What is SKAdNetwork? (Simple Explanation for 2025)

SKAdNetwork is Apple's privacy-first attribution framework. It lets you measure iOS app install campaigns without tracking individual users.

Before iOS 14.5, most mobile attribution relied on IDFA—a device-level identifier that tracked users across apps. Apple's App Tracking Transparency (ATT) framework changed that, requiring explicit user permission to access IDFA.

SKAN became the primary attribution method for iOS because it works without user consent and doesn't track individuals.

How SKAdNetwork Works

When a user clicks an ad and installs your app, SKAN creates an attribution link between the ad network and the install. The process:

1. User sees and clicks an ad in an app or mobile web
2. Ad network registers the impression with Apple's SKAdNetwork
3. User installs the app from the App Store
4. Apple sends a postback to the ad network (after a delay)
5. Ad network receives aggregated data about the install

The key difference: no user-level data changes hands. The advertiser learns that a campaign generated installs, but can't connect those installs to specific users.

What Data You Get with SKAN

SKAdNetwork postbacks include:

• Campaign ID (called "source identifier" in SKAN 4.0)
• Conversion value (0-63, representing in-app activity)
• Timestamp (when the install occurred)
• Ad network identifier

What you don't get:

• Individual user IDs
• Device-level data
• Real-time attribution
• Complete user journey data

SKAN Versions

Apple has released multiple versions:

SKAN 1.0-2.0 (2018-2020): Basic install attribution with limited adoption.

SKAN 3.0 (2021): Added conversion values, enabling basic post-install measurement. Became standard after iOS 14.5.

SKAN 4.0 (2022-2025): Introduced multiple postbacks, web-to-app attribution, and expanded campaign IDs. Meta began broad activation in 2025.

The industry currently operates in a hybrid environment. SKAN 3.0 remains widely used, while SKAN 4.0 adoption accelerates.

Privacy Mechanisms

Apple built several privacy protections into SKAN:

Delayed postbacks: Attribution data arrives 24-72 hours after install, making real-time optimization impossible.

Crowd anonymity: If an install doesn't meet minimum volume thresholds, Apple drops data fields to prevent user identification.

Conversion value limits: Only 64 possible values (0-63) to encode post-install behavior, limiting granularity.

No fingerprinting: SKAN explicitly prohibits probabilistic matching or device fingerprinting.

Practical Impact on App Marketing

SKAN reshaped how iOS campaigns operate:

Campaign structure: Broader targeting replaced granular segments. You can't optimize to specific user profiles without user-level data.

Measurement windows: Limited to specific time windows (0-2 days, 3-7 days, 8-35 days in SKAN 4.0).

Optimization cycles: Delayed data means slower iteration. Real-time bidding adjustments became impossible.

Creative testing: Increased importance because you have less targeting flexibility.

SKAN vs. ATT Opt-Ins

SKAN doesn't require ATT consent. It's completely separate:

• ATT opt-in: User agrees to IDFA tracking. You get deterministic, user-level attribution.
• SKAN: No consent required. You get privacy-safe, aggregated attribution.

In practice, most iOS campaigns now rely primarily on SKAN because ATT opt-in rates average 15-25% in most categories.

Working with SKAdNetwork

You don't interact with SKAN directly. Your Mobile Measurement Partner (MMP) handles:

• SKAN postback collection
• Conversion value schema configuration
• Data aggregation and reporting
• Combining SKAN data with ATT opt-in data

Major MMPs like AppsFlyer, Adjust, Singular, and Kochava all support SKAN measurement.

Current State (2025)

SKAdNetwork is now the foundation of iOS app marketing measurement:

• SKAN 4.0 adoption expanded significantly in 2025
• Web-to-app attribution through Safari activated (93.65% of iPhone users)
• Multiple postbacks provide measurement across 35-day windows
• Ad networks still navigating the transition from SKAN 3.0 to 4.0

The framework isn't perfect. Measurement is less precise, optimization takes longer, and some use cases remain challenging. But it's the privacy-compliant path forward for iOS attribution.

FAQs

What is SKAdNetwork?

SKAdNetwork (SKAN) is Apple's privacy-focused attribution framework that lets ad networks measure iOS app install campaigns without tracking individual users. It provides aggregated, anonymized data instead of user-level tracking.

Why did Apple create SKAdNetwork?

Apple created SKAdNetwork to balance advertiser measurement needs with user privacy. It emerged as Apple's solution after restricting IDFA access through App Tracking Transparency (ATT) in iOS 14.5.

How is SKAdNetwork different from traditional tracking?

Traditional tracking follows individual users across apps using device IDs. SKAdNetwork provides aggregated data with no user-level identifiers, delayed postbacks, and limited conversion data to preserve privacy.

Do I need user consent to use SKAdNetwork?

No. SKAdNetwork operates without requiring ATT consent. It's designed to work in a privacy-first environment where user tracking isn't permitted.

What's the difference between SKAN 3.0 and SKAN 4.0?

SKAN 4.0 introduced multiple postbacks (up to 3 per install), web-to-app attribution for Safari, expanded campaign IDs (up to 10,000 values), and coarse conversion values alongside the existing 0-63 fine values.

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SKAdNetwork represents Apple's answer to privacy-first attribution. It's not as granular as traditional tracking, but it provides a path forward for measuring iOS campaigns in a post-IDFA world.