SDK log messages often span multiple lines and copying only lines with “kva” or “kochava” in them will result in missing lines.
Sleeping the Tracker:
Delay the start of the tracker.
Placing the tracker into sleep mode, the tracker will enter a state where all non-essential network transactions will be held and persisted until the tracker is woken up. This can be useful if you wish to start the tracker early and begin tracking events but need the tracker to wait before sending events or the install data to Kochava servers.
For example, if you wanted the tracker startup process to have little or no impact on your own loading process, you might start the tracker in sleep mode during the app launch but wait while your app’s resource-intensive loading process completes. When the app’s loading process completes, the tracker can be woken and will continue with its own startup process without losing any events that may have been queued beforehand.
Example (Enabling Sleep Mode During Tracker Configuration):
KVATracker.shared.sleepBool = true KVATracker.shared.start(withAppGUIDString: "_YOUR_APP_GUID_")KVATracker.shared.sleepBool = YES; [KVATracker.shared startWithAppGUIDString:@"_YOUR_APP_GUID_"];
Example (Enabling Sleep Mode After Starting the Tracker):
KVATracker.shared.sleepBool = trueKVATracker.shared.sleepBool = YES;
Once you are ready to wake the tracker simply set the sleep state to false. At that point the tracker will wake up and continue as normal, sending any queued events or install data.
Example (Waking the Tracker from Sleep Mode) —
KVATracker.shared.sleepBool = falseKVATracker.shared.sleepBool = NO;
NOTE: For every call to set sleep to true, there should be a matching call at some point setting sleep to false. While these calls do not necessarily have to be balanced, care should be taken to not inadvertently leave the tracker asleep permanently. This allows the tracker to wake up and continue with necessary logic and processing of data. Any events or other activity queued while sleeping will be held but not sent until sleep mode is set to false. This means that if the tracker is never woken from sleep mode, events and other activity will continue to build up in the queue, causing undesirable results and resource usage.
Shutting Down the Tracker:
Shutting down the SDK after starting.
The SDK can be shut down after starting, which will completely disable the SDK and stop all tracking from continuing.
The SDK should not be shutdown in typical scenarios, but this may be useful during consent-applicable instances when consent has been declined or revoked after starting the SDK and you wish to completely stop tracking the user.
After shutting down, all network communication with Kochava will cease, events will no longer queue, and any API calls will fail just as if the SDK had never been started. The SDK must be configured and started again if you wish for tracking to resume.
Example (Shut Down the SDK) —
KVATrackerProduct.shared.shutdown(deleteLocalDataBool: false)[KVATrackerProduct.shared shutdownWithDeleteLocalDataBool:NO];
Clearing SDK Data:
The shutdown() method accepts a boolean indicating whether you wish to also clear all persisted SDK data from disk when shutting down. This should always be set to false and should never be set to true without a complete understanding of the ramifications of clearing this data, as it could create duplicate user metrics or worse.
Example (Shut Down the SDK and Clear Data) —
KVATrackerProduct.shared.shutdown(deleteLocalDataBool: true)[KVATrackerProduct.shared shutdownWithDeleteLocalDataBool:YES];
Shutdown vs. Sleep:
The SDK’s sleep functionality can also be used to temporarily prevent the SDK from sending data to Kochava. However, sleep will continue to queue events and track the user, but will simply not send that data to Kochava until awoken. For this reason, sleep should not be used as a solution for consent-applicable situations because tracking is still queuing locally and may be sent on the next app launch.
Shutting down the SDK, on the other hand, completely stops the SDK from functioning and no tracking will occur until it is configured and started again.
Consent:
Kochava’s Intelligent Consent Manager and self-managed consent solutions.
The Kochava SDK deals with potentially sensitive data such as device identifiers, care should be taken to ensure that your use of the Kochava SDK remains compliant with any applicable laws and regulations.
CCPA
For purposes of CCPA, the Kochava Tracker SDK follows IAB’s CCPA Compliance Framework by reading the U.S. Privacy String from local storage, when present. You do not need to take any action in the Kochava Tracker SDK for this functionality. However, it is your responsibility to ensure the U.S. Privacy String has been set within local storage when appropriate. The SDK will look for the U.S. Privacy String in local app storage under the key ‘IABUSPrivacy_String’ within default shared preferences on Android and default NSUserDefaults on iOS. As long as the value is present, the SDK will pick it up.
GDPR
GDPR applies to users within the EU and requires users to opt-in to data collection. By using this feature, the Kochava SDK will handle determining when consent is required for any user. It is your responsibility to use that information to determine if and when to prompt for consent and to report the results back to the SDK. The SDK will automatically restrict the sending of data to Kochava’s servers unless consent is not required or has been granted.
Configure Dashboard Settings:
Within the Kochava dashboard, enable Intelligent Consent Management GDPR for this app and adjust other related settings. The SDK’s consent related features and API calls will only have any effect if the feature is enabled on the Kochava dashboard.
Subscribe to Consent Changes —
Subscribe to updates from the SDK on when the user is in an applicable consent region. This will be called once shortly after starting the SDK and may be called periodically thereafter. This listener is dependent on an active internet connection and may get delayed if it is not available.
Use this information to inform your consent logic on if the user should be prompted. Exact timing and location of prompting is application specific and left up to your implementation. If your consent logic already handles the if and when of prompting this listener can be omitted.
Example (Init Completed Handler) —
KVATracker.shared.config.closure_didComplete = { config in print("config.consentGDPRAppliesBool = \(config.consentGDPRAppliesBool)") }KVATracker.shared.config.closure_didComplete = ^(KVATrackerConfig * _Nonnull config) { NSLog(@"consentGDPRAppliesBool=%@", @(config.consentGDPRAppliesBool)); };
Reporting Consent Results —
When the user responds to your consent prompt dialog or if the user otherwise grants or declines consent, the Kochava SDK must be notified of the result. If the user dismisses or ignores the dialog and does not provide a response no action should be taken.
Example (User Granted Consent) —
KVATracker.shared.privacy.intelligentConsent.grantedBool = trueKVATracker.shared.privacy.intelligentConsent.grantedBoolNumber = @(YES);
Example (User Declined Consent) —
KVATracker.shared.privacy.intelligentConsent.grantedBool = falseKVATracker.shared.privacy.intelligentConsent.grantedBoolNumber = @(NO);
For complete details on how this feature works, refer to our Intelligent Consent Manager support documentation.
Self-Managed
If you choose not to use our Intelligent Consent Management feature and you are handling consent on your own or using a 3rd party tool, startup and use of the tracker should not occur until after you have determined consent is not required or consent has been granted. Any calls to the tracker should be wrapped in this check, so that if a user revokes consent later calls to the tracker will stop. Ensure that the tracker has been started before any calls to the tracker are made when going this route.
Example (Starting the Tracker Only When Consent Allows) —
// We will not start the measurement module unless consent requirements are met. if !consentRequired || consentGranted { KVATracker.shared.start(withAppGUIDString: "_YOUR_APP_GUID_") }// We will not start the measurement module unless consent requirements are met. if (!consentRequired || consentGranted) { [KVATracker.shared startWithAppGUIDString:@"_YOUR_APP_GUID_"]; }
Example (Calling Tracker Methods Only When Consent Allows) —
// We will not call measurement APIs unless consent requirements are met. if !consentRequired || consentGranted { KVAEvent.sendCustom(eventName: "My Event") }// We will not call measurement APIs unless consent requirements are met. if (!consentRequired || consentGranted) { [KVAEvent sendCustomWithEventName:@"My Event"]; }
Example (Shutdown the Tracker if Consent is Revoked) —
// Shutdown the tracker and optionally delete data if consent requirements are no longer met. if (consentRequired && !consentGranted) { KVATrackerProduct.shared.shutdown(deleteLocalDataBool: true) }// Shutdown the tracker and optionally delete data if consent requirements are no longer met. if (consentRequired && !consentGranted) { [KVATrackerProduct.shared shutdownWithDeleteLocalDataBool:YES]; }
NOTE: All consent-related API calls (such as granting or declining consent) will have no effect unless the Intelligent Consent Manager feature has been enabled in your Kochava dashboard. Do not use these methods if you are handling consent on your own or through a 3rd party tool.
Setting Up a Test Environment:
Create a test environment to ensure the integration is working properly.
During testing, debugging, and non-production app development, the following steps will help you get the most out of your test environment and help to ensure your integration is working properly.
- Use an alternate testing App GUID so that your testing activities do not have an impact on your live app analytics.
- Enable Logging, if helpful, to gain insight into the SDK’s behavior during runtime.
- If you would like the SDK to behave as it would during a new install, be sure to un-install the app before each test.
- Test your Kochava integration. For more information see: Testing the Integration.
Keep in mind that you should always add logic to ensure that you do not accidentally release to production a build with a development configuration used. Below is an example of how this type of configuration might look.
// KVALog let logLevel: KVALogLevel #if DEBUG logLevel = .trace #else logLevel = .info #endif KVALog.shared.level = logLevel // appGUIDString let appGUIDString: String #if DEBUG appGUIDString = "_YOUR_TEST_APP_GUID_" #else appGUIDString = "_YOUR_PRODUCTION_APP_GUID_" #endif // KVATracker.shared KVATracker.shared.start(withAppGUIDString: appGUIDString)// KVALog KVALogLevel *logLevel; #if DEBUG logLevel = KVALogLevel.trace; #else logLevel = KVALogLevel.info; #endif KVALog.shared.level = logLevel; // appGUIDString NSString *appGUIDString; #if DEBUG appGUIDString = @"_YOUR_TEST_APP_GUID_"; #else appGUIDString = @"_YOUR_PRODUCTION_APP_GUID_"; #endif // KVATracker.shared [KVATracker.shared startWithAppGUIDString:appGUIDString];
Analyzing SDK Behavior:
While testing your integration, it is important to understand the tracker’s basic flow of operations. When the tracker is started the following sequence of events occur:
- A handshake with Kochava may be made to determine dynamic settings for this app.
- If this is the first launch, the install data is sent to Kochava (this only happens once).
- At this point the SDK is idle and awaits requests from the app.
- If a request is made to the SDK by the app, the request is moved to a background thread for processing. After processing the request and performing any necessary network calls the SDK returns to an idle state.
- When the app is terminated or suspended, a session-end payload may be sent to Kochava.
- When the app is resumed or relaunched, a session-begin payload may be sent to Kochava.
NOTE: While testing, keep in mind that data sent from the SDK may sometimes be delayed up to a few minutes before being displayed within the Kochava analytics dashboard.
Utilization from a Web View:
Interact with the Kochava SDK from within a native WebView.
In order to call methods and interact with the Kochava SDK from within a native WebView, see: SDK Utilization from a Web View.
