What to Track Before You Run User Acquisition

You can't optimize what you don't measure.

Running user acquisition without proper tracking is like driving blindfolded. You'll spend money, get installs, and have no idea which campaigns worked or why.

Here's what to set up before you spend the first dollar on paid acquisition.

Why Tracking Comes First

Without tracking:

• You can't attribute installs to specific campaigns
• You don't know which channels drive quality users
• You can't calculate ROAS or payback periods
• Ad networks can't optimize toward valuable actions
• You waste budget on campaigns that don't work

With tracking:

• Every install connects to a specific ad, campaign, and channel
• You see which sources drive retention and revenue
• You can optimize based on actual performance data
• Ad networks improve automatically using conversion signals

The difference is 2-3x ROAS at the same budget.

Minimum Tracking Requirements

Before running any paid UA, you need:

1. Mobile Measurement Partner (MMP) Installed

Required: AppsFlyer, Adjust, Singular, or similar.

What it does:

• Attributes installs to campaigns
• Tracks post-install events
• Sends conversion data to ad networks
• Provides unified reporting across channels

Setup checklist:

• SDK integrated in iOS and Android apps
• Attribution working (test with self-attribution)
• Dashboard access configured
• Team members have appropriate permissions

Test it:

Install your app from a test campaign link. Verify the install appears in your MMP dashboard with correct attribution.

2. Core Events Tracking

Minimum events to track:

Install / First open

Automatically tracked by your MMP SDK.

Tutorial complete

Strong retention predictor. Measures successful onboarding.

trackEvent("tutorial_completed")

Account created

Separates activated users from tire-kickers.

trackEvent("account_created")

First purchase / subscription

Critical monetization milestone.

trackEvent("purchase_completed", [
  "revenue": 29.99,
  "currency": "USD",
  "product_id": "premium_monthly"
])

Day 3 and Day 7 sessions

Retention markers. Your MMP tracks these automatically.

Test them:

Manually trigger each event in your app. Verify they appear in your MMP dashboard within 2 minutes.

3. Conversion Event Configuration

Set up which events should trigger postbacks to ad networks.

In your MMP dashboard:

1. Go to event configuration
2. Mark events as "conversion events"
3. Configure postback mapping for each ad network
4. Test postback delivery

Typical configuration:

• Install: Send to all networks
• Tutorial complete: Send to all networks
• Purchase: Send to all networks
• Account created: Send to all networks

This allows ad networks to optimize toward these actions, not just installs.

4. SKAN Conversion Value Schema (iOS)

Map in-app events to conversion values (0-63).

Example schema:

• 0: Install only
• 10: Tutorial complete
• 20: Account created
• 30: First purchase < $10
• 40: First purchase $10-50
• 50: First purchase $50+
• 60: Subscription started

Configure in your MMP's SKAN studio.

Without this, iOS campaigns can only optimize toward installs, not value.

5. Revenue Tracking

For apps with monetization, revenue tracking is critical.

Required parameters:

• revenue (amount)
• currency (USD, EUR, etc.)
• product_id (what was purchased)

Example:

trackEvent("purchase_completed", [
  "revenue": 29.99,
  "currency": "USD",
  "product_id": "premium_monthly"
])

This enables ROAS calculation and LTV analysis.

6. Deep Linking Setup

Deep links route users from ads to specific content in your app.

Required:

• Universal Links configured (iOS)
• App Links configured (Android)
• Deep link routing logic implemented
• Deferred deep links working for new installs

Test:

Click a deep link campaign URL without the app installed. Install. Verify you land at the intended destination.

Baseline Metrics (Before Spending)

Don't launch UA blind. Establish organic baselines first.

Get 100-200 organic installs and measure:

Onboarding Metrics

• Install to tutorial complete: What % finish onboarding?
• Install to account created: What % activate?
• Time to first value: How long until users experience core benefit?

Typical benchmarks:

• Tutorial completion: 60-80%
• Account creation: 40-60%
• Time to first value: < 5 minutes

Retention Metrics

• Day 1 retention: % who return the next day
• Day 3 retention: % who return within 3 days
• Day 7 retention: % who return within 7 days
• Day 30 retention: % who return within 30 days

Typical benchmarks (varies by category):

• D1: 35-45%
• D3: 20-30%
• D7: 15-20%
• D30: 5-10%

Monetization Metrics

• Install to purchase: What % convert?
• Time to first purchase: How long does it take?
• Average transaction value: How much do they spend?
• D7 revenue per install: Early LTV indicator

Use these to set paid UA goals.

If organic users generate $2 in D7 revenue per install, you can afford CPIs up to $1-1.50 at 2x ROAS targets.

Engagement Metrics

• Session length: How long users spend per session
• Sessions per user (D7): How often they return
• Core action completion rate: % who complete the main value action

Understanding organic behavior tells you what "good" looks like. Compare paid traffic to these baselines.

Dashboard Setup

Create dashboards before running campaigns so you're not scrambling when data arrives.

Essential dashboards:

1. Attribution Dashboard

• Installs by source (Facebook, TikTok, Google, Organic)
• Installs by campaign
• Installs by creative
• Install trends over time

2. Funnel Dashboard

• Install → Tutorial complete → Account created → First purchase
• Conversion rates at each step
• Drop-off points
• By traffic source

3. Retention Dashboard

• D1, D3, D7, D30 retention by source
• Retention curves comparing channels
• Cohort retention tables

4. Revenue Dashboard

• Revenue by source
• Revenue by campaign
• ROAS by channel
• LTV curves by cohort

5. Performance Dashboard

• CPI by source
• CPA (cost per acquisition) by source
• ROAS by campaign
• Spend vs. revenue

Set these up with organic data first. When paid campaigns start, the data flows automatically.

Testing Checklist

Before launching campaigns, verify everything works:

MMP attribution:

• Test install from custom campaign link
• Verify install appears in dashboard
• Confirm attribution is correct
• Check attribution window settings

Event tracking:

• Trigger each core event
• Verify events appear in dashboard
• Check event parameters are correct
• Confirm timing is accurate

Postbacks:

• Configure postback URLs for each network
• Test postback delivery
• Verify ad networks receive data
• Check parameter mapping

SKAN (iOS):

• Conversion value schema configured
• Test SKAN attribution
• Verify conversion values update
• Check postback delivery (24-72 hour delay)

Deep linking:

• Test deep links with app installed
• Test deferred deep links (new install)
• Verify routing to correct content
• Check parameter passing

Revenue tracking:

• Complete test purchase
• Verify revenue appears in dashboard
• Check currency and amount are correct
• Confirm ROAS calculations work

Common Setup Mistakes

Starting UA before MMP is configured:

You'll get installs with no attribution. Wasted spend.

Not testing event tracking:

Events that don't fire can't trigger optimization. Ad networks optimize blindly.

Skipping SKAN setup:

iOS campaigns will underperform without conversion value measurement.

No organic baseline:

You won't know if paid traffic quality is good or terrible.

Missing revenue parameters:

Can't calculate ROAS without revenue data.

Deep links not working:

Users land on home screen instead of advertised content. Conversion rates tank.

When You're Ready to Start UA

You know tracking is ready when:

1. MMP attribution working: Test installs appear correctly
2. Events firing consistently: All core events tracked and tested
3. Postbacks delivering: Ad networks receive conversion data
4. SKAN configured: iOS conversion values mapped
5. Baselines established: You know organic retention and monetization rates
6. Dashboards built: You can monitor performance in real-time

Then and only then: Launch your first campaign.

Post-Launch Monitoring

In the first 48 hours of your first campaign:

Check hourly:

• Are installs being attributed correctly?
• Are events firing as expected?
• Are postbacks reaching ad networks?
• Is spend pacing correctly?

Check daily:

• Install volume vs. budget
• CPI vs. benchmarks
• Conversion rates vs. organic baseline
• Early retention signals

Check weekly:

• D7 retention vs. organic
• ROAS trends
• LTV curve development
• Channel performance comparison

FAQs

What tracking do I need before running paid UA?

You need an MMP installed, core events tracked (install, tutorial complete, purchase), conversion events configured for ad networks, SKAN conversion values set up for iOS, and baseline metrics established from organic users.

Can I start UA without an MMP?

Technically yes, but you'll waste money. Without attribution, you can't tell which campaigns work, which channels drive quality users, or how to optimize. An MMP is essential infrastructure, not optional.

How long should I track organic users before starting paid UA?

Get at least 100-200 organic installs to establish baseline metrics: conversion rates, retention curves, and early LTV indicators. This gives you benchmarks to compare paid traffic against.

Do I need different tracking for iOS vs. Android?

Implementation differs (different SDKs), but track the same events on both platforms. Your MMP aggregates data across platforms for unified reporting.

What if my organic metrics are bad?

Fix the product before spending on UA. If organic users have 10% D1 retention, paid users won't be better. Improve retention first, then scale with paid acquisition.

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Tracking infrastructure isn't optional. It's the foundation that makes every dollar you spend on user acquisition measurable, optimizable, and accountable. Set it up right before launch, not after.